Graham Central Station - Mirror (1976)

Larry Graham has got a fair few decent things going for him. He was a key member of Sly & The Family Stone, he is often credited with pioneering the slap technique applied to electric bass and he also worked with Betty Davis, Tower of Power's horn section and The Pointer Sisters. Amongst all this, he found time to form Graham Central Station back in 1973 with various musicians picked out of Jefferson Airplane, Santana and Hot Tuna. Mirror show cases this collectives combined playing skills on many levels. Some of the tightest and most energetic playing you are likely to hear.

Graham Central Station - Mirror

FUCK!!!! Some tight ass playing right here!

Onyx - Bacdafucup (1993) & All We Got Iz Us (1995)

The angry, foul mouthed, Biohazard collaborating, Spike Lee acting group known as Onyx made a pretty big impression back in the 90's. Here are the first two albums they did, Bacdafucup and All We Got Iz Us both classics zipped up together.

Onyx - Bacdafucup/All We Got Iz Us

 

Mr Len - Pity The Fool : Experiments in therapy behind the mask of music while handing out dummy smacks (2001)

Its no secret of my love for Company Flow ( search the archives on here), but up until a few years ago I never really dug into what DJ Mr Len did after the trail blazing Brooklyn trio called it quits back in 2001. I followed El-P pretty obsessively across all his solo works and spent some time absorbing Bigg Jus's Black Mamba Serums but Len seemed pass me by.
Mr Len, Leonard "Lenny" Smythe to his friends, followed the break up with this very album. Acting as a sort of mixtape, it showcases a sound you have come to expect from one of the guys behind the dark Funcrusher Plus album but also leans way more towards standard structures. Sort of like trying to jam a huge, dark, nasty creature into a presentable glass box for people to stare at. That makes sense right?
His choice of vocalists on here is pretty spot on. Each track obviously playing to that lyricists talents and vibe. Jean Grae stands out on her contribution "Taco Day", that's pretty intense in its narrative. Mass Influence, Lord Sear and Chubb Rock all provide pretty solid accompaniment. The only lull in the albums running is the collaboration with metalcore chumps Agents Of Man. Which is just lame. Despite that, Pity The Fool makes a pretty sweet mixtape for random journeys and in my experience household cleaning.

Mr Len - Pity The Fool........

 That's right Lenny, Agents Of Man was a bad idea.

Courtesy call

If you like something and download it, not to sound like a nag, then it would be nice if you left a comment. Good, bad, abusive, whatever. I do invite it. I always try and leave a comment on stuff I get from other blogs, I reckon you should to.

Smoke And Smoke - Love Suffers Long (2004)

You like Godheadsilo and Enemymine? You like The Murder City Devils? Now, a combination of those worlds would be a pretty good thing to listen to wouldn't it? Well your in luck, such a thing does exist. Created by these three salty dudes below, the awesome, bass heavy, fuzzed out, misanthropy rife rock out that goes by the name Smoke And Smoke and an album called "Love Suffers Long".

Combining the unstoppable rhythm section of Mike Kunka and Dan Haugh and the acidic croon of Spencer Moody, Smoke And Smoke differs from Godheadsilo/Enemymine/Dead Low Tide in its stripped down structures and more to the point force. The bass is monstrous on here. Kunka always knew a thing or two about creating a wall of sound with one instrument but the levels of distortion and range of sounds he whips up from one fretboard and some pedals is pretty mind boggling. You don't really hear it as a bass, more as this wall of distortion/synth devastation washing over everything.
The vocal side is some of Spencer Moody's best work I do believe, far more unhinged than his work in The Murder City Devils. His lyrics seem to switch from finger pointing aggro to stream of consciousness absurdity and nihilistic abandon from line to line.
Now, that's either going to sound like the biggest load of rubbish or the best thing ever, but as they claim on here.... " You're gravely mistaken if you think for a second that Smoke and Smoke give a fuck-fuck-fuck!" Awesome band.

Smoke And Smoke - Love Suffers Long

Harold Faltermeyer - Fletch OST (1985)

Faltermeyer nails it again despite only being responsible for about half of the tracks on here. But come on! Its Chase at his best. You can't argue with that. Bit by bit.

 

Harold Faltermeyer - OST

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)

No explaining necessary. You should listen to this album. Look at those guys above! They know.

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain