Hi, folks. I’ve been on my furious grizzly recently, hence the lack of updated to my site. Trust me, I haven’t forsaken you good readers. It’s just that I’ve been on the move with no real time to stop for a breather. Oh well, like I said before, my life really sucks. I’m totally typing this while I sit poolside at The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, working my way though fish tacos and already on my second margarita.
Big big respect to everyone that I was out there in Palm Springs with for a very hush-hush Indie Illuminati Think-Tank brought together by the good folks at Red Bull Music Academy. Too many people to mention but all I can say was that it was truly humbling to around so many brilliant people all focused on common goals. Big thanks to them, and also to all my friends at RBMA. Big things a gwan. Also big big thanks to my man and main homie DJ Day for having me rock with him on his Thursday party Reunion. One of the top dudes on the planet for sure.
Okay stay tuned for actual PERTINENT NEWS as well as more music this week. Orale!
Thursday, February 10th
Reunion!
Featuring DJ Day
And special guest Cosmo Baker
@ The Amigo Room at The Ace Hotel – 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive – Palm Springs, CA
Saturday, February 5th
The Rub
Featuring The Three Amigos Cosmo Baker
DJ Ayres
& DJ Eleven
Along with special guests The Freshest (Vancouver, Canada)
@ Southpaw – 125 5th Ave. – Brooklyn, NY
Okay here’s my February Top Ten List in full downloadable and jammable form. I know I’m dropping this a little early but whatever, it’s done and I just want to get it out there. And you know, I’m always looking towards the future anyway. So here’s the scoop, here’s 10+ songs that really moved me and made an impact over the past month. I’ve played a lot of these out at gigs, jammed seriously HARD to a bunch of them in the crib or the iPhone, and just basically got it in with these tunes. A cross section of joints, but that’s where I am as a DJ and a music head – I like pretty much everything. So I hope you enjoy this month’s installment. And remember, if you like any of these tunes, support the artist by going out and BUYING their tunes, either in retail stores or online. And if you have a chance to seem them perform live, these artists and DJs, DO IT.
Starting off with Cole Medina, as re-envisioned by The Pinches, it’s pretty much the perfect groove to me, based heavily on The Bee Gee’s “Inside Out” but beefed up for 2011. Next up is B.o.B whom I really like, and the hook to “Beautiful Girls” is awesome, but the music was horrible. Leave it to my man, Bay Area’s DJ B.cause to save the day. Dude is the homie, good dude, great DJ, and extremely talented when it comes to his thoughtful remixes and edits. Best thing is that he’s really good with working with key. Following that is the latest by Musiq Soulchild, produced by Swizz Beatz. Even though I always have to rep Philly, Musiq is always real hit-or-miss with me. But when he hits he hits hard, especially when singing over an old school R&B sample (like this Central Line one.) Fourth on the mix is a Kanye West song that my homeboy DJ Pump did. It really bangs hard. Like. Really. Bangs. Hard. And Pump is a sick-ass DJ.
The fifth song is an incredible re-working of Chic’s “Good Times” done by my homeboy Kon. Kon is a MONSTER when it comes to he reworks and edits, especially since he works straight from the master tapes. This is a sublime reworking of this all time classic. Also, get well soon Nile! We love you man.
Following that is a really great song combining Friendly Fires, Aeroplane, Ludacris & Diddy done by my homeboy from Paris, Arthur King. He’s a really great DJ and has put out some really entertaining work, so you should check him out. After that is my homeboy Skinny Friedman from The Philadephyinz‘ take on Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank.” Yeah, I get a late pass on this. But a few weeks back Smalltown Pete played this edit at the club and I was floored. I then went and looked into Bon Iver, whom I only knew from having been mentioned on Kanye West records. Suffice to say, I devoured the whole back catalog and they’re one of my favorites. This song is so romantic but brooding and moody. And the simple but powerful lyricism from Justin Vernon jusr blows my mind. So thanks to Skinny for putting me up on this tune, and group. After that is the Summer of Love edit of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere.” Normally I’m like don’t mess with something that’s perfect, but this is such an effective and TASTEFUL. Big tune. Big big tune. That leads into the new song by my homeboy Vin Sol and his man Charles McCloud. They make a stomper of a house record that starts off really dark then goes into a really ill banger based on the Vernon Burch loop. Really dope.
The penultimate record is by favorite new band from Portland (which seems to be epicenter of all things cool these days,) The Miracles Club. My dude showed me their video on some making fun of “look at these stupid hipsters dancing” but I was like honestly the music is really fantastic. Pure, straight ahead house music. Doesn’t get any better that. And I end the mix with a bonus, one of the greatest of all time, Philly’s own LaBelle. Why, well because they are the greatest, and of course, wild horses couldn’t drag me me away. Thanks and enjoy the mix! – CB
Wednesday December 18 – High & Rising Book Release – Philadelphia, PA 
