Hi-Top Brass Band at The Manly Jazz Festival

Living down in Manly, Australia definitely has a few perks; the humid climate, iconic beach, but most notably the festivals that take place right outside our window. The most recent of these was the Manly Jazz festival, which had hundreds of artists come in to perform on the main strip and accompanying bars over an extended weekend. We managed to get a good sampling of the music, which mainly consisted of old school jazz and funk, (bringing us back to the alleyway bar scene in Toronto) - but one group manged to break the fog completely - The Hi-Top Brass Band.

Akin to their name, this is a collection of gentlemen utilize a variety of brass to drive a strong back story to the vocals, which are not your typical growls of jazz, but rather a spoken word new age rap. We caught For The Money and Roll Up which probably drew one of the biggest crowds of the week - with the whole corso full up with the locals jamming along. Luckily these guys are willing to share a few tracks on their Bandcamp, which you can find below, to check them out at your own leisure.

The Straight Goods Monthly Recap

Let me introduce you to the Straight Goods Recap - the latest development by SG M+E, a podcast styled radio show, covering all of the best music we featured on the site monthly, as well as the various music and stories that managed to slipped through the cracks.

Run by SG M+E's newest member, "The Prince", who comes to us with a background in running a radio show at the Wilfrid Laurier University called Verses from the Abstract for the past few years. Since The Prince has now finished his university career, we jumped on the opportuntity to bring him up into the big leagues of the SG empire - http://www.radiolaurier.com/category/shows/verses-from-the-abstract/.

Listen to the first official SGM Recap below, but we will be featuring this ongoing podcast/radio show in the right sidebar, so it will be easy to listen to and catch up with SGM at any time. As always, send your feedback or ideas for improvement to info@straightgoodsmedia.com

We're always listening, as you should be.

In Remembrance

Since it's remembrance day, it's fitting we pay tribute with a track for our fallen comrades. There are millions of tribute songs that have been created for this very reason, but I was sent one in particular today which stood out, because it was so descriptive and focused in on the impact that these wars had on the younger generations. The version of the song which I've included below is actually a hip hop remix of an anti-Vietnam song from 1972 by Redgum, with the same name. Read along and listen below. This one goes out to my grandpops - who lead a tank battalion for Canada in WW2, survived the war, but not the cancer - as well as any other man-of-arms that was made a martyr to protect what they loved.

I Was Only 19 - RedGum (covered by The Herd)

Mum, Dad and Denny
were some amongst many
who turned up to see the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
Seemed every man and his mongrel
watched cadets stumble
on the long march to the Viet jungle.
"Oh Christ", I mumbled as I drew that card
and my mates came to slap me on the back with due regard
We were the sixth battalion and the next to tour
we did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left, rest assured

Seemed half of Townsville turned out to see us leave
and they lined the footpaths as we marched to the quay
And the papers wrote it up like you wouldn't believe
but we were looking to the future for a fast reprieve
And there's all of us looking young
strong and clean rockin' slouch hats
slung SLRs and greens

God help me, I was only nineteen

From Vung Tau the black helicopters
the chinhook pilots seemed relieved at Nui Dat when they dropped us
Seems like months running on and off landing pads
letters to Dad
'cause it's like, man, he's sad
But he can't see the tents that we call home
cans of VB, pin-ups on the lockers of chicks off TV
The noise, the mosquitoes and the heat suprising
like the first time you see an agent orange horizon

So please can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
the scar's left in me?
Night time's just a jungle
dark and a barking M16 that keeps saying
"rest in peace"
And what's this rash that comes and goes
I don't suppose you can tell me what that means?

God help me, I was only nineteen

Sent off on a four-week long operation
where every single step could be your last one
My two legs were sorta living hell
falling with the shells, war within yourself
But you couldn't let your mates down
'til they had you dusted off
so you closed your eyes and thought of something else

Then someone yelled "contact!"
another bloke swore
we hooked in there for hours then a god almighty roar
Then Frankie kicked a mine
the day that mankind kicked the moon

God help him, he was going home in June

And I can still see Frank with a can in his hand
thirty-six hour leave in the bar at the Grand
I can still hear Frank
a screaming mess
of bleeding flesh
couldn't retrieve his legs

You see the ANZAC legend
neglected to mention
the mud
the fear
the blood
the tears
the tension
Dad's recollection
beyond comprehension
didn't seem quite real until we were sent in
The chaos and confusion
the fire and steel
hot shrapnel in my back
I didn't even

God help me, I was only nineteen

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from Cadets
The sixth battalion was the next to tour
It was me who drew the card
we did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left

So please can you tell me doctor
why I can't get to sleep
I can't hardly eat?
And the sound of the Channel Seven chopper still chills me to my feet
still fuels my grief?
And what's this rash that comes and goes like the dreams
can you tell me what that means?

God help me, I was only nineteen.

Steve Winwood - Higher Love Remixes

Classic songs are by definition, timeless, and when they are massaged by the remix artists of the world, the results are almost always interesting. The original Higher Love by Steve Winwood is one of these classics - from the era of Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mack and Phil Collins - and it's still a great track to this day. When my lady passed along a cover by James Vincent McMorrow, I didn't hesitate to listen in. To take this a step further, even this was remixed - adding in the right ingredients to keep the classic vibe while making the most of the material.

Steve Winwood - Higher Love (Dimitry From Paris Re-Edit)   
James Vincent McMorrow - Higher Love (Nine One Remix)

Throwback Thursday - Soundtrack Edition: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

The nostalgia is strong in this one.  Rivaled only by the likes of soundtracks from the GTA series, Tony Hawk Pro Skater has to be a strong contender for greatest video game soundtracks of our time. These songs bring back a mixed flood of memories, from getting painstakingly close to topping a high-score challenge, to battling it out in a grisly game of SKATE.  Not only did this game act as a basis for what will likely be a life-long addiction to video games in general, it also provided an early-introduction to some of the rawest ska music (kinda like indie before indie was cool), underground hip-hop, and alternative rock.   THPS2 soundtrack embodies the peak of my experience, so enjoy the skate down memory lane:







And everyone's favourite, from the original THPS:

The Sexiest Instrument IN THE WORLD

Can you hear it? The sound of air vibrating past the wood of the reed and through the brass body, it's bell shaped bottom projecting the message for all to hear: 'I'm back bitches!'

In my attempt at humor, I may have just written the cheesiest sentences ever transcribed on this site. Whatever though, the sax and I go way back... sort of. I played the tenor saxophone for a year in High School to get my compulsory arts credit. It was fun but that year was the extent of my John Coltrane dream. I've always loved the sax though, so it's unfortunate that for most of my life it has been largely absent from popular music. Much like the guitar solo, it got overdone and earned the label of being cheesy. Those days are done though, seriously. The sax is back.  I've compiled a small list of songs that are making great use of this legendary instrument and helping with the resurgence. The second track was on the Do Work vol 2 playlist, but I'm doubling it's air time by reposting because well... Sax.


Kowl - Sending You My Heart
Thomas Jack ft Adrian Symes - The Final Speech
Ellie Goulding - Tessellate (Alt-J Cover)
Stavroz - The Finishing

Horrorshow covers "Can I Kick It" + "Take A Walk On The Wild Side"

What better way to feel good on a Friday afternoon, than to listen to a freshly pressed cover of some classic easy listening music - A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It", laced with Lou Reed's "Take A Walk On The Wild Side", by our friends down under, Horrorshow. This was passed my way by a colleague who actually used to be heavily involved with the Australian rap scene, and was quick to confirm my suspicions that Horrorshow is a big deal, and definitely a group you want to know about.

Use this song to get through the last 30 minutes of labor... you're almost through to the weekend!

Throwback Thursday - Touch of the Classics: Big L, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., + Chopin, Floyd, Miley

Doing it a little different for this week's throwback.  Whether it's a rework, remix, or mash-up--you can pretty much mention any of the above-named rappers, and chances are I am gonna take a look.  The following tracks do exactly that, taking the late and great king-pins of rap, and adding a different flavour to their original sounds.

The first remix comes from Dr. Wick, and combines the piano of Chopin's Scherzo No. 2 with the timeless verses of Biggie, Tupac and Big L.  Two throwbacks in one.


Capital Cities feat Pink Floyd and Tupac.  Enough said.


And lastly, because the weekend is around the corner, gotta get Miley in the mix.  Try not to get too fired up, now.

Throwback Thursday: Jay-z feat DMX - Money, Cash, Hoes

"I know they gonn' criticize the hook on this song / like a give a fuck I'm just a crook on a song"

Original Music from Grand Theft Auto 5

So it's official - GTA 5 is the highest selling piece of content ever created. It's no wonder, as the immersive open world environment is the most detail rich we have seen, with well over 100 hours of game play and cinematics to explore. With this new addition to the GTA series, Rockstar didn't just improve on their quality, but also introduced a number of new features (3 protaganists, online storylines, working in-game internet/stock markets, etc.), as well as a plethora of original music, created by real-life big name artists just for release in GTA 5 and it's associated soundtrack.

Below are my favorite 4 out of 18 original songs from the game, but feel free to check out the full list of music that's on GTA Radio here. Continuing with their innovative theme, Rockstar didn't just create new music for these radio stations, but took them a step further by featuring famous artists as the on-air personalities (including Soulwax, Flying Lotus and even Kenny Loggins). Because of all these improvements, I definitely find the in-game radio far more entertaining than real-life radio.

GTA Online launches for the first time in the next few days - we can only hope they continue to add quality radio content and music as they update it. This is the future for all content producers, and Rockstar has shown that they are not just a player in this space, but a champion.

Sleepwalking - Chain Gang of 1974


Smoke and Ride - BJ The Chicago Kid (feat. Freddie Gibbs & Problem)


A$AP Rocky - R.Cali


Twin Shadow - Old Love / New Love

RJD2- Temperamental Featuring Phonte Coleman ("More Is Than Isn't Preview)

RJD2 has been a staple in my Itunes for quite sometime now. As my love for hip-hop and its producers grew, I became fixated with artists like RJD2 and their consistency in beat making. I always get in this argument with music lovers that consistency/ similarity throughout different projects isn't good. "Kanye tries tries to inovate, J.Cole never does". I like J.Cole the way he is and and am confident Yeezus made my ears bleed. Some artists have a formula that people like and they stick by their guns, RJD2 has always been one of those producers for me. With classics like "Ghostwriter", "Beautiful Mine (Mad Men theme song)", "Smoke and Mirrors", and one of my all time favorite study songs "The Highest of Courts", RJD2 clearly has a formula that works. 

With his new project "More Is Than Isn't" coming out on October 8th, RJD2 has called upon rapper/singer Phonte Coleman (formerly of rap trio Little Brother) to add a heartfelt RnB feel to his smooth stylistic beat for "Temperamental". Phonte spent the greater part of his career rapping and singing over beats by 9th wonder so jumping on an RJD2 seems effortless for the classic hip-hop representative. I hope to find some new doing work jams on "More Is Than Isn't" and in case you have been unlucky enough to have never stumble upon RJD2 i've added some of the classics to this post. 

  

Aloe Blacc - Love Is The Answer

Aloe Blacc (great fuckin' name by the way) just dropped his latest project, the 4-track EP, Wake Me Up and it's already receiving positive feedback. Led by the Skateboard P produced Love Is The Answer, Aloe brings back 70's funk in the vein of current chart-toppers like Blurred Lines, Take Back The Night and Get Lucky. This is the catchiest tune he's released since that How To Make It In America theme song (can't believe HBO cancelled that gem). Upon my 3rd listen it reminded me of this joint...and that's a very very very good thing.

New Playlist: The Kings of Cool

Those who know me well, know I'm not from this era. I would gladly trade in tablets and paint parties (whatever those are) for a cigar and my Old Man's vinyl collection any day of the week. Unfortunately many of the kids at school don't feel the same when you show up in the 4th grade with slicked back hair and a Sony Walkman belting out Elvis Presley's, Greatest Hits.

Needless to say, classics are classics and I've stuck by them my entire life. Let's take it back to an era where these men literally ruled the world. Guys wanted to be them. Chicks wanted to be with them. And for a moment in time, music made sense to me. So go about your business and throw on this playlist (courtey of 8tracks.com). I bet you any money it'll class up even the most mundane of daily tasks. LONG LIVE BUBLÉ!

Frank Sinatra –Luck Be A Lady

Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual

Dean Martin - On An Evening in Roma

Elvis Presley - It's Now or Never

Engelbert Humperdinck - Spanish Eyes

Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E

Tom Jones - Love Me Tonight

Frank Sinatra - Strangers in the Night

Michael Bublé - Come Fly With Me

Dean Martin - Ain't That A Kick in the Head

Engelbert Humperdinck - Quando, Quando, Quando

Elvis Presley - Trouble

Robbie Williams - Beyond the Sea

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable

Michael Bublé - I've Got The World on a String

Tony Bennett - Rags to Riches

Harry Connick Jr. - We are in Love

Robbie Williams - Have You Met Miss Jones?

Matt Dusk - Fly Me To The Moon

Tony Bennett - If I Ruled The World

The Kings of Cool from ribeirja on 8tracks Radio.

Willis Earl Beal - Too Dry To Cry

 I'd like to begin this post by apologizing to people living in the apartment below me.  My bad about all the foot stomping (this will make sense in a second).

I'm not going to pretend like I know a whole lot about Willis Earl Beal, I just stumbled across this song and I had one of those moments where a song just mesmerizes you.  The 'Stomp, Clap' beat just drives this song forward while Willis Earl Beal's soulful, gospel-style vocals spin a tale of heartbreak.  The raw emotion behind Beal's vocals reminds me of soul/blues legends such as Gil Scott-Heron and BB King.

So give this song a listen and I challenge you to keep your heel planted to the ground.

Good luck.

John Mayer - Wildfire

Returning from a 3-year hiatus, the biggest beauty in the league (or douchebag - depending on who you ask) is returning with his 7th album, Paradise Valley on August 20th. After a dismal first release in my opinion (the melancholy, slow jam, Paper Doll was named as the album's first single), I was genuinely concerned for Mayer, both as a vocalist and songwriter. Where was the rawness? The emotion? The goddamn guitar!? But silly me, Johnny May has it all under control.

The album's second single, Wildfire is a tour de force of effortless, summer vibes. The tune is silky smooth and showcases not only Mayer's sound vocal ability (he just recovered from a 2011 granuloma removal that left his vocal chords at risk) but incredible guitar chops as well. The last minute of the song is Straight Goodness (wink, wink).

Johnny May has always been one of my favorite artists and I hope this new album restores him to his former Grammy-glory (Born and Raised did not). I will be in attendance at Molson Amphitheatre as he makes a scheduled tour stop in Toronto on August 14th. This one goes out to you Jennifer (Love Hewitt and Aniston), Minka, Katy, Taylor, Jessica, Cameron and I'm sure hundreds of others!

Audio Push feat. Lil Wayne - Space Jam

There's a heat wave in Tdot and as I sit on my balcony and sip on my Double Cross Vodka on ice, this gem happened to fall into my lap. The Cali duo, Audio Push (who are signed to Hit-Boy's HS87 label) just released their debut single which features Lil Tunechi spitting over the classic Space Jam by Quad City DJ's. Obviously I'm using the term 'classic' as loosely as a wizard's sleeve hangs, but I mean c'mon...it's SPACE JAM! I'm not even gonna downplay how much that flick meant to the 7 year old me. MJ crushin' Monstars like it's nobody's business, Sir Charles promising to never do the nasty with Madonna again, Newman from Seinfeld sweating all over the goddamn screen...priceless.

No thinking required to listen to this jam. Drop this joint at your summer pre-drink and you'll instantly be the most popular cat in the room (with males and females alike). Safe to say Miley will be droppin' it down and shakin' to this one. And Amanda Bynes. And Lindsa...fuck it. Here's your chance Miley, do your dance, at the...

New: Atmosphere - Bob Seger

Everyone's favourite underground hip-hop heroes have released a new track titled Bob Seger.   Ant delivers with some incredible production and Slug provides his reliably smooth and heavy hitting lyrics.  The chorus makes reference to Seger's timeless classic, Night Moves, the song that really propelled him to commercial success.  Draw your own conclusions there.  

Can't get enough of this sample.  Album pending???

Generationals - Heza

With the whole Lumineers / Mumford and Sons trend going on, there has been a lot of good indie music get more exposure than usual. Recently, a solid indie duo caught my attention called The Generationals, who just released their third album, Heza, at the start of April. Their music is perfect for summer days, with an organic, classic sound that everyone can enjoy. Now if only the weather in Toronto would get on board we'd have something here...

Listen to the leading single below, as well as a track off an older album that had some notoriety and was featured on a few commercials. If you're interested, the rest of Heza is available for purchase on iTunes. Enjoy.

Generationals - Put a Light On: Generationals - When They Fight They Fight:

The Return of Surebuds

 So I'm not sure if anybody's noticed (or chirped about it in past blog posts...) but I sort of fell off the Straight Goods map for a little while there. I've got plenty of excuses though, I recently finished my time living the college dream at the SG household, and have moved into the real world that is Toronto. When you're still trying to live that dream it's somewhat of a trip getting everything in order, including my internets, but I think I've got it figured out for now. I should be back with stacks of music that I haven’t been able to post for a while here, expect big things. My first track returning to this blog scene is a classic for the loyal SG viewers that have stayed through this musical drought... I got nothin’ but love for ya

D.N.A. Feat Suzanne Vega - "Tom's Diner"

A song that I recently came across while listening to some late night radio really peaked my interest for some reason. I later found out that the song I'd stumbled across, Tom's Diner by DNA feat. Suzanne Vega, is a song that will have a distinctive sound to a lot of people due to the amount it's been used since its release in 1990. The baseline by Suzanne Vega is the most noticeable recycled piece, as her combination of notes sets a serene mood and strong setting for any song to take place.

Suzanne's voice in the track is so soft it's almost not there, but it still manages to somehow carry the song confidently. When she recorded this originally, her pitch was set so well that when high frequency speakers were being developed the technicians needed to set it with a perfect note sequence, and when he heard the a cappella original of this song down the hall he knew it would work. Later because of this, developers used Tom's Diner to calibrate the file system we know as MP3, as other songs wouldn't give true enough results to tweak the notes to. The woman in the song speaks about her basic interaction at an unnamed diner, simply a story about nothing. In the same light, Seinfield took the exact same Tom's Diner a few years later and put it into their story about nothing. This song gets the rest of it's history from the artists who have sampled from it since being released; 2Pac, Lil Kim, Felt, B-Real (Cypress Hill) and probably most recognizably in Drake's I Get Money. Even after finding all of this work the original is still my favourite, but the ripples of it's impact are definitely still worth checking out. Here's the classic version, as well as my two top samples of the song.

D.N.A. Feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner (Remix)

B-Real - Don't You Dare Laugh (Sample)

Drake Feat. Kevin Cossom - I Get Money (Sample)