Christmas Classics!

Every time I think of my favourite Christmas songs, RUN-D.M.C.'s "Christmas In Hollis" always comes to mind.

And then I remember the amazing music video that accompanied it back in 1988...

Check this out...



I also just recently finished the RUN-D.M.C. book, "Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of RUN-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay", and I loved it! It's a great insider through the highs and lows of RUN-D.M.C.'s career. Click on the book cover below to flip through the first chapter...


But back to the caroling...haha!...
If you haven't heard Peanut Butter Wolf's "Stones Throw Records Holiday Podcast", I highly recommend you click on this image below and do so! It's a great one for the family over Xmas! haha


I received a funny Xmas video from Fishbone today courtesy of Dr.Maddvibe. Y'all should really check out this performance Angelo does of "Slick Nick" (click on the pic below)..It's fuckin' funny!


And if you don't already have a copy of "Christmas In Hollis" for the holidaze, here ya go...

RUN D.M.C. - Christmas In Hollis

A Very Merry Christmakwanzifestivukah and a Happy New Year to you all!

PEACE.1.D.

Tim Armstrong goes solo.

A fews weeks ago while rollin' around in Darrin Pfeiffer's dope ride, this wikkid song popped up on his XM radio. It was Tim Armstrong's (from Rancid) new solo track entitled "Hold On". Immediately I said to Pfeiffer that the band sounded like The Aggrolites, and later I discovered I was right. I also discovered that this song and another entitled "Wake Up" were released as free mp3s on the Epitaph website! Woohoo!

Apparently Tim is working on an entire album called, "A Poet's Life", that will all be released this way...which is totally rad! Rancid just played in Toronto and I missed 'em (due to a busy work schedule). bummer. I heard they were great though! Lemme know what you thought, if you were there!
Here's the links to those songs:

TIM ARMSTRONG - Hold On

TIM ARMSTRONG - Wake Up

visit Tim's Epitaph website

PEACE.1.D.

Willie Nelson is a reggae star!

When this cd came out in 2005, I was waiting for it. I had read about it, and that Willie was working on this album for around 10 years (if not longer)!

"Countryman" is Willie's first reggae album. It consists of reggae-fied versions of some of his songs...and a few covers like Johnny Cash's "I'm A Worried Man" (feat. Toots Hibert of The Maytals), and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" (which is the only country song on this reggae album ;? pure willie humour! ha).

I, personally, really enjoy this record...as a fan of reggae and Willie. It's a fun one from start to finish.
But the critics (obviously) really slammed this album. It really does show the similarities between country and reggae music...and helping prove the theory that all genres of music are connected! It's true folks.

I STRONGLY urge you ALL to buy and read "The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart" by Willie Nelson. I loved it, and everyone I know who's read it has enjoyed it immensely. Seriously...If you're still looking for something for mom or dad for Xmas...I just solved your problem! Here's what it looks like:

How 'bout that! haha Here's a quote from Willie to give you an example: "Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." How true.

Listen to this one... It's one of my favourite tracks from "Countryman"....

WILLIE NELSON - Darkness On The Face Of The Earth

visit Willie's website

PEACE.1.D.

Rjd2's hidden gem.

In 2002 Def Jux artist, Rjd2 released his album "Deadringer". When the original version of this cd first came out, I was working in a record store where I sometimes played music over the system in the store. I remember playing the hidden track at the end of this album a lot, as it was a sure way to have people rush the dj booth to ask me what was playing.

A few months after the album's release, it was re-released without this amazing bonus track. Why? No clue. Maybe Rjd2 used a sample that didn't get clearance? Who knows? I sure don't. But if YOU do, let me know!

This is the best track I've ever heard from Rjd2. It's called "What's Left". Check it out...

RJD2 - What's Left

visit Rjd2's website

PEACE.1.D.

Busta does Beasties.

The other day a good friend of mine lent me a cd he had just found on a trip to Chicago. The cd was Dj Green Lantern's Beastie Boys mixtape, "New York State Of Mind". It is a 20 track collection of Beasties classics over other well-known (mostly NY) beats. Green Lantern even throws some additional, and appropriate, samples throughout his mixes. The whole cd flows!

It also includes a few Beasties covers/interpretations...like Redman's "Jersey Yo!" (from his "Doc's Da Name" cd), M.O.P. doing "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", Clipse doing "Pass The Mic".....and this one took the whole cake for me: Busta Rhymes doing his interpretation of "Paul Revere"! This is some hot shit y'all!

Where was I went this came out all quietly in 2004? :)

BUSTA RHYMES - Paul Revere '04 (feat. Labba)

visit Dj Green Lantern's website

PEACE.1.D.

Demon Fuzz

A few weeks ago I was looking around one of my favourite indie cd shops in Toronto, when I was drawn to the cover art of this album called "Afreaka!" by Demon Fuzz. Then the sticker on the cover made me pick it up off the shelf: "Funkadelic meets Hendrix & Cymande". Whoa! I love all three! So I asked one of the guys working there if he knew anything about it, and he began explaining to me that it also had elements of early Santana and Kyuss (where Queens Of The Stone Age came from), of which I'm also a fan of. He then began playing me the first track on the album entitled, "Past Present And Future", a song that is just shy of 10 minutes long. That's all I needed to hear to take this rare gem home with me. And boy am I glad I did!

This album was apparently the only album Demon Fuzz ever released. It was originally released on vinyl in the 1970s on a UK label called Dawn, and has been a rare find until Sanctuary Records re-released it on cd in 2005.

I'm really diggin' this entire album as it flows from soul, funk, rock, and jazz stylings throughout it's 8 lengthy tracks. The original release only consisted of the first 5 tracks, but this cd includes 3 bonus tracks from a vinyl EP that was released around the same time.

Here's the song that opens the album.....Hope you enjoy it!

DEMON FUZZ - Past Present And Future

visit Santuary Records for more on Demon Fuzz

PEACE.1.D.

Fishbone is red hot!

Well, here goes nuthin'... :)

I believe I've told more people about the almighty Fishbone more times than I've recommended any other band. Why? Because I've been a fan of theirs for a looooong time, and I've also been blessed to share the stage with them over the years (opening and collaborating) countless times. I love these boys.

For those of you who don't know this band...you betta recognize! If it weren't for the Bone, we likely wouldn't have bands like No Doubt, the Chili Peppers, Sublime, 311...shit, I could go on and on.

Fishbone's last major label release was in 2000 on Hollywood Records. This 10 track masterpiece was their most radio-friendly record to date, packed with guest appearances from all those musicians they loved and influenced....yet nobody really seems to know about this album. Not a single music video was made by Hollywood. Music videos are "no-brainers" for the Bone....They're entertainers in every sense of the word!

Anyways, the moral of that little rant is that I think everyone should own, "Fishbone & The Familyhood Nextperience Presents The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx". Check out this cover of a Sly & The Family Stone classic featuring Gwen Stefani, George Clinton, Rick James AND Perry Farrell on vocals with Angelo. Deadly.

FISHBONE - Everybody Is A Star

visit Fishbone.net

PEACE.1.D.