Eclectic Grooves

First, I wanted to thank everyone who participated in last week's 'Mystery disc' discussion. A person who goes by the name of Freebie6969 guessed that the artist was Stark Reality and the album title was "Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop," so congratulations to them for being able to figure this one out. Since there was such good feedback on this new series, I will continue dropping more mystery discs in the future. This week's installment of What's Playing on My Stereo? features an the first record from the prolific auteur of folktronica, Four Tet, coupled with Peanut Butter Wolf's eclectic compilation of soul, psychedelia, funk and hip-hop called Jukebox 45's. Four Tet: Parks and No More Mosquitoes From: Pause [Domino Recording Company Ltd, 2001] I don't know who actually coined the term folktronica , but there's no doubt that Kieran Hebden of Four Tet played a part in pushing this genre into the forefront of t...

When I picked up the latest issue of Wax Poetics , my head was overloaded with new musical ideas for this blog. For those of you who have never heard of Wax Poetics , it's one of the most artistically creative and entertaining zines focusing on jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop from the past and present. Previous covers of Wax Poetics have featured such heavy hitters as James Brown, Isaac Hayes, The Meters and David Axelrod. The April/May issue of Wax Poetics features an engaging interview with Steve Reid , one of the most trailblazing drummers/percussionsists in the musical pantheon. Reid got his start in music at age seventeen when Martha and the Vandellas came to play at his high school. Their drummer was a no-show, so Reid sat in and eventually became a member of their touring band, even playing on a couple of Martha and the Vandella's hit songs "Dancing In the Street" and "Love Is Like a Heat Wave". After a year of touring and recording with Martha and the...