This was a nice treat in the ole’ inbox today. Mr J.Rawls hooked me up with this new beat collection, courtesy of Polar Ent & Mighty Healthy NYC – Hotel Beats Vol. 1. This collection shows off Rawls’ diversity, featuring bright jazz-heavy beats (“Red Pepper”)  alongside darker fare (“Casina”) which will satisfy hip-hop heads with an edgier taste. Then there’s tracks like “A Game” which are ready for a dope singer or MC to take to yet another level, along with the funk-laden “Hold On To It.”

Download J. Rawls – Hotel Beats Vol 1

So yeah, good stuff as always from J.Rawls!
More info: www.myspace.com/jrawls

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I have been extremely remiss in holding on to this mix for so long. But the homie DJ Destroyer has come through lovely once again with another dope mix. This time the Strictly Social resident, Destroyer takes you on a journey encompassing funk, disco, soul and house and providing a nice mesh between old and new school. This dude knows his music.

Download DJ Destroyer – This Is My Loft Vol 1

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The production duo of Ancient Astronauts are getting ready to release an artist album on ESL, June 9th – We Are To Answer. They have previously remixed the likes of Up Bustle & Out, Ladybug Mecca of Digiable Planets, Zion I, and Dr. Rubberfunk, and show off their musical pedigree with this excellent freebie mix (’bout an hour long) of hip-hop, funk, fonky hip-hop and all kinds of other good stuff.

“HEART OF THE FUTURE” TRACK LIST
01. Beatstalkers Anthem – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
02. MCs Act Like They Don’t Know – KRS-1 (Classic Re-Edits)
03. I Wanna Make You Move – Freddie Cruger feat. Anthony David (Tru Thoughts Recordings)
04. Catatonia – Connie Price & The Keystones feat. Percee P & Wild Child (Ubiquity Records)
05. Edgelactic – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
06. Classic – Ancient Astronauts feat. The Pharcyde (ESL Music/Switchstance Recordings)
07. Insight – Fort Knox 5 feat. Asheru (Fort Knox Recordings)
08. The Roc Boys Get Back – Jay’s Soul Connection (Amsterdam Gangster Music)
09. Funky Furious – DJ Aeon Seven (Modern Funk/Freestyle Records)
10. The Tide Is High – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
11. 7 Nation Army (Grant Phabao Remix) – Nostalgia 77 feat. Alice Russell (Tru Thoughts Recordings)
12. Shine Eye Gal (Chase The Remix) – Michael Rose feat. Shabba Ranks (Like Dat Records)
13. Don’t Worry ’bout Romie – Beenie Man vs. Bob Marley (Jiggy Records)
14. Dukku Dukku (The Beatstalkers Remix) – Keith & Tex feat. Shabba Ranks (Fizzle Recordings)
15. Tequilimba – Barrio Katz (Planet Blend Records)
16. Blowing Up The Spot (Ancient Astronauts Remix) – Fort Knox 5 (Fort Knox Recordings)
17. Everybody – Ancient Astronauts (ESL Music/Switchstance Recordings)
18. The Outsider – Lack Of Afro (Freestyle Records)
19. Caffeine (DJ Format’s Getaway Remix) – The Quartertones (Freestyle Records)
20. Heard It Through The Grapevine – The Beatstalkers (Foot Forward Music)
21. Keep On Looking (Kenny Dope Remix) – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (Soulplex Recordings)
22. D’azour Cotaz (Ancient Astronauts Remix) – Timewarp Inc. (Timewarp Music)

Download the exclusive ‘Heart of the Future’ mix here!

And here’s a coupla treats from the album that demonstrates their versatility.:

Listen to “Everybody”:

Download Ancient Astronauts – Everybody

Listen to: “I Came Running”:

Download Ancient Astronauts – I Came Running

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Kinny aka Caitlin Simpson is a half-Jamaican, half-Native American, half-Swedish soulful, funky, jazzy, folksy singer from Toronto, who now lives in Norway. Her debut album, Idle Forest of Chit Chat on Tru Thoughts showcases the singer’s eclectic musical sensibilities, as she is a classically-trained Opera singer as well. So the album is a big bowl of jazzy-soulful freestyles that’ll keep your noggin nodding.
www.myspace.com/kinnytunes

Track list:
1. Idle Forest of Chit Chat (feat. Souldrop)
2. Damn (feat. TM Juke)
3. 2546 Nice! (feat. Unforscene)
4. Water for Chocolate (feat. Souldrop)
5. Afro Love Forest (feat. Hint)
6. Queen of Boredness (feat. Diesler)
7. Enough Said (feat. The Quantic Soul Orchestra)
8. Back Street Lust (feat. Diesler)
9. Desire (feat. Nostalgia 77)
10. Forgetting to Remember (feat. Nostalgia 77)
11. Petrified Daze (feat. TM Juke)

Listen to “Desire” ft. Nostalgia 77:

Download Kinny – “Desire” ft. Nostalgia 77

written by – ND McCray
check her out at:
www.myspace.com/AcdJzFnd
www.twitter.com/AcdJzFnd

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James Pants (Stone’s Throw), Chas Jankel (The Blockheads) and Fatima feature this month.

Download the Wandering Feet Podcast and join music journalist, and Red Bull Music Academy team member, Emma Warren, for her take on new music, collaboration and emerging talent with a special UK focus. In the latest episode Emma is joined in the Wandering Feet studio by emerging vocalist Fatima who popped by to talk about jamming with Sly and Robbie and to give us an exclusive preview of some of the new tracks she’s been working on. The Wandering Feet podcast is all about sharing musical knowledge, and in keeping with our tradition of hearing from true masters and pioneers, we touch base with Chas Jankel of The Blockheads who fills us in on the story behind ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’. We’ll be also digging in the Wandering Feet vaults for some words of wisdom from Stones Throw’s newest one man band: James Pants, recorded at a recent Red Bull Music Academy lecture in Barcelona. And of course, there’s plenty of music, with a brand new track from the incredible collaboration between Mulatu and The Heliocentrics, plus a very special live track from Micachu and the Shapes.

Download the podcast here

And you can find it on iTunes here
Or subscribe on iTunes here

Bonus – a track from Fatima feat. Cohen, Cuthead & Dorian Concept:
Download Fatima – Do I Know You

Listen:

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Stones Throw’s latest find is the very soulful Mayer Hawthorne. He’s got a classic soul n’ funk sound that even your parents might appreciate. And in this case, that’s not a bad thing. “Maybe So, Maybe No” channels a time when soul was good n’ funky, catchy and melodious. No production frills, no freakin’ autotuney majiggy,  just a nice dusty-sounding vibe that hearkens back to a simpler time :)

Download Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So, Maybe No

Listen:

And here’s an extra bonus I found via Nialler9, the video for “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”.

Mayer Hawthorne – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out from Stones Throw on Vimeo.

Now, if only all white boys were this authentic in their use of soul and hip-hop. Asher Roth I’m looking directly at you (with a lot of malice).

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J Todd is another producer from the Frite Nite camp (home to B. Bravo). He has a wicked way of making synths sound downright sexy, and when he meshes them with his funky, glitchy, satisfying beats, he creates a sound that hits all the right spots.

“Luxxxurious”, taken from his XOXO album, is a prime example of J Todd doing what he does best. Enjoy the track and then cop the album at MobileUndergroud.

Listen to Luxxxurious:

Download J Todd – Luxxxurious

We’re definitely keeping tabs on Frite Nite – more from them to come…

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It’s taken me too long to get around to writing this post, but now that I’m on kind of an instrumental kick, it seems appropriate. Here’s another great producer you need to be up on, Pursuit Grooves. If you like Flying Lotus, 14KT and those type of folks, you’ll dig Pursuit Grooves. She was kind enough to send me two of her albums which each have a distinct vibe and demonstrate her versatility as a producer. Wild Art Forestry is the more experimental/abstract one of the two albums, although the tracks still have a solid bump to them. My favorite however is the Fun Like Passion album which has a funkier vibe.
Listen to “Count Me In(strumental)” from Fun Like Passion

Download Count Me In(strumental)

Listen to “Too Much Time” from Wild Art Forestry. This is one of the funkier tracks from that album.

Download Too Much Time

This lady is definitely on her grind, performing live, running her publishing company, making albums and more. She is absolutely a talent to keep an eye on. Keep tabs on her via her Myspace.
Here’s a little bonus track for ya – Onra & Pursuit Grooves ft. Fatima – “Are You Satisfied”

And a video from Afro Samurai – “Limelight” produced by Pursuit Grooves

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Karma Stewart is from the PPP camp and appeared on the track “On A Cloud.” Her free EP download “The Karma EP” was recently made available and it showcases her  strong, distinctive personality. Her sound is not your average progessive soul vibe. It’s very edgy with strong rock influences. The EP was produced by PPP colleagues Waajeed and Saadiq with writing contributions from Coultrain. Expect a full length from Karma later in the year.

FreshSelects has additional info and a mini-interview here

DOWNLOAD THE KARMA EP HERE

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Starting December 1, KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad returns to weeknights, hosting a music show from 8 to 10pm PST, the slot previously occupied by new Music Director and Host of Morning Becomes Eclectic Jason Bentley.

Garth has been on the air at KCRW since 1996 and hosted a weeknight show, formerly known as “Chocolate City.” His exploration into urban rhythms and soul created a new home for a demographic that wasn’t served anywhere else and he was the first DJ in the country to play both Macy Gray and Jill Scott.

“When I first got the news, I was ecstatic. Jason was a huge inspiration for me to become a DJ and I wouldn’t be at KCRW if it was not for him,” said KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad.

“When I opted out of being on air five nights a week, my wife and I were starting our family. As soon as I stopped, I really missed it, much to my surprise. The dynamic shifted and I missed the ability to break records because I couldn’t play them as often.”

“Here it is, almost five years later, and my kids are a little bigger, and now I have the opportunity to carry the evening torch again. I can’t wait to use this daily time slot to spread my wings as a programmer and sink my teeth into music in a way I never have,” said Trinidad.

“Garth is a confident voice, on KCRW and in the Los Angeles community, and I look forward to his return to the weeknight line up. He has tremendous untapped potential and, with a broader platform, he will have the opportunity to transcend the more specialized mode of his current show. His sincere appreciation of the history of music – where it’s been and where it’s going — will be exciting to hear,” said Bentley.

KCRW DJ Jason Eldredge will replace Garth Trinidad on Saturday nights from 6 to 9pm. On Sunday nights, Nic Harcourt will replace a taped version of “Sounds Eclectic” with his new live music show from 6 to 9pm.

KCRW-FM, licensed to Santa Monica College, is National Public Radio’s flagship station for Southern California. The station serves Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura Counties, as well as parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. Check here for our coverage area: http://www.kcrw.com/about/coverage-map

Click on KCRW’s 24/7 Internet Music Channel to hear web-exclusive editions of your favorite shows.

Every week, more than 570,000 listeners tune in to hear the station’s eclectic and innovative non-commercial program schedule on air.  KCRW.com gets 600,000 visits per month and streams 1.7 million hours of programming every month via three channels: Simulcast, Music and News. We feature 27 different podcasts with a total of 1.3 million downloads per month.

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