Back up in this motherfucker with another one, it’s the brand new Top Ten Mix for March. Again, here’s a selection of records that really moved me this month, from all across the board. Now let me shout out my dude Mikey Palms who for the longest time was trying to get me to do a mix series called “Baker’s Dozen.” There were so many great songs that I came across this month that I decided to extend the bonus round out with 3, so we have a true Baker’s Dozen with 13 songs in total. So let me rap a little about these tunes. I once told a friend that I was resolved to “say less with more” but to hell with it, I’m a verbose motherfucker so let’s go…
The first song is a remix of Kanye West “Monster” featuring Nicki Minaj who, honestly is the only person I want to hear on that track. The song was adventurously re imagined by a new group Teachers that you will be hearing a lot more about very soon. Next up is the new Holy Ghost! record that sounds like they’ve been listening to a lot of Jan Hammer. I’m not mad at that. Third is Pools, which is the brainchild of my dear friends Thee Mike B & DJ Morse Code. Last year I spent a lot of time in LA, and a good amount of that time was spent at pools. This pretty much sounds exactly what it was like. Fourth is the new Steve Arrington produced by Dam Funk. Nuff said. After that is the brand new Beth Ditto off her self titled solo EP. This is new territory for her, and it fits like a glove in my opinion. I had to give a nod to the Moombahton movement and include my homie DJ Apt One with “Bells And Whistles” which is based around a very healthy Sergio Mendes sample.
If you know me, you know I LOVE brass band music. The seventh song on the mix is from the UK’s Hackney Collier Band. They do it really right with their version of the Toto classic. Following that is a remix of Headman by Finland’s own Hannulelauri. Such a groovy tune, I first heard it on a mix by The Magician AKA Stephen Fasano, formerly of Aeroplane. The ninth song is a little older but I just got hip to it. Simian Mobile Disco as envisioned by one of my favorites, Maurice Fulton. Rounding out the ten is one of my favorite songs right now, Adele “Rolling In The Deep” – with a dancefloor workout by Brooklyn’s own Cousin Cole.
The Baker’s Dozen bonus starts with a unique take on the Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” by Drop Out Orchestra, propelling this punk anthem into a groovy downtown disco dancer. The last two records come straight out of Los Angeles. We’ll start with the groovy dance number by my friends Posso, who absolutely kill it live as well (as I witnessed in New York several weeks ago.) Finally, finally, finally… OFWGKTA. You all heard the name, you all know the steez. But out of the camp comes Frank Ocean, with one of the best releases I’ve heard in a long time. This is 21st Century soul music at it’s finest. So I hope you all enjoy this mix. Download it, share it, rock out to it. Thanks a million, as always.
1: Kanye West “Monster feat. Nicki Minaj” (Teachers Exclusive Nicki Minaj Monster Remix)
2: Holy Ghost! “Do It Again”
3: Pools “The End Of Summer”
4: Steve Arrington “I Be Trippin’ feat. Dam Funk”
5: Beth Ditto “Do You Need Someone” (Original Mix)
6: DJ Apt One “Bells And Whistles”
7: The Hackney Colliery Band “Africa”
8: Headman “Voices” (Hannulelauri Dub)
9: Simian Mobile Disco “Cruel Intentions” (Maurice Fulton Remix)
10: Adele “Rolling In The Deep” (Cousin Cole Remix)
BAKER’S DOZEN BONUS
11: Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” (Drop Out Orchestra Rework)
12: Posso “Your Life – Don’t Konk Out” (Edit)
13: Frank Ocean “Swim Good”
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
Welcome to the Cosmo Baker Top Ten List Version 2.0! In the past I’ve always had a monthly list of ten records that I wanted to “chart” and share with my folks. These kind of run the line from older stuff that I’ve discovered to brand new stuff that I feel needs to get some shine. It’s usually a mix of different sounds that encapsulate where I’m coming from as a DJ. I profile a lot of music on my site, but these ten records are the “official” joints pretty much.
It used to be that I listed the records and then had them downloadable as individual MP3s. But after being inspired by my homeboy DJ Fashen, I decided that I was going to start to present the Top Ten in a monthly mix that could be downloadable in it’s entirety. Couple different reasons – first of which being that it switches the emphasis and brings me as a DJ into the equation. I don’t plan on making these mixes super involved or anything, just a solid presentation of the songs. The second was that I get a lot of early and exclusive shit and in the format of a mix, I’m actually able to share this with you guys.
So here it is – Cosmo Baker’s Top Ten Mix for January 2011. It starts off with the late great Lady T and then goes into overdrive of just some joints that I’m really feeling, both new and old. Hope you enjoy it!
*Edit: My cousin who is don dada of all this web shit is in Paris right now for the holliday, so when he gets back we’ll sort out a way to bring together the sidebar Top Ten jawn with this. Excelsior!
Saturday October 26 – Harbor Haunt – Philadelphia, PA 
