2. July 2008 by admin.

I’m on a roll and can’t help myself…

"Theme from S’Express" by S’Express

One of those tunes that you hear in a club and you say ‘whoa’.  Used to spin this when I was DJ’ing to great effect.  One of the members of the group is Pascal Gabriel, who turned out to be an excellent producer of other groups’  work.

"Inside All the People (Deep Dish TaTa 80’s mix)" and "The Switch" by Planet Funk.  This is a group, like Groove Armada and Thievery Corporation, that is almost incapable of putting out funky, catchy songs.  The video for "inside All the People" is not for the mix I’m recommending, but is still pretty good.

"Inside All the People"

"The Switch"

"ReBirth of Slick" by Digable Planets

This is funky in a jazz way.  Lots of imitators but not equaled.

"Out of My Mind (perfecto mix)" by Duran Duran.

You’re probably saying "Duran Duran???"  But trust me, these guys have put out some funky songs.

This particular mix of this song is a great tune.  If you were to listen to any other version of it, it wouldn’t be quite the same.

"Up Jumps Da Boogie" by Timbaland and Magoo

I was tracking Timbaland long before his recent hits with Justin T. This song, which he did with Aaliyah and Missy Elliott, is better than most of his more recent songs.

"My Male Curiosity" by Kid Creole and the Coconuts.

August Darnell was something of a Prince-protege.  This song was the on the "Against All Odds" soundtrack, and is pretty solid.

"Player’s Ball" by Mazarati

Yep, another Prince-protege band.  A tune Prince wrote and performed on.

"Yeke Yeke (Hardfloor Mix)" by Mory Kante

From "The Beach" soundtrack, among other places.  Afro-funk. Another one of those songs that you can’t resist dancing to.

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | 1 Comment »

2. July 2008 by admin.

In my quest to promote seriously funky songs that you may not have had the pleasure of experiencing yet…

"Come Together", Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson takes a Beatles tune and turns it into a dance tune.  This was originally a B-side to a single (I forget which one). The version I could find on youtube is a live version–equally funky in a different way, esp. in the breakdown.

"What Time is Love" by KLF

In the late 1980s, KLF was the biggest chill/trance band in England.  I was at a club for my bachelor party when the DJ put this song on.  I’d never heard it before, and was really taken with it, and have been ever since.

"Lebanese Blond" by Thievery Corporation

This is one of my favorites by Thievery Corporation, but virtually everything the group has done is funky and interesting.

"It Doesn’t Really Matter" by the Zapp Band & Roger

This is an older tune.  I was at a party when I first heard/saw this video, and it was awesome.  It’s one of the few songs I can honestly say can’t be fully appreciated unless you watch the video.  Once you do, I bet you won’t be able to get the images (portly gentleman with the empty water jug) permanently out of your brain.

"Party Train" by the Gap Band

A great club dance tune. Period. The Gap Band was one of the great funk bands of all time.  If this doesn’t make you want to dance…

"We trying to Stay Alive" and "You Sexy Thing (Remix)" by Wyclef Jean

The Bee Gees started it, but it took Wyclef to turn it into an EVEN FUNKIER tune.  Can’t embed this video–record company doesn’t want to allow it.  Wyclef remade "You Sexy Thing" originally by Hot Chocolate, and did a great job.  You can hear it here:

Wyclef Jean & Ivy Queen - You Sexy Thing (Remix) -

All for now.  Bye.

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | 1 Comment »

2. July 2008 by admin.

Of course, if you listen to the Federal Government or the oil companies, you will hear that converting the nation’s cars from oil to electricity or other non-oil energy source would bankrupt us and ruin the country–vs. the bankruptcy and ruin that we face WITH reliance on oil…but we’re not supposed to think too deeply about that.

Here’s the viewpoint of someone who has a vested interest in converting the U.S. to alternative energy to power our cars. He claims that we can put the infrastructure in place nationally for what 2 months of foreign oil costs us (or equal to what Exxon-Mobil makes in one quarter).

Agassi presents Congress with US electric car figures

"We can put in place the infrastructure needed to power the nation’s cars and end this oil dependence."

Dubi Ben-Gedalyahu 1 Jul 08   13:39

"For the price of two months worth of oil, some $100 billion, we can put in place the infrastructure needed to power the nation’s cars and end this oil dependence," Project Better Place CEO Shai Agassi told the House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming at a hearing last week. He added, "Of that $100 billion, moreover, some $80 billion will go into jobs that, by their nature, can only be performed in the US - the construction of the infrastructure itself."

Agassi added, "For the price of one year’s worth of oil, some $500 billion, we can go even farther - creating fully renewable electrical generation sufficient to power all of the nation’s vehicles. In so doing, we will again create jobs that can only be performed in this country, and we will give a much broader stimulus to the renewables energy market."

Agassi noted that the operating cost of an electric car, including the depreciation of the battery, is cuurently about six cents per mile, while the average American - getting 25 miles per gallon and paying $4 per gallon - is paying 16 cents per mile. He explained that a car getting less than 25 miles per gallon will cost even more - drivers in Europe pay two to three times that amount. He added, "Based on this infrastructure alone, of the average 2.6 cars per US household today, there is no reason that one of them can’t be all electric for use on every trip of 120 miles or less."

Agassi told the committee, "We are in active discussions with more than 30 other countries, and with dozens of regions, provinces, states and large cities. Many of those discussions, both in the US and globally, are well advanced."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 1, 2008

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | 1 Comment »