Justin Miller of DFA gives us a breakdown of his “As Kind As Summer” mix that he put together for New York’s Unis clothing store.
Ned Doheny – Give It Up For Love
I got into this record via Jonathan Galkin at DFA. He had been reading a lot of books on the singer-songwriter scene in Los Angeles in the 70′s and Ned Doheny is one of those unfamiliar names that kept popping up. I also heard from someone this this track is a track DJ Harvey plays regularly and that makes perfect sense to me. Hard Candy was recently repressed on vinyl. Not sure how legitimate this new pressing is but the album is solid front to back so i suggest picking up a copy.
Michael Franks – Monkey See, Monkey Do
Growing up in Southern California i heard this album so much. My mother was very into smooth jazz, soul and r&b. A few years ago i revisited this album after coming across it at a shop here in NY. It is so damn good! At first i couldn’t tell whether it was good because i grew up with it or it was actually just amazing in its own right. Upon further inspection i learned members of the Jazz Crusaders contributed to this album. Still though this song and or album is best served over candle light with a nice glass of cabernet.
Art Garfunkel – Waters Of March
Look at this album cover! Art Garfunkel is a pimp. The more i learn about this man the more i love his music. Singer-songwriter, poet, actor & ladies man. The song Waters Of March is originally by Brazillian songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim and covered here in english by Garfunkel. A decade ago Waters Of March aka Águas de Março was named one of the all-time best Brazilian songs ever.
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – Smell Of Incense
By no means a rarity but a good fit for this mix. 60′s psychedelia California style. The album version featured here has an interesting extension to it that is lacking in the single version. I got turned on to a extensive amount of psychedelic rock when i worked at the record shop Fingerprints in Long Beach, CA along side Elvin Estella aka DJ Nobody. Elvin was the first record digger i knew. He had a very impressive collection and often went without a proper meal for weeks because he would spend hundreds of dollars on an original pressing of a record. I used to frequent his Psych 101 parties he did with Cut Chemist which were the perfect blend of psych & hip hop.
Donnie & Joe Emerson – Give Me A Chance
Just one of those records you initially grab because the cover is too good to be true and then you discover there are solid tracks on it. bonus! Psychemagik recently included “Give Me A Chance” on a recent crate digger style compilation on the Light Sounds Dark label. I highly recommend it.
A rare tasty African joint of organ-driven acid-rock. Based on the music from this album i’d say the cover best represents Itadi musical style “out of your (palm) tree psychedelia”.
I discovered Keith Hudson years back when techno masters Basic Channel reissued two Keith Hudson records on their sub label Basic Reply. As a young man in Jamaica Hudson had toured with the Skatalites and Don Drummond. He quickly developed a unique dub reggae style that sounds to me very much his own. He would later produce some of the biggest names in Reggae. “Trust & Believe” has an infectious super slow downtempo bassline you can ride coast to coast.
The man who almost fronted Led Zeppelin. “Sweater” to me sounds like a classic Tropicalia folk song which made it a good fit for this mix. I can’t imagine wearing a sweater in Brazil but i’m sure it gets a bit chilly down there too.
I came across Colin Blunstone shortly after a love affair with The Zombies “Odessey and Oracle” album. At the time i found this record I hadn’t known he was the lead singer for The Zombies. Upon listening to the record I instantly knew this is that guy. Just another of many classic 70′s singer-songwriter records that grown out of 60′s classic rock. “Andorra” is featured on Blunstone’s album “One Year” which was recorded 1 year after the disbandment of The Zombies.
The distinct blues, and r&b style of The Equals is ever present here but with a Bowie like spacey twist. Just check out this clip of them from performing on French television in 1968 and you can see how glam these guys really are… http://vimeo.com/23424774
