The District is an anomaly. Its many threads intertwine to create a diverse and colorful tapestry which reflects the nation it represents in ways that both inspire and infuriate. Music has perpetuated the soul of D.C. for decades now, and gives a voice to those who otherwise would remain under the foot of the suits that make this the land of “Taxation without Representation.” Many artists call D.C. home, regardless of birthplace. Below are three musicians from distinct eras that have embodied their epochs with the sheer sonic strength and soul. Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, and Me’Shell Ndegeocello are a triad of D.C.’s finest children, born and/or bred. I continue this list in the vein of sounds native to the District. This particular one journeys across time to reflect the continuity of foundational sound and motive, but the evolution of the style as well. Hopefully something will strike a chord. For what it’s worth — enjoi.

Duke Ellington – Skin Deep
(Ellington Uptown/ 1953)
Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald – Mack the Knife
(Ella & Duke at The Côte D’Azur (Disc I)/ 1966)
Duke Ellington – Rhapsody in Blue
(Recollections of The Big Band Era/ 1976)
Marvin Gaye – Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)
(What’s Going On/ 1971)
Marvin Gaye – If I Should Die Tonight
(Let’s Get It On (Deluxe Edition)/ 1973)
Marvin Gaye – Trouble Man
(Gold/ 2005)
Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Soul Searchin’
(Higher Learning: Music From The Motion Picture/ 1994)
Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Fool of Me
(Bitter/ 1999)
Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Earth
(Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape/ 2002)

photo credit: Amber Wiley

Photo: Look Mom.

I couldn’t breathe and spun around and around.
Anyone who saw me must have thought I was dancing. It’s not inconceivable that my eyes were open. It’s possible I fell facing the city.

– Wislawa Szymborska. Lot’s Wife.

1. Nite Jewel – What did he say?
   What did he say 12″ (Italians do it better / 2008)
2. Memory Cassette – Asleep at a party
   The hiss we missed (self released / 2008)
3. Thunderheist – Jerk It (Nacho Lovers remix)
   Jerk it Ep (Thunderheist / 2008)
4. Boy 8-bit – The Cricket Scores
   The suspense is killing me (Mad Decent / 2008)
5. Tennishero – Midnight Love
   Midnight Love (DNM / 2008)
6. The Whitest boy alive – Golden Cage (Fred Falke remix)
   Golden cage (Modular / 2008)
7. The Twelves – I feel fine
   Demo (self released / 2008)

Note: While some people enjoy spending friday nights on crowded, loud places, others prefer to chill out after a bad week. That would be me! Kick back and enjoy this assortment of upbeat and catchy weekend tunes selected especially for your listening pleasure. Have a nice weekend, peeps.

Photo: Christophe Kutner

1. Tame Impala – Remember Me
   Remember Me (Modular / 2008)
2. Esperanto – Night of the Wolf
   Black Feeling (Freestyle / 2007)
3. Dry Bread – Words to my song
   Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay (Numero / 2007)
4. Dungen – Det Tar Tid
   4 (Subliminal Sounds / 2008)
5. Joose Keskitalo – Seitsenkertainen Aurinko
   Joose Keskitalo & Kolmas maailmanpalo (Fonal / 2008)
6. Edan – Fumbling over words that rhyme
   Beauty and the beat (Lewis / 2005)

“An LSD experience without the LSD” -that was a laugh. In fact, the heads are pouring in by the hundreds, bombed out of their gourds, hundreds of heads coming out into the absolute open for the first time. It is like the time the Pranksters went to the Beatles concert in full costume, looking so bizarre and so totally smoked that no one could believe they were. Nobody would risk it in public like that. Well the kids are just having an LSD experience without the LSD, that’s all, and this is what it looks like. A hulking crazed whirlpool. That’s nice.

- Tom Wolfe. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

1. Daedalus – Dearly Departed
   Exquisite Corpse (Mush / 2006)
2. Shoes – Kyen kyen (edit)
   shoes of afro-rock 12″(Shoes / 2008)
3. Ammoncontact – Earth’s Children (feat. Mia Doi Todd)
   With Voices (Ninjatune / 2005)
4. Mia Doi Todd – My Room is White (Flying Lotus remix)
   La Ninja Amor And Other Dreams Of Manzanita (Plug / 2006)
5. Flying Lotus – Testament
   Los Angeles (Warp / 2008)
6. Amon Tobin – Slowly
   Supermodified (Ninjatune / 2000)

Lately I find myself enamored with the idea of California. There is a very particular and subtle vibe in Californian music which I had never noticed before, some weird sort of psychedelic lushness showering all the music coming out from there, be it Jazz, Rock or Hip-hop. It’s hard for me to explain it, or to be objective about it but it’s been seducing me these past days in the most mysterious ways.

On this playlist the focus is on Californian Hip-hop with a nearly ambient bounce that producers such as Waajeed and Madlib do so well. Tunes move with a leisurely pace for a smooth nocturnal listen. Hope you enjoy. Huge kudos to Michael on the playlist since I snatched half of what you’re listening today from his blog.

Photo: Olivia Bee. Who, by the way, is only 14 years old and intimidates me by the huge talent and overall taste she reflects on her words, songs and images. I’d be painfully ashamed if I tried to remember just where I was, philosophically speaking, at her age. Go check her photostream if you don’t believe me.

Everyone still around? We were under a bot-attack and a deffective plugin didnt made the job easier. Hope all goes tidy from now on. Sigh.