RIGHTEOUS JAMS

Sunday Smooth Jam 3/29/09

2009-03-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

Smooth Jam for a Sunday Afternoon: "Part 1-The Alien Challenges The Stick/Part 2-The Alien Succumbs To The Macho Intergalactic Funkativity Of The Funkblasters"
By: George Duke
From: Master of the Game (1979, Epic)

Back finally with a Jam that's perfect for your Smooth Sunday afternoon. Part Parliament, part fusion, all Dukey Stick.

Sun, Spring, & George. What more could you ask for?

Righteous Jam of the Day, Wed 3/18/09

2009-03-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

RJotD: "Hanky Panky Nohow"

By: John Cale

From: Paris 1919 (Island, 1973)

For those in need of planing lakes and attendant memories thereto, today's morning fog brings with it the calming effect of John Cale's stately "Hanky Panky Nohow."

A simple acoustic guitar and tastefully reverbed vocals will surely calm you down, or at least give you pause for a breath as we climb over the hill of another week.

A bit of light tambourine never hurt anybody either.

Righteous Jam of the Day, Wed 3/11/09

2009-03-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

RJotD: "Life in D Tepsihe (All Music is Folk Music)"
by: Growing
from: The Sky's Run into the Sea (2003, Kranky)

It's probably worth it to conclude a decidedly mixed day with a piece of music that's part triumphal procession for electric guitar, part ambient dirge. Sounds about right as we teeter on the edge of an eternal Wednesday.

No doubt about it, you gotta take the Righteousness where you can find it.

Righteous Jam Friday Style, 3/6/09

2009-03-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

RJOTD: "A Rainbow in Curved Air"

By: Terry Riley

From: A Rainbow in Curved Air (Columbia, 1967)

I'll just turn it over to the man himself:

And then all wars ended / Arms of every kind were outlawed and the masses gladly contributed them to giant foundries in which they were melted down and the metal poured back into the earth / The Pentagon was turned on its side and painted purple, yellow & green / All boundaries were dissolved / The slaughter of animals was forbidden / The whole of lower Manhattan became a meadow in which unfortunates from the Bowery were allowed to live out their fantasies in the sunshine and were cured / People swam in the sparkling rivers under blue skies streaked only with incense pouring from the new factories / The energy from dismantled nuclear weapons provided free heat and light / World health was restored / An abundance of organic vegetables, fruits and grains was growing wild along the discarded highways / National flags were sewn together into brightly colored circus tents under which politicians were allowed to perform harmless theatrical games / The concept of work was forgotten

A quintessential, definitively Righteous Jam. Have a good weekend, whoever you are.

BONUS JAM Thurs Nite 3/5/09

2009-03-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

BONUS JAM OF THE HOUR: "Pulses"
By: White Rainbow
From: Prism of Eternal Now (2007, Kranky)

Shaking off the day isn't always easy. White Rainbow is here to help.

Righteous Jam of the Day, Thurs 3/5/09

2009-03-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

RJOTD: "Here on Earth"
By: Love & Rockets
From the year: 1986
Originally Found On: Earth-Sun-Moon (Beggar's Banquet)

Witnessed while on the bus this morning:

2 kestrels atop a pile of dirt in a West Oakland empty lot.
2 red-wing blackbirds skirting the roadway, headed for the bayshore.
North tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, hazily aglow in pink and tangerine.

Today's track is another pop charmer, originally nestled in-between the biggest hit and the dumbest song on L&R's last good album, Earth-Sun-Moon. It features a tight beat, low-key singing, hippie lyrics, and a sax solo so of its time, you'd swear you were living a John Hughes movie. Righteous.

Righteous Jam of the Day, Wed 3/4/09

2009-03-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

RJOTD: "Don't Come Down Here"

By: Serena Maneesh

Year of Release: 2006

From: Serena Maneesh (Play Louder)

Blissed-out neo-shoegaze was the order of the day this morning, providing a calming effect after a seemingly-endless commute. The sun was out after much rain and I wanted to tap into that, but found myself against the wall, facing a poor outlook on what was sure to be an otherwise decent day. Let me tell you, friends, it did the trick.

The tune features some repetitive accoustic strumming, vocals eerily remeniscent of MBV, and a fun crunchy part in the middle, charmingly highlighted (or lowlighted) by some pretty dubious double kick-pedal action. Nonetheless, it's worth the trip, so give it a try if desired--it's not a classic, but it's still Righteous.

For my part, I woke up with this tune in my head, and somehow knew I would need it today.

Righteous Jam of the Day, Tues 3/3/09

2009-03-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

RJOTD: "Changeling"
Artist: DJ Shadow
Year of Release:1996
Find it on: Endtroducing... (Mo'Wax)

Being that was cold and rainy this morning, I found myself in a bit of a sentimental, nostalgic mood, and as such today's RJ is a favorite on that order.

It's pretty well-known--I'm pretty sure I, my roommates at the time and a million other college dudes wore this track out, so maybe you're sick of it, whatever, I can never get tired of it, thus it is a righteous jam... ahem.

As for the tune itself, it's a fantastic combination of hazy rhodes chords, distant vocals, culminating with one of my all-time favorite guitar lines. It was a magical discovery some 10 years ago, listening to some Tangerine Dream record in the middle of the night and hearing that haunting melody from "Changeling" snake through the speakers. I was too stoned to remember what it was.... Years later I finally rediscovered the source, a bit anti-climactically-- it's "Invisible Limits" off of Stratosphear btw, an album I'd recommend to anyone heading down that path anyway...your mileage may vary. But do check "Changeling" out. I'm sure its Righteousness will be instantly self-evident.

As if this post couldn't be longer, I'll conclude by mentioning that this is the inaugural post, but I'm just trotting along as if I've been doing this for years.