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My hat is off to whomever remastered this mp3 from the original 78. Tom Dickson’s voice shines like the clear blue sky after a rain storm. “Labor Blues” was recorded in Memphis, February 1928, is truly a lost treasure, and this is my labor of love that I share this mp3 with you.
“Labor Blues“ (play/download mp3)
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Horn driven, bass heavy, Jamaican dub. Abassi All Stars are a collective of Germany roots/dub practitioners. Keeping the heavy sounds of instrumental dub alive!
“Heavy Load“ (play/download mp3)
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Nick Lucas is known in jazz-guitarist circles as: “The Grandfather of jazz guitar.” In 1922 he cut 2 sides, “Teasin’ the Frets” and “Pickin’ The Guitar.” These are the first solo jazz guitar instrumentals ever recorded. You can hear Nick’s inventiveness as he teases the frets of his guitar, telling a story through song that will light up your imagination with child-like glee.
“Teasin’ the Frets“ (play/download mp3)
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Godspeed is one of Canada’s most famous bands. One of the archetypes of the post-punk sound, a style of instrumental music that builds and descends in epically long tracks. After releasing an EP, Godspeed released a double album (totaling a whopping 9 songs), “Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven.” This title track is a beautiful introduction to their sound. This song builds and builds until it crescendos making you feel like raising your skinny fists to the heavens!
“Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven“ (play/download mp3)
Buy/Listen to all of Godspeed’s music.
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2009 saw the release of the first Dinosaur Jr. album in 4 years titled: Farm. Like most songs off Farm, “I Want You To Know” draws on the original Dinosaur Jr. sound – distorted vocals, melodic guitar solos, and heartfelt lyrics. It’s easy to see why in the 80′s Dinosaur Jr. was one of the bands that built the alt-rock stage, influencing alt-rock giants like Pearl Jam.
“I Want You To Know“ (play/download)
Buy D. Jr’s music at their very own online store.
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Sick Figures, who are signed to Stick Figure records, are recording songs that conceptually are leaps ahead of most bands. Sick Figures maintains their raucous, saloonish type of rock and roll, a sound that translates into a fun loving debauchery that is had buy all. Listen to their latest album, Two Ghost here.
“Graveyard Swagger“ (play/download mp3)
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Noble Sissle & Eubie Blake were both born in the North. However like other black musicians in the 1920s, they faced obstacles while trying to perform in white-owned theaters. “Waitin’ For The Evening Mail,” recorded in 1923, is a catchy, ragtime-y song written from the perspective of a jailbird. The inmate is howling innocence, and the piece of mail he is waiting for is notice of bail. Spoiler: He never makes bail.
“Watin For The Evening Mail“ (play/download mp3)
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Punchy, catchy post-rock from UK’s now defunct stars, The Rakes. “Retreat” is the title track to The Rakes’ first EP, released in the US on Dim Mak Records. This gem is begging: “slacker’s anthem.”
“Retreat“ (play/download mp3)
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I spent a huge chunk of my early teens listening to Bob Marley. On my 17th birthday Marley’s box set, Songs of Freedom was in my gift pile. The last song on disk 1 is “Mr. Brown,” and this was the first time I ever heard it. Darker and maybe the only song in Marley’s catalog that can be described as “moody,” to this day it remains one of my favorite songs. In 2007 Dj Spooky, an artist I spent the majority of my early twenties listening to, turns out this moody, dance-y, funky remix.
“Mr. Brown (Remix)“ (play/download mp3)
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Ah the yummy post-rock guitar-scapes of Mogwai. This should be the soundtrack to hiking up Everest with the complete hardcover Tolkien in your backback. Cascading layers of über-proggy goodness.
“San Pedro“ (play/download mp3)
