Photo courtesy of ThunderballDC.com

Thunderball- 12 Mile High

FADE IN- A small, private jet floats above the brilliant city lights of Dubai, approaching for landing.  Our hero, the ultra secret agent is ready to begin his mission to find stolen jewels, bring the thieves to justice, all while doing so with a smooth, debonair style.

The new single “12 Mile High” by Thunderball, like most of their music, invokes the previous cinematic imagery perfectly.  It also would be a nice fit with a remake of the James Bond classic “Moonraker” as a result of the voice samples from what seems to be some sort of space mission. Thunderball is the brainchild of Steve Raskin and Sid Barcelona with Rob Myers being added into the mix later on and are out of the same Washington, DC as The Couch Sessions!  Their previous efforts “Ambassadors of Style,” “Scorpio Rising,” and “Cinescope” all encompass the cinematic dub/electro-lounge style they have perfected by now and this track is a culmination of all of their previous works so far.

A groovy, bass-driven disco beat starts off the track with the aforementioned space mission voice samples (hence the title of the song).  A sitar part provides the middle eastern feel of the track and the electronic keys part together provide an excellent melody that accompanies the steady groove perfectly. Sometimes sitar parts can be a bit overwhelming when added to music but in this case it fits quite nicely.  Also fitting in nicely is some funky guitar and a few quick hitting horn parts that seems to work well to pull off the retro 70′s disco feel to the track.

The track ends with the sound of a rocket taking off, but that could be substituted for the private jet picking up our hero after another case solved.  Thunderball’s new album drops November 9th on Thievery Corporation’s ESL Music (ESL being an acronym for “Eighteenth Street Lounge”) label.  If this preview track is any indication of the quality of the rest of the album, you are going to be in for a huge treat!

Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics - Electricone

Getting your doctorate in the study of ethnomusicology basically means devoting months and years to the research of foreign folk music, but if you are Dr. Lloyd Miller, it also means reinventing art.

Dr. Miller’s fascination with Eastern and Persian traditional instruments falls neatly into the metamorphosis of jazz transcending cultures. Dr. Miller’s affinity for jazz dates back to his 1960s LP Oriental Jazz, now a rare collector’s item, and his own 1970s jazz program on Iranian television, where he went by the name Kurosh Ali Khan. Combine that connoisseurship with the progressive UK collective, The Heliocentrics, who recently collaborated with Ethiopian jazz king Mulatu Astatke, and you have a very modern, yet antiquated union of jazz and something mystic.

Elelctricone, released as a sample of the upcoming Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics album, via Strut, is a delectable bit that I look forward to playing on an old record player, while cooking with overpowering spices in a cozy kitchen in a tiny apartment abundant with Persian rugs and aged wine.

For Dr. Miller, this new album comes as a late, but not too late, affirmation of his talent and foresight, as it took the refined palate and inquisitive appetite of BBC Radio jazz aficionado Gilles Peterson to pull Oriental Jazz up and out from a canopy of dust. Now, with graciousness, Dr. Miller’s fermented and ripe craft is put to well-publicized use. Learn more about Dr. Miller’s multi-instrumental discernment in the video below.

The full Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics album is set to release Aug. 3.

Various Artists
Dillanthology Vol 2 – The Remixes

Google the phrase “J Dilla Tribute” and you’ll receive over 1,500,000 results.  The efforts to immortalize Mr. Yancey’s legacy vary from brilliant (Suite for Ma Dukes, Beat Konducta vols 5-6) to the bandwagon, unfamiliar “look at me I’m cool” culture of internet goons.  One could even reason that the world needs another Dilla compilation as much as it needs another post humus Tupac album – or the proverbial ‘hole in the head’.

Into the ring of fire comes Dillanthology Volume 2 – The Remixes – an offering from Rapster Records, a subsidiary of the !K7 Label Group. As the name suggests, the compilation focuses on the oft neglected facet of Dillas production portfolio – the remix. That focus is the albums saving grace.

The album begins with a twist on the familiar, a remix of Stakes is High feat. Mos Def.  The listener is then blessed with wave after wave of crisp head nod science as only Dilla could provide.  Although the material isn’t groundbreaking, unexpected inclusions such as “The Ultimate” by the Artifacts, the J Dilla remix to “Oblighetto” and DJ Cam’s “Love Junkee” are refreshing.

Although I found Dillanthology 2 to be a better listen than many similar attempts, it still doesn’t provide anything new.  I truly feel that artists and record labels should exert more energy in producing interpretations & inspirations of Dillas genius instead of simply recycling his discography.  The constant barrage of compilations like this, along with the aforementioned uncontrolled nature of modern Internet culture, run the risk of watering down and lessening the value of one of the most profound musical pioneers of black music.

Peace and blessings to Mrs. Maureen Yancey.

Tracklisting:
1. De La Soul – Stakes Is High ft. Mos Def & Truth Enola (Remix)
2. The Pharcyde – Y? (Be Like That) (Jay Dee Remix)
3. Masta Ace – Sitting On Chrome (Ummah Remix)
4. Slum Village – Fall In Love (Remix)
5. Four Tet – As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix)
6. Busta Rhymes – Whoo Ha (Jay Dee Remix)
7. Artifacts – The Ultimate (Jay Dee Remix)
8. Moods – Secrets Of The Sand (Remix)
9. Spacek – Eve (JayDee Mix)
10. DJ Cam -Love Junkie (Jay Dee Remix)
11. Brother Jack McDuff – Oblighetto (J Dilla Remix)
12. Brand New Heavies – Sometimes (Remix)

Fat Freddy’s Drop – Big BW

Even though New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop has been a huge success worldwide their presence has been largely absent in the United States, even among the underground scene. The group, led by the soulful vocals of Joe Dukie with their combination of big band, jazz, and dub reggae to form some of the most unique sound I’ve ever heard. Their last album, Based on a True Story, which is still a fixture on my iPod, has gone 7x platinum and already made them pop stars down under, and I’m hoping their newest album Dr Boondigga And The Big BW will get these dudes noticed here.

Even though Based On… skewed more into the pop direction, Dr Boondigga seems like it’s going more experimental, with the group playing around with some more electro (on “Shiverman” and “Wild Wind”) and big band (on “Boondigga” and “The Nod”) sounds. However, their core reggae/dub sound remains.

Dr Boondigga And The Big BW has already dropped in the lower Hemisphere, but an album release date for the US has not been set at the moment.

fatfreddysdrop.com

The El Michels Affair – C.R.E.A.M.

I’ve been a fan of the “retro-soul” movement coming out of New York for a while. A New York bands–The El Michels Affair, which is made up of members of other instrumental soul bands Dap Kings, the Budos Band, and Antibalas, have made a name for themselves by working with such artists as Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Iggy Pop. Now El Michael’s takes on its best challenge ever–Wu Tang.

The album, Enter the 37th Chamber, and obvious play on Wu’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the band reinterprets “Can It All Be So Simple,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Cherchez La Ghost,” and “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” and even includes Old Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” and Raekwon’s “Heaven & Hell” in the 15 song lineup. Inspired by the best selling (in this market 7,000 copies is huge) 7” single for C.R.E.A.M., the El Michels Affair have created what might be the best Wu-Tang tribute album that has dropped so far.

Nat King Cole – Lush Life Prod. by Cee-Lo Green (Windows Media File)

Much thanks to my old friend Honey Soul, who put me onto a new Nat King Cole compilation being released this month. Nat King Cole’s Re:Generations features a stellar lineup of artists and producers: Cee-Lo, The Roots, Will.i.am with Natalie Cole, Cut Chemist, Just Blaze, Nas with Salaam Remi, Souldiggaz with Izza Kizza, Michaelangelo L’Acqua with Bebel Gilberto, Stephen and Damian Marley, Bitter:Sweet, Brazilian Girls, Amp Fiddler and TV On The Radio.(Good lawd that’s a nice list!)  There hasn’t been much music that has excited me so far in 2009, but I’m on pins and needles for this album. It reminds me a lot of the Verve Remixed series (which is still one of my favorites), and hopefully will reignite interest in a legend.

Us East Coast people may joke about the so-called “flyover states,” but the nation’s heartland has went ahead and produced a unique scene all its own. And if everybody that comes from the Show Me State sounds like Miles Bonny, then we better take notice.

The first time I heard about Bonny was when he was with Sounds Good, his collaboration he put out with MC Joe Good, which we played on the Podcast back in the day. Bonny provided the beats to the album Biscuits & Gravy which is one of the more underrated hip-hop releases of 2005, and offered a glimpse of the Lawrence, KS hip-hop scene which birthed the equally underrated Deep Thinkers. I lost track of Bonny until a week ago, when I heard some of his new tracks that put him in front of the mic. Bonny, was known more for his production skills, dropping almost 15 albums on his own Innatesounds label, but he left the vocals to other artists.

Bonny has put his vocals at the forefront, and the dude’s sound is incredible. Bonnny’s smoky voice sets this dude apart from a lot of R&B singers out today. Personally, this might actually hold me over until D’Angelo decides to put out another album. Bonny is also as jazz trumpeter, and his work blends hip-hop, jazz, and soul.

I can’t nail down a particular album to check because there are so many but his Closer Love EP is a good start (iTunes), Check his MySpace and Innate Sounds homepage and see for yourself.

myspace.com/milesbonny

Miles Bonny “Yes i Do”

Blu and Exile – Dancing In The Rain

With all the music that is floating around today, its almost sad that some things slip through the cracks. Take for instance, LA hip-hopper Blu and his producer in crime Exile, and their amazing debut album Below the Heavens. The album itself was released in mid summer, and unfortunately most of us were caught up in the whole Kanye/50 Cent to notice.

However, Below the Heavens is slowly getting recognition, especially here on the East Coast, and for good reason. The beats on this album are insane. Exile’s beats sound more like a 9th Wonder in his prime–someone who shows a true artistry for crafting beats. But as we know from Common’s Finding Forever, and Kanye’s Graduation, an album cannot survive by beats alone. And on this album, the lyrics are on point: Blu’s flow, cadence, and lyrics are downright mature and poingient, proving that lyricism is alive and well in hip-hop.

Below the Heavens is available now.

It’s almost fitting that the week that Kenna’s new album comes out is the week that I get to chapter five in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, which is appropriately titled “Kenna’s Dilemma.” It seems during the release of Kenna’s first album, New Sacred Cow, the dude was selling out shows in spots like LA’s Roxy, but was getting shunned by the general public, which was reflected in market research, which gave his first album low scores. The result: no radio airplay and no promotion money, making Kenna a blip on the radar for most music people.

Of course, this is sad as hell. Considering the dude’s connections–the Neptunes, Fred Durst, U2′s manager, etc–Kenna’s name should be on the lips of every person who considers themselves a music fan. But of course, that’s not the case. Kenna has an album coming out tomorrow, entitled Make Sure They See My Face, and most likely, you haven’t heard about it. Fortunately, for him, he’s been touring constantly (opening up for Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado) as well as being featured in a commercial for Sony’s PSP and the iTunes track of the week.

Check out this new video for his second single, “Say Goodbye to Love” and let me know what you think? Is this something y’all can get down with? Also, I gotta say I went to school with Kenna’s sister back in the day so I might be a little biased.

(tip: Ian; also check out Lady Glock’s Kenna interview)

Ty feat. Roots Manuva – Do You Want More (refix)

It’s hard to believe that Big Dada is only 10 years old.

Out of all the record labels that come and go in this world, I think that Big Dada is one of the few that resonate the most with me. When I was living in London, someone slipped me a copy of Manuva’s Brand New Second Hand and I was hooked ever since. Then came Ty, Wiley, TTC, and later the US fire of Diplo, who got his first major break from the London-based label, and Spank Rock, who released my number two favorite album of 2006.

After 10 years, a retrospective was not only necessary, but almost required. Big Dada’s impact on the underground music scene is so potent that in addition to the 33 tracks on 2 CD’s there is a DVD filled with a documentary filled with interviews of every Big Dada artist as well as appearances from such names as Saul Williams and Boards of Canada. In addition there will be a full megamix of every Big Dada video and promo ever made.

Well Deep: 10 Years Of Big Dada Recordings drops in the UK on October. Of course, there is no US release date set, so look for it on import or on Ebay soon. Tracklisting after the jump. And please check out the MP3 of Ty and Roots Manuva’s “Do You Want More” refix. That beat is classic!

Tracklisting CD1 :
01. Movement – Roots Manuva (4:13)
02. The Tale (Radio Edit) – TY (3:37)
03. Night Night Theme – Infesticons (4:05)
04. Colossal Insight – Roots Manuva (3:45)
05. Dead Dogs Two – Clouddead (Boards of Canada mix) (5:00)
06. Wherever We Go – New Flesh (3:46)
07. Wait a Minute – TY (3:22)
08. Fader Party – Majesticons (2:25)
09. Percolator – Lotek HiFi (3:20)
10. Dans Le Club – TTC (3:57)
11. Witness (1 Hope) – Roots Manuva (4:14)
12. Diploe Rhythm – Diplo (4:53)
13. Sweet Talk – Spank Rock (4:11)
14. My Mistakes (XXXchange Mix) – Wiley (3:09)
15. Hard Times – Part 2 (4:38)

Tracklisting CD2 :
01. 50/50 – Wiley (2:18)
02. Stick & Move – New Flesh (3:30)
03. Worcestershire Sauce – Infinite Livez (3:03)
04. Super Pretzel – NMS (4:53)
05. Monkey Theme – Infesticons (4:15)
06. Slang Teacher – Gamma (3:44)
07. Now’s The Time – Diplo (3:08)
08. Supply & Demand – Busdriver (2:05)
09. Anti-Matter – King Geedorah feat MF Doom & Mr Fantastik (3:27)
10. Look For Me – Ty (4:14)
11. Killer Apps – Shadowless (4:12)
12. King Spitter – Big Juss (2:18)
13. Black Astronaut – Busdriver (4:00)
14. Can’t Believe – Lotek HiFi (4:01)
15. Physics of a Bicycle – Clouddead (4:41)
16. Closer – Ty (5:06)

Mary J. Blige – Let It Go

I usually don’t post snippets on here, but since this one happens to be from the Queen of R&B and Soul, I have to digress.

“Let It Go” is the first track from Mary J’s upcoming album Growing Pains which drops on November 20th. I’m liking this track. It’s “radio friendly” without going overly Rhiannaish and the whole vibe of the song reminds me of Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall. Look out for more from MJB in the coming months.

And as the track will remind you, this is a Talk of the Town exclusive.

Mp3: Miles Davis, Nas & Olu Dara – Freedom Jazz Dance

I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz lately (more on that soon) and no one epitomizes jazz like Miles Davis. In tribute to Mile’s and his impact on jazz, a new CD entitled Evolution of the Groove is being released next week. The CD is a remix and rework of Miles Davis tracks based on previously unreleased material. The CD includes Carlos Santana, as well as Nas and his daddy Olu Dara, who got together for a remix of “Freedom Jazz Dance.”

The track itself is so-so at best, and Nas’ one verse in the middle seems to be inserted at the last minute (it wasn’t). I’m not really a fan of these jazz remix projects, so I’m a bit skeptical about the release at the whole. However, I’m not gonna pass judgement until I get my hands on the full album. (hat tip: Spine Mag)