Top 8 of 2008

Lists are always fun to make but many times I end up forgetting something obvious from the lists and it drives me crazy. We'll see what I forgot this time.

I didn't buy a lot of new releases last year but anyways I picked eight albums and eight singles that first came to my mind as the strongest ones released in 2008. Thanks for 2008. Hopefully 2009 will be even better.

Albums

1. Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking

2. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It

3. Q-Tip - The Renaissance

4. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

6. The Five Corners Quintet - Hot Corner

7. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

8. El Michels Affair - Sounding Out The City (Digi-LP)

Singles

1. Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking

2. DJ Mujava - Township Funk

3. Mayer Hawthorne & The County - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

4. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (DJ Day Edit)

5. Bounce Camp - Big Dancin

6. The Bladerunnners - Champ (Club Mix)

7. Estelle - Come Over (only the version without Sean Paul will do)

8. Erykah Bady - Honey (DJ Day Edit)

Since two great edits by DJ Day made their way to the list, I'll share his latest and greatest edit so far.

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (DJ Day Edit) [320 kbps, DivShare]

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]

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.