East Village Radio

 
I read in some email newsletter this week, oh boy.

About an influential New York radio online radio station that will fade away.

And when I read it, I was kind of sad.



If it hadn’t already existed and I lived in New York, I would have loved to have created East Village Radio.

As I have stated numerous times before, a good number of East Village Radio shows were highly influential on me and my own Suite Delight radio show. My weekends basically would start and end with their shows. I would do whatever I could to be home to listen.

One show would run me down with records.  Another show in particular was the most eclectic and all over the place, springing incredible tracks I otherwise would never hear every Saturday.

The other shows’ playlists were marvels to behold but I could not always listen to anything but the weekend shows.

It was easy for me to be inspired by the East Village Radio roster. My radio station DJ colleagues and I were once asked what station we basically emulated and my answer was obvious.


A trip to New York for me is like a pilgrimage to Mecca. One particular visit was bittersweet. I had to seek my main source of inspiration, oracle, and Creation Matrix in East Village Radio to help me make it through my time there.
 

I got to see where the magic takes place. Aside from the shopping and record crate digging, that night was the highlight of my trip. I thankfully have the experience to remember.


I might have made it clear that I don’t do celebrity deaths well, especially if I am particularly fond of them or they greatly impacted my life in some way.  The news of East Village Radio no long existing might very well have been something of a celebrity death.

I read the bad news from a CMJ newsletter announcing the end of the New York radio station and followed where the link took me.   
 

As much as East Village Radio was a weekend staple for me years ago, I had not been able to tune in live for years.  I wasn't able to tune in to the station on my smartphone.  Had I been able to, I possibly would not have listened to any other radio with the exception of my CKUT.
 
As much as East Village Radio represented everything I aimed to achieve in so far as radio is concerned, my motivations and aspirations associated with the station do not die. I will not forget the station's legacy and impact on me.  In fact, I changed my own Suite Delight radio show format in honor of the East Village Radio's old school hip hop show.



Thank you to the people of past, present and future people of East Village Radio for giving me another reason to love New York like I do.

MC Eiht

There was little West Coast hip hop played on New York radio shows in the 80s & 90s.MCs sounding as close to East Coast artists and flavor like The Pharcyde, Del the Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief seemed to have stood the better chance of being played. Compton's Most Wanted was something of a rare exception.



As my audio cassette recordings from New York radio reveal, The Big Apple had a lot of love for MC Eiht.



I easily heard and recorded more Compton's Most Wanted songs from my memorable New York trips than any West Coast hip hop artist.

Although Compton's Most Wanted was what I knew as a crew, it was always all about MC Eiht.

I wasn't all that surprised when We Come Strapped from 1994 boasted his name above the group. Streiht Up Menace is on par with Tupac Shakur's Dear Mama for sentimentality but Compton Cyco was my favorite from the album.

Tame Impala

I may have learned of this group now, later or perhaps never.

I heard a song pumping through the speakers. As you can expect, or you know me well enough to see where this is going, I ran into the DJ booth to ask who it was.



I picked up on the trippy, psychedelic, John Lennon vibe of Solitude is Bliss and have since repeatedly played it and the Midnight Juggernauts remix.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget Tame Impala. The impact of their song was undeniable. I attempted to catch one of their last Montreal shows but unfortunate circumstances prevented me from doing so. I’m waiting to hear what they come up with next.



For a band I knew nothing about until I heard Solitude Is Bliss, Tame Impala really caught my attention. This comes at a time when I want to incorporate more indie-rock to my arsenal. Like The Black Keys and Arcade Fire, Tame Impala invite me to learn more about the modern, alternative rock scene and I’m a fast learner.


The vocalist says I will never come close to how he feels. That may be true. Unlike him, I'm a bit more generous and accommodating. I've at least shared my bliss where the song is concerned. Hopefully he and the rest of the band don't mind joining a shortlist of my best singles.


Exclaim has more information on Tame Impala and their latest album.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is still very entertaining to me after all these years.

Just as he embarked on a solo career, you couldn’t tell me anything about Busta Rhymes that I’d listen to let alone his music. 



I especially didn’t want to listen to him even though he was popping up on posse cuts galore in the early 90s.

1996 was a pivotal year for me because A Tribe Called Quest and Nas  disappointed me with their albums and forced me to seek refuge elsewhere.



I found myself under Busta’s umbrella with the bangers of The Coming. 

When Disaster Strikes sealed the deal for me and is simply his best album. 
 
It is no coincidence that Busta recorded a track with Method Man, who is also flavor on a track and a party in the form of a human being when on the mic.

DJ Andy Smith

I love mixtapes.

When I say mixtapes, I mean the compilations of songs preferably mixed with some semblance of a theme or cohesiveness left for you to decipher and enjoy.

I blogged about The Rapture's mix CD and will now write about quite possibly the most important mixtape I've ever heard, Andy Smith's The Document.

Years ago, I was hunting for music on vinyl, CD & even audio cassette and stopped at a favorite nearby music store. For whatever reason, I remember seeing The Document CD on many occasions but paid no mind to it. It was possibly while browsing CDs at that store that I'd glance at it.



One day I decided to take a closer look at the CD and its contents. The tracklisting appeared to be eclectic to say the least and that got my attention. The issue for me was how could a CD have Jeru The Damaja, Jungle Brothers, Tom Jones and The James Gang among its songs?

I will admit to being quite linear in my thinking even though I studied, listened to, knew and had a lot of music. I did not know how or why the songs would go from hip hop to rock and vice versa on the CD but I was curious to learn.



I sampled the CD and understood its modus operandi. The songs were mixed together and so seamlessly that the connections between the contrasting genres made me understand music is not always to be categorized, classified and compartmentalized. I learned that listening to music of varying genres can be an enriching and rewarding experience.

If De La Soul made me see there was nothing to fear in sampling varying music genres to make hip hop and the late 90s/early 2000s Brass Knuckles/Blizzarts era made me realize there was more funk and soul than James Brown then DJ Andy Smith’s Document made me see there was nothing wrong in blending varying genres of music as long as it was done as right as possible.



I not too long ago came across, listened to and marvelled at my copy of The Document. Not only do I seek mixtapes in the mold of The Document, I seek mixtapes that will hopefully open my mind to new revelations and somehow inspire me to be a better DJ.

I listened to The Document II and unfortunately found it did not take me to the next phase like I could have hoped. Maybe my expectations were too high and blinded me to the wonder of the second installment. Perhaps a more objective listening will cause me to blog about the beauty of The Document II one day. For now, it appears I will never forget my first.

News of DJ Andy Smith appearing at Montreal's The Goods on October 25 couldn't make me happier.  The Goods takes place from 10:30-3:30 AM with a $15 admission on the last Saturday of the month at La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent (coin St. Joseph).   

April Wine - On Record (1972)

You Could Have Been A Lady is one of my favorite rock songs ever.  

I’m even more happy to claim it as part of my Canadian heritage. 

The song was a late addition to my Suite Delight 6^th Anniversary Episode playlist. I had gotten into a groove with vintage late 1960s/early 1970s pop/rock and felt the April Wine classic would be a great fit.

The group has hits as greatest hits packages have informed me but my knowledge of the band’s music is limited. 

The next song I really know and like is Just Between You and Me.I remember it from childhood and still like it to this day.The bilingual lyrics is a bonus.

Until I catch a live taste of April Wine, I'll settle with their albums and videos.

Johnny Guitar Watson

One of the first CD-Rs I ever made for myself was a Johnny Guitar Watson compilation. I didn't make it myself actually. I asked a classmate to find the songs and hand me the CD-R.




There is something bluesy and soulful about his voice that I can’t deny. I believe his music is the perfect link between blues and funk. There are many obvious reasons why he was sampled for hip hop tracks.

I found a Very Best of Johnny Guitar Watson album at the Montreal record convention but it doesn't have Lover Jones, my favourite of his late 70s recordings. I'm still very happy to have found that vinyl and will try to add Johnny Guitar Watson to upcoming The Suite Delight radio episodes.

I was made aware of a Johnny Guitar Watson - Listen album from 1973 that lays the foundation for his late 70s blues-funk legacy. Listen is now on my want-list. Wish me luck in finding it so that I can listen to it.

Punchline

I remember learning of Punchline through the colossal Lyricist Lounge: Volume One compilation on Rawkus.

If you have ever owned, seen or held the vinyl release of the first Lyricist Lounge, you know that the word colossal is not an understatement. I almost couldn’t believe it was 4 vinyls deep but considering the amount of music packed onto the 2CDs, it stood to reason.

Among the handful of tracks that I always remembered from the compilation, Punchline caught my attention with Da Cipher.



In the early 2000s when I was barely keeping my ear to the ground as far as hip hop music was concerned, I checked for what most of the underground MCs I learned of from the Rawkus label and Lyricist Lounge compilations were doing. Punchline was among those I checked for when I could.




I was happy to learn of the Punchline & DJ Soulclap music. The songs I’ve heard are among my favorite and best hip hop I’ve heard in the last few years. 

 

I plan to pack more Punchline onto The Suite Delight playlists in the upcoming weeks.

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814

As big as their grooves were and as monumental the Control album was, Rhythm Nation took us to a higher level.

As I would learn, Rhythm Nation was a concept album and presented a more serious Janet Jackson.



Regardless of the darker sound and mood of the album, neither Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis nor Janet Jackson lost the grooves.

If Janet said it was Alright with her, than I was reassured we were in their capable hands.

Social media recently reminded us that the album celebrated its 25th anniversary and that too is alright with me.

Nice & Smooth - Nice & Smooth (1989)

One of the most memorable moments of my CMJ 2009 trip was meeting legendary duo The Awesome Two.

I told them how influential they were for my Suite Delight radio show and thanked them for their production on the Nice & Smooth debut album.

 

Let this be my moment to thank Nice & Smooth for the years of more & more hits.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 1-2am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.
Below are some archived podcasts to bring you up to speed.  

Click here to download more podcasts.

http://suitedelight.podomatic.com



DJ Solespin - The Goods (July 2014) Playlist:

1. Damian Marley – Welcome to Jamrock
2. Koushik – Be With
3. Washed Out – Feel It All Around
4. The System – Don’t Disturb This Groove
5. Loose Ends – Hanging On A String
6. Erykah Badu – Bag Lady
7. Feist – Mushaboom (K-os Mix)
8. D’Angelo – Feel Like Makin’ Love
9. Mark De Clive Lowe – Restless
10. Marley Marl – Hummin’ feat. Roy Ayers
11. Charles Bradley – Heart of Gold
12. DJ Spinna – Surely
13. The Pharcyde – Drop
14. Masta Ace Incorporated – The I.N.C. Ride
15. Busta Rhymes – Turn It Up
16. De La Soul – Plug Tunin’
17. Nice & Smooth – No Delayin’
18. MC Tee & Lord Tasheem – Gangster Nine
19. Gang Starr – Code of the Streets
20. Pete Rock – Back on the Block featuring C.L. Smooth
21. Souls of Mischief – Make Your Mind Up (Rock On Mix)
22. Biz Markie – Nobody Beats The Biz
23. Digable Planets – 9th Wonder (Blackitolism)
24. Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew – Everybody Loves A Star
25. MF Doom – Dead Bent

The Suite Delight - 2014-07-08 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

The Suite Delight - 2014-04-08 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

 

The Suite Delight - 2013 CKUT Funding Drive Podcast by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

Run-DMC - Raising Hell (1986)

Run-DMC was my introduction to hip hop. 

I was too young to understand what Rapper's Delight was. I just remembered that it sounded a lot like Chic's Good Times. 

Walk This Way reached me and I loved it. After Michael, Lionel and Prince, I saw them as role models relatively close to my age. Raising Hell was a breakthrough to me and opened the doors for Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Salt & Pepa, LL Cool J and Whodini to come into my life.



Proud to be Black would plant the seeds of my Afrocentrism during the late 80s/early 90s. No one was saying that to me other than Run-DMC and I eventually learned that they took that page out of the James Brown playbook.

Congratulations to Run-DMC for being inducting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Who would have thought that over twenty years after their debut on the scene, they would be considered Kings of Rock?

R.I.P. Jam Master Jay

The Charlatans

The Only One I Know is the only song I know from The Charlatans. 

I’m open to suggestions for other songs by the band I should check out. 

I’m lucky we live in a YouTube era where I can see and hear their videos before the wait gets too long.

Salaam Remi

I remember the name Salaam Remi credited on many hip hop tracks and remixes in the 1990s. 

Not that long ago while preparing for my Women’s Day Showcase, it struck me that Salaam Remi, specifically, has produced for some of the most talented female vocalists in the business.




My theory begins with Lauryn Hill being one third of The Fugees. She would go on to release The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, win many Grammys for it and whose music would be missed dearly. The Ready or Not remix above is one of the best hip hop beats I've ever heard and that they ever rhymed on. 

Whitney Houston died months ago around the time I was planning the Woman’s Day episode. I was digging in my record collection and I came across the 12” single of My Love is Your Love. I bought it for the Wyclef remix and forgot the Salaam Remix was on it too.
The Wyclef remix was naturally played by my Concordia University radio station colleagues after Whitney’s death. I played the Salaam Remix partially because I felt my radio DJ peers and most listeners may not know of him or the remix.

I took notice of Jasmine Sullivan’s voice when her debut CD dropped. I was pleasantly surprised again to see Remi produced tracks on that album. I recently bought another CD copy of the album. It was not because I forgot I had already bought it. The second copy was at a price I couldn’t resist and it would have been easier to find among my collection.

Lastly, he produced for the legendary British R&B diva of Soul II Soul fame Caron Wheeler.  A brief browse of his website will list other notable women he has worked with over the last 15-20 years.

When I said I want to think of myself as the Salaam Remi of college radio, I meant that I enjoy the fact he worked and continues to work with the industry's most talented female vocalists.  I play them on my show whenever I can, play Salaam Remi's work with those females on my show whenever I can and by default play more Salaam Remi music than my colleagues.