With so much going on in the world and the over exposure to the negatives, it’s always great to have something to look forward to that’s more in a positive lane that will take your focus away from what you don’t like. So in light of all the dope things being created, we’ve come up with a list of 4 things (out of many more) that we’re absolutely digging at the moment and maybe you will too.
1. Live Albums – There have been a few that have come out of the last year or so but the latest Du-Rites: Soundcheck At 6 album that was recorded live on stage in front of an audience and captured, perfectly sets the tone and made us go back and revisit some of the best live LPs in our collection. If you can’t catch an artist at a show, live LPs are the way to go.
2. The Naked Director and The Deuce – Both The Naked Direct (Netflix) and The Deuce (HBO) nailed it perfectly with telling the history of how the porn industry began in each of their cities. The Naked Director takes place in Japan while The Deuce obviously takes place in New York’s Times Square circa 1970’s. I’ve always loved everything about the late 60’s / 70’s era where everything was new, gritty and against the grain. From art and music to fashion and lifestyle culture. Watching both series made me go to the archives to catalog my rare big box and clamshell vintage porn VHS collection that people are paying a mint for these days.
3. Previously Unreleased vinyl – The industry has become so over saturated with reissues and edit / remix records of songs that honestly don’t need to be messed with. Songs that are already hits but are obviously easy sales when someone says they’ve done and edit of something. We’re not opposed to reissues and edits / remixes but if you’re going to reissue something, reissue some crazy under the radar heat that there are only a few known copies to exist or if you’re going to edit, find something that hasn’t been touched or known. Wasn’t that what the original bootleg comp records did? Discover something new and do an edit for the DJ’s. But anyway, Previously unreleased music being found and pressed up wins every day. There are a few labels who are nailing it like Super Disco Edits, Preservation Project, Sound By Sound and Dogtown Records. They’re finding gold on old reels and presenting something new to the word.
4. Independent labels – There are a ton of independent labels out but the ones that we’re really digging are those who feature live bands. After all, it’s because of the band why DJ’s had jobs and with the new crop of funk, soul, jazz and psych bands across the globe recording great music (and many doing so in an analog fashion and direct to reel to reel). Labels like Funk Night, Delights, Timmion Records and others continue to bless our ears with warm sounds that bring us joy.