“Oh yes, the bread feels wonderful Ricky…”
 
Get out and support Bubbles and the boys!
 
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#bubblesandtheshitrockers #trailerparkboys #longhauler
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/bubblesandtheshitrockers/i-only-got-eyes-for-you

With the upcoming release of the Borderlands Film, I thought it’d be fun to go back to 2019 and take a listen to what was, to me, the standout track from one of the video games that this potential blockbuster is based on.

“Sanctuary 3” was composed and produced by Michael McCann. It’s from the Borderlands 3 soundtrack and takes the listener on a musical adventure from the wild west through Africa, Asia, the Middle East, electronica, and beyond. I think it’s a masterclass of modern production and perfectly matches up with the franchise.  
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Michael McCann is a BAFTA-nominated and Clio-award winning composer, producer, and sound designer. He continues to create wonderful soundscapes for each project he touches, while hiding from the limelight and social media trappings. 

Vincent “Randy” Chin’s career in the music business was a winding tale from stocking jukeboxes, to owning a record shop, to then recording local Kingston artists. From his early success producing Lord Creator, Alton Ellis, and John Holt to his later productions with Bob Marley and the Wailers and Burning Spear, Randy’s Studio 17 and his Impact All-Stars house band are now considered legends of Jamaican music.

“Sixpence” was a 1975 single first released on Chin’s Impact! record label. It’s a hilarious play-on-word song, and although it was recorded during the roots time period of Reggae, it was a wink to the often humorous calypsonian music from the early 60’s.
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Max Romeo is still around and is currently in a battle over royalties for his music. I wish him well in his pursuit, as many of these fantastic artists from Jamacia passed away before they were ever able to receive the money they so rightly deserved for their talents and work.    

You know you’re a special musician when a pair of singer songwriters specifically think of your drumming when putting together their next project. Such was the case when Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and Mike Vennart of Oceansize / British Theater asked famed drummer Dave Lombardo to join them in creating Empire State Bastard.

“Stutter” is the second single released last June from Rivers of Heresy. It’s a frenetic, maybe angry number, that showcases the nearly 60-year-old Lombardo’s lyrical fills and uncanny double bass kick drum heroics.
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From his work with Slayer and John Zorn, to his work with Mr. Bungle, and now Empire State Bastard, Lombardo has always been known not just for his speed behind the kit, but his kindness with his time and with everyone he meets.    

Most people know this song from various Warner Brothers cartoons throughout the years. It’s a frenetic piece that adventures into various tempos, and pairs perfectly with high-speed chases and moving parts.
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But its songwriter and bandleader, Raymond Scott, was much more than a gifted pianist and composer. He was in fact one of the pioneers of electronic music, with his invention of the Clavivox and Electronium synthesizers and other various electromechanical devices. His work with the Gesell Institute of Child Development on the three-volume ambient music, Soothing Sounds for Baby, is considered a landmark recording that influenced Kraftwork, Tangerine Dream, and many other electronic musicians.   

Forty-two years ago, this month a wonderful song was released and put a still very young, but seasoned and extremely talented pianist and vocalist into the US top 40 and onto the world stage.

“Forget Me Nots” was the first single from Patrice Rushen’s seventh album Straight from the Heart. It’s an addictive post-disco number that features not only Rushen’s sweet vocals, but Freddie Washington’s funky and plucky bassline.
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I always adored this song, especially when seeing family dance to it at cookouts or weddings. With a career that spans over fifty years, first as a jazz pianist, then as pop vocalist, composer and music educator, Patrice Rushen’s interesting career is one that deserves much more attention.

Last February we lost David Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy the Dove, or Plug Two. He was one of the founding members of De La Soul, a hip hop group from Long Island, NY. His passing was a shock to those who loved the band and the golden age of hip hop.

Also, this month thirty-five years ago, De La Soul released 3 Feet High and Rising. It’s a celebration of Prince Paul’s brilliant production and a landmark recording that was selected by the Library of Congress for its cultural significance.
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“The Magic Number” might be my favorite song from the record. It features prominent samples from Bob Dorough’s “Three Is a Magic Number,” and was my soundtrack for the spring and summer of 1989.

When eventual Sun Records founder and legendary music producer Sam Phillips stated that he had just recorded the most “different record” ever, then you know he had something. And such was the case, when Chester Burnett aka Howlin’ Wolf walked into Phillips’ Memphis recording studio and laid down what would become his first single.

Recorded in 1951, “Moanin’ at Midnight” is a monumental number, not only for its genre-bending performance, but because it helped bridge that gap between the delta and electric blues, from its eerie opening to its trance-like, near psychedelic call and response form.
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Over the next 40 years, Howlin’ Wolf would record landmark songs and his influence not only on the blues, but all forms of rock and roll are still felt today.

Chinless Wonder is a “sample-based bedroom musician” living in London, and his Tamarind release from this past October might be my favorite of the year. It’s an eclectic collection of meticulously placed samples, and some of the best work I’ve heard since Amon Tobin.

“Honestly” is the fourth track from Tamarind, a deliciously chill number and one that would have fit perfectly on the visionary Ninja Tune record label.
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Chinless Wonder is an up-and-coming producer and one that deserves far more attention. I hope you check out his wonderful music and that you have a fantastic holiday and new year!