My favorite track on the new Erykah Badu album New Amerykah is the Madlib production “Healer”:

([More →])

Grandmaster Flash has some grand plans for the near future. I was reading on his website that he recently penned his memoirs with David Ritz and will release them as a book this year. Ritz is responsible for writing the memoirs of Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye and now The Message: The Grandmaster Flash Story. Meanwhile the Flash has been toiling away in the studio, putting soul into stereo, and DJing his favorite tunes on his weekly Sirius Radio show - The FlashMash - on Saturday nights. His studio sessions will be mixed down and mastered to become a new album: The Bridge which will be released on Adrenaline Entertainment sometime in 2008. ([More →])

Many musicians will bring good cheer to the US on 9/11 this year, and Baby Elephant will be one of them with the release of Turn My Teeth Up! But you won’t have to wait to listen to this groovy, ultra-funktastic music - you can listen to it today on the band’s music$pace page. Baby Elephant is comprised of Prince Paul, Newkirk, and Bernie Worrell at its core and they will drop their debut album on Godforsaken Music. Bernie Worrell is a dreamy synthesizer mastermind who has played with the Talking Heads and P-Funk, as well as a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. But the delicious name-dropping doesn’t end there! Also featured on different tracks are George Clinton - the man who put the P in Phunk, David Byrne - the eccentric Talking Head himself, Yellowman - the whitest Jamaican to chat up a mic, Shock G - who put the Hump in Humpty, plus Gabby La La, Nona Hendryx, and Reggie Watts! ([More →])

From The Corner To The Block and straight out of Hurricane Katrina’s path of destruction! ANTI- Records will soon release a very special album from the N’Orleans band Galactic. One of the most inspiring and unique albums to be pressed since the devastating storm intersected with one of our nation’s oldest cities, From The Corner To The Block is a rare documentation of worlds colliding. Not only because the musicians were forced to evacuate their homes during the recording process, but also from the seamless integration of hip hop bounce with traditional Mardi Gras marches and old-world brass band stomps. ([More →])

Macy Gray has a new video for “Everybody” off her new album Big. The video was shot on the Santa Monica Promenade and depicts Gray calling for action and participation. People join in declaring their own message of empowerment, involvement and participation. Gray is also calling on everybody to participate by posting video responses on youTube. So far, there have been great responses from Common, will.i.am, Lauren London, and Baron Davis. ([More →])

The same day that Joni Mitchell releases her next album, Shine on Hear Music (the Starbucks label), Herbie Hancock will release his new album, River: The Joni Letters on Verve. Hancock’s new album features illustrious guests Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, with accompaniment from Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Vinnie Colaiuta and Lionel Loueke! Snap! ([More →])

There have been legends about NASA (North America South America) bringing together a stellar cast for an upcoming album. NASA consists of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon at the helm and their exploration team consists of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Karen O & Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), David Byrne (Talking Heads), Rza, George Clinton, Method Man, Cee-Lo, Tom Waits, M.I.A., E40, KRS-One, Lovefoxxx (C.S.S.), Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Fatlip (Pharcyde), and Slim Kid Tre (Pharcyde), Money Mark, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), De La Soul, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Spank Rock, Sean Lennon, Seu Jorge, DJ Relm, Kool Keith, Kool Kojak, Dj Swamp, and more! Hot damn that’s a galaxy of blindingly hot stars! Well, those are the band members listed on their musicSPACE page anyway. Well, the team is ready to launch the party onto wax and the upcoming album includes many of these peeps paired with each other in the interest of discovering new worlds. ([More →])

Sports fans are probably already excited about the ESPY’s this weekend. I’m not a sports fan, so I actually have no idea what an ESPY is. Hey, at least I’m honest! But, what I do know is good music, and if it’s happening at a sports event, that’s fine with me. How many of you tuned into the Super Bowl just to watch Prince perform? Well, this message is especially for you! ([More →])

Marie Daulne aka Zap Mama will release another gorgeously funky and smooth-as-Sunday-afternoon album this summer. The Belgium beauty is finishing up Supermoon which she describes as a more personal and intimate document than her previous works. ([More →])

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have been rocking out in the Daptone studios again. With Sexy Results! 100 Days, 100 Nights is the third full album from the soulful funksters and will be available as of September 25th on Daptone records.

100 Days, 100 Nights Tracklist:

1. 100 Days, 100 Nights
2. Nobody’s Baby
3. Tell Me
4. Be Easy
5. When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle
6. Let Them Knock
7. Something’s Changed
8. Humble Me
9. Keep on Looking
10. Answer Me

Over the last few years, different members of the Dap-Kings ensemble have been adding their funk powers to other live acts on tour and in the studio, such as Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Ghostface Killah, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, They Might Be Giants, Lily Allen, and Amy Winehouse.

The Dap-Kings are:

Binky Griptite, Guitar, Emcee
David Guy, Trumpet
Bosco “Bass” Mann, Bass, Bandleader
Neal Sugarman, Tenor Saxophone
Tommy “TNT” Brenneck, Guitar
Fernando “Bugaloo” Velez, Congas, tambourine
Homer “Funky-Foot” Steiweiss, Drums
Ian Hendrickson, Baritone and Tenor Saxophone

Special Guests:

Eric Kalb, Drums
Cochemea “Cheme” Gastelum Baritone Sax
Otis Youngblood, Baritone Saxophone
Todd Simon, Trumpet
Al Street, Guitar

Tour Dates:

6/13 New York, NY - River to River Festival (Sharon Jones with Booker T. & the MG’s)
6/14 Brooklyn, NY - Metrotech Center (Sharon Jones with Booker T. & the MG’s)
7/14 Brooklyn, NY - American Roots Festival (Kingsborough College)
7/15 Ottawa, Ontario - Ottawa Bluesfest
7/19 Calgary, Alberta - Calgary Folk Festival
7/26 New York, NY - Castle Clinton (River to River Festival)
8/2 Aspen, CO - The Belly Up
8/3 Telluride, CO - Telluride Jazz Festival
8/4 Denver, CO - The Gothic Theatre

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Links

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings mice bass
Dap-Kings Artist Page on Daptone
Daptone Records

Perhaps you recall, waaaaaaay back at the beginning of April, I reported that Solar One and Brooklyn Vegan had teamed up to organize an FREE weekend-long event for NYC. At the time, they were still looking for volunteers, including bands, to help out. The people of NYC responded and the result is an awareness raising, green energy, arts, and music festival that will be completely powered by solar power and bio-diesel generators! Today Brooklyn Vegan announced the lineup and other goodies one can participate in during the weekend of July13-15th. For example, you can bring your energy bill to the event and switch on the spot to a green plan with ConEdison. In return you receive credit for free beer at the concert! Or, simply bring a mug and get $1 off beer! These folks know the right language to speak when talking about improving the environment!
Here is the digs from Brooklyn Vegan:

Brooklyn Vegan & Solar One present Citysol:

A FREE SHOW on SATURDAY JULY 14 (1pm-10pm) in NYC w/
LES SAVY FAV (!!)
Land Of Talk (previously announced)
O’Death (yeah)
The Besnard Lakes (previously announced)
These Are Powers (ex-Liars)
The Budos Band (funky)
Frankpollis (starring Jackson)
plus a very special performance from OCDJ
(Dance Party until the solar goes out!)

@ Solar One at Stuyvesant Cove Park - located along the East River between 18th and 23rd Streets. Solar One sits in the north end of the park, near the 23rd Street entrance and the Gulf Gas station.

Righteous! There is so much excellent information to discover, it would be difficult to reproduce all of it here, so go over to the BV and check it out:

Brooklyn Vegan Presents Citysol 2007
The Citysol page on the Solar One website