The Fort Knox Five - Blowing Up The Barrio

A quick post before I head out to celebrate New Year's Eve. I'm hosting a small pre-party and I'll be playing some deep house/lounge stuff but what I would really love to do is to organize a big block party and play something like Blowing Up The Barrio. It's the first Fort Knox Five tune I heard back in early 2005 and I've been a fan ever since. The track is truly designed to rock the dancefloor at your neighborhood (barrio) bloc party. The beat is solid and the horns are hot. Just the way I like it.

Happy New Year! See you in 2009.

The Fort Knox Five - Blowing Up The Barrio [320 kbps, direct link]

Earth, Wind & Fire - Gazillian Rhyme (Bozo Meko Edit)

The rumor has it that Gazilliain Rhyme is a Mark The 45 King remix. I'm not sure when and where was it originally issued but now it's available on a 7". A-side features an amazing party break edit of the classic tune Spread Love by Take 6. Anyhow, the original is a classic break but unfortunately it's not that DJ friendly since it's hard to mix and lasts for only a minute and a half. This Bozo Meko remix extends the tune and fattens the beat. This one is definitely on it's way to my Feel-Good Summer Anthem TOP 10.

Earth, Wind & Fire - Gazillian Rhyme (Bozo Meko Edit) [320 kbps, direct link]

Bobby Thurston - Check Out The Groove

Here's a great blend of boogie, disco and soul from the beginning of the 80s. The version I'm sharing with you is the extended 12" mix of Check Out The Groove. The album version appears on Thurston's 1980 LP You Got What It Takes. Make sure to check out the title song as well. It's a smashing club classic.

Bobby Thurston - Check Out The Groove [320 kbps, direct link]

~Merry Christmas to All~

( antique German Manger ~ family heirloom)

I wish everyone a joyous Christmas from my heart to yours & may all your Christmas dreams come true this holiday season. I am off to my family's home to enjoy Turkey dinner and lots of (spiked) apple cider. mmm....

This is one of my favourite family heirlooms. From my Mom's side of the family a manger brought back here from Germany. This has always taken center stage for me, before all the Christmas trees. As a child I always wanted to set up where Mary and Jesus would be placed in the manger and the three wise men caring gifts. I loved unwrapping them all from their tissue paper and bringing them to life & adding the final touches, sprinkling the hay.

A little side note~I would like to apologize for the lack of post this month. This is my busy, busy season and between running here and there, plus loosing hours due to sooooo much snow haven't had any time to post. I will be back up and running right after the new year. I have been working on finishing the final touches to my La marque croit le Château (pretend chateau) floor plan, so until then, may everyone enjoy the holiday they may be celebrating this time of year.

Merry Christmas too All!

Warm hugs ~Miss Kris~

It's christmas time in Hollis, Queens

I'm flying back home for the holidays today so I figured it's time for a some sort of christmas post though I'm not much of a christmas person. I really can't stand these cheesy sellout christmas tunes. Especially I hate all the wack christmas raps out there. Luckily there's a couple of classic christmas bangers that you can count on. Run DMC's Christmas In Hollis and of course the classic Christmas Rappin' by Kurtis Blow are the ones for me. The beat on Christmas Rappin' is so dope that I hooked you up with the instrumental as well. The Furious Five is killing it on the same beat live in 1981. Check it out via Outside Broadcast.

Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin' [320 kbps]

Kurtis Blow - Christmas Rappin' (Do It Yourself Version - Instrumental) [320 kbps]

Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis [320 kbps]

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Make sure to check the video for Christmas In Hollis. It's hilarious.

Rusko - Jahova

Rusko's Essential Mix 12/13 (BBC's Radio 1) from last Saturday is amazing. These tunes kick you in the gut and it feels great. If you're into dubstep, you're probably already aware of this and though you're not usually feeling dubstep, you might want to take a listen. And don't go easy on the bass, your neighbors will understand...not.

EDIT: Just noticed that the mix with a complete tracklist is also available for download at newmixes.com.

And here's my favorite Rusko tune Jahova from the 2x12" Bablyon: Volume 1 (2007, Sub Soldiers Records). It's a massive dubstep version of Rebel MC's Jahovia.

Rusko - Jahova [320 kbps]

Active Force - Give Me Your Love (Specially Extended Version)

I think it's time to post a straight up boogie tune for a while. Give Me Your Love is one of my all time favorites. Active Force cut their only album (s/t) in 1983 for A&M Records. Give Me Your Love was the single release and a biggish club hit. I used to think the 12" was ultra rare but it turned out that it's not that hard to find it for a decent price. The album was produced and arranged by Michael Stokes also associated with B.T. Express, Brass Construction and Smokey Robinson.

BTW, I just noticed that Give Me Your Love appears on DJ U-Tern's ODL #47 mix Patterns In The Sky. I haven't yet listened to it but at least the tracklist is tight. Listen here.

Active Force - Give Me Your Love [320 kbps]

Wee - Try Me

Numero Group is one of the best reissue labels around. They seem to find a hidden gem after another. Try Me by Wee, originally released on the Owl label trades for as high as $ 900 since it's ultra rare and extremely smooth mid-tempo soul tune. Thanks to Numero this product of the Ohio soul scene of the late 70s, recorded in Columbia in 1977 is available for $ 5. Flipside features a beautiful soul ballad Teach Me How.

Wee - Try Me [320 kbps]

Orange LOVE

I do love the color ORANGE!!! Maybe it is because my Grandparents would send me oranges and grapefruit from Florida, to here in Chicago during our cold winters. Or maybe it reminds me of getting off the plane at the Tampa Bay Airport in the springtime and smelling the orange blossoms. Simply put orange reminds me of my Grandparents and always brings BIG SMILE to my face. These are some of my favorite orange images...

I love the orange tones of this french home.

(image courtesy of Art & Decoration)

This image is so lovely to me. The ironwork is to die for!!! Plus this orange terracotta pot is pretty with the warmness that plays off the outside orange stucco.

(image courtesy of Art & Decoration)
Another Pretty image of ORANGE!!!

(image courtesy of Veranda)
Tulips are one of my favorite flowers and in this orangie blush color playing off the pretty pillow is stunning!!!

(image courtesy of coming soon)

Nothing like a ride on an orange VESPA... Although I wouldn't know, but I would love to find out. It is just too cute!

(image courtesy of Veranda)
These lovely orange fabrics I would never think would play off the natural linen, It works!!! the warmth from the orange cools a bit from the linen. I really like that! I love the little window opening outward.

(image courtesy of Southern Accents)

Orangie, blushy full silk taffeta window treatments. Enough said!

(image courtesy of Art & Decoration)

The orange glow off a candle.

(image courtesy of Veranda)

This may be one of my all time favorite bedrooms. I love the softness in the peachy striped soft walls, with the taffeta window treatments and the burl wood sleigh bed. I love the small touches of the brown on the throw and the velvet covering on the stool. It is not one thing I love but the whole picture. And I love the gilt gold chandelier. Breathtaking!!!

These little watercolors I picked up in Montmartre the last time in Paris.

They are about 5X7 and are not matted or framed yet.

This is the last of the pretty little watercolors. When I look at them it reminds me of my time in Paris. sigh......
I have a quick question...I would love to get them framed, although I am clueless what to do. Should I keep the matting and frames white or should I make them more colorful? Or should I just simply tack them up with old tacks for a different look? I would love to hear your input.

I love the pop of orange in the nectarines & on a cold blustery day in Chicago I would love to be by a warm sea.

I simply love, love, LOVE this pretty lacey table cloth.

I would love to take a break and enjoy a lovely book here at this chippy white bench against the orange glow off the sunset.

Au revoir ~ Miss Kris~

20 Classic Hip Hop Album Covers Recreated In LEGO

20 Classic Hip Hop Album Covers Recreated In LEGO. Laughing out loud...

Rhythm Funk Masters - Afro-American-Arctic

Rhythm Funk Masters released their debut album, Afro-American-Arctic, last year. The title represents the content pretty well. It's a solid blend of afrobeat, funk and some nordic elements. I've been meaning to buy this one for a long time but since it's released only as a CD and I rarely browse through the CD shelves I have kind of forgot to purchase it. Well, today I found it from my local record stores.

I'm actually a bit surprised and disappointed that this record has been slept on by many people meanwhile some mediocre retroactive afrofunk bands have gotten a lot of hype. And these guys are anything but mediocre when it comes to hard-hitting instrumental afrobeat/funk/jazz. They have definitely listened their Fela Kuti records and blaxploitation soundtracks but they aren't simply copying or imitating those sounds. For me the highlights of the album are Nudinuff, a pure afrobeat groover and Bushman, a great tune that's a bit more on the jazzier side like Donny Hathaway's The Ghetto.

Rhythm Funk Masters - Bushman [320 kbps]

Rhythm Funk Master - Nudinuff [320 kbps]

Coffee Breaks, pt. 6

I've said this one before but I'll say it again. Leroy Hutson should be out there among the likes of Stevie, Marvin and Curtis but he rarely gets the credit he deserves. Besides having one of the smoothest voices in soul, he was an excellent multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer.

No Love (produced by Robert Bradford) appears on Badu's debut album Baduizm. The tune samples Hutson's Lucky Fellow that appears on Hutson, his second LP cut for Curtom Records.

Leroy Hutson - Lucky Fellow [320 kbps]

Erykah Badu - No Love [320 kbps]

Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Todd Terje Edit)

Klas asked me via email whether I could re-up Todd Terje's edit of Superstition that I posted back in September since the link is broken. The answer is hell yeah. This is such a superb tune that I'm happy to share it again. Enjoy!

Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Todd Terje Edit) [320 kbps]

Lee McDonald - I'll Do Anything For You (Red Astaire - Philly Mix)

Freddie Cruger aka Red Astaire has done it again. This time it's Lee McDonald's amazing tune I'll Do Anything For You from his ultra rare album Sweet Magic that gets a special treatment from Red Astaire. I've not yet heard a bad remix from him though I'm familiar with most of his work. The Philly Mix is super smooth and soulful and the long outro makes the tune dj friendly. Like the name suggest, the mix takes the tune from New Jersey to Philadelphia's soul scene of the 70s and gives it a magic touch of Gamble & Huff. This really sounds like a hidden gem found from the vaults of PIR.

The philly soul remix can be found from this 12" by Favorite Recordings or from the 5th issue of Soul Shaker -compilation. Favorite Recordings has released lots of good remixes and covers lately. Among others there's a bunch of other nice remixes of I'll Do Anything For You and some good remakes of We've Only Just Begun. Sound clips and more info for example from Beatjoint.

Lee McDonald - I'll Do Anything For You (Red Astaire - Philly Mix) [320 kbps]

Lee McDonald - I'll Do Anything For You (original album version) [320 kbps]

Joe Bataan - Call My Name

The father of salsoul, Joe Bataan, took a brief break of twentysomething years and made a grand comeback in 2005 with his album Call My Name. I wish all comeback projects would be done as properly as this one. Since I'm feeling lazy today I'll just quote the good folks at Dusty Groove because they've written a decent review about the album.

Joe Bataan is alive and well -- and to our ears, the king of Latin Soul is sounding better than he has in decades! This tasty little set really takes us back to Joe's classic work for Fania -- but it's also got a slightly different twist -- one that shows a new younger appreciation of the funk side of Joe's work that wasn't always able to come to the forefront in earlier years. Joe recorded the album at the Daptone Studios in New York -- so the sound of the set is spot-on all the way through -- perfectly recorded to bring out the soul in Joe's music, and handled with some great touches that make the instrumentation as wonderful as Joe's classic-styled vocals! And even more than that, there's also a heck of great new songs on the set -- tunes that follow very strongly in the spirit of Joe's older classics, but which have a freshness that makes the album a totally essential part of Joe's catalog.

The finest moment of Call My Name is its title track. Apparently Commonfolk Records shared my opinion since they recently released a 12" that features Call My Name (vocal version and instrumental) and a nice percussion driven instrumental tune I'm A Fool.

Joe Bataan - Call My Name [320 kbps]

Off-topic: I'm sure you know that the cyberspace is full of broken links thanks to Zshare. Zshare wet the bed but that wasn't enough. Today I noticed that all the direct download links on the blog are broken as well. WTF is it with these services....RIAA, UFOs. Anyways, I'll re-up the tunes (at least the recently posted ones) during weekend. If there's something in the older posts that you need really bad, drop me a line and I'll take care of it.

EDIT: I did some serious uploading today and now all the mp3's on the blog since mid-October are again available for download. Enjoy!

Ray Terrace - Home Of Boogaloo

Originally I bought Home Of Boogaloo because I had heard the killer latin groover, You've Been Talking 'Bout Me Baby, on a couple of compilations. Pretty soon I realized that all the tracks on the album are really tight, the cover versions as well as the originals. The songs are arranged by Marty Sheller and played by a tight little latin combo lead by Ray Terrace. It's a shame that the album cover or the linear notes don't mention the other members of the combo. The band plays really well combining latin, soul and rock with a sound that was fresh and new at the time but the star of the album is the vocalist Willie Torres. The best example of his soft and soulful voice is the opening track of side 2, Listen To Me. This is definitely one of the sweetest latin soul tunes I know. The original pressing of this album is very in demand but the vinyl reissue is a good quality pressing and can be easily found for a decent price.

Ray Terrace - You've Been Talking 'Bout Me Baby [320 kbps]

Ray Terrace - Listen To Me [320 kbps]