Dead Kenny-G's top 10s of 2000

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Top 10 New Albums

(click here to skip down to top 10 collections)

1) Sugarman Three "Soul Donkey"

Hard charging, stomping boogaloo soul jazz. If this album was 30 years old, it would be highly sought after by collectors; A tight, tight band featuring sax and Hammond but with a loose nasty funk streak.

 

2) Breakestra 7" Single "Getcho Soul Together (parts 1 and 2)"

The band founded to play breaks delivers on this original. Part 1 features classic screaming funk vocals over a band hitting hard on the one with powerful drum breaks. Part 2 on the B side lets things go JBs style into a crazy instrumental.

 

3) Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra "Liberation Afrobeat"

Fela style Afro-Groove. This New York band incorporates Latin and Funk into long Africa 70 style grooves

 

4) The Mighty Imperials featuring Joseph Henry "Thunder Chicken"

Straight funk. A young Meters-style quartet (Hammond, guitar, bass, drums) makes authentic funk with Joseph Henry on soul vocals

 

5) "Snowboy and the Latin Section Play Afrocuban Jazz"

Latin acid jazz. Dancey acid jazz, made palatable by a strong Latin flavor.

 

6) Los Samplers "Descargas"/Señor Coconut y su Conjunto "El Baile Aleman"

Afro-Cuban sample art. Two releases from a German expatriate living in Chile. Los Samplers make Afro-Cuban percussion improvisations out of samples and electronic noise. "El Baile Aleman" is just plain hilarious, Kraftwerk early electronica reformed into crazy salsa.

 

7) Up, Bustle & Out "Rebel Radio"

Buena Vista Social Club meets English club electronica. The song 'Hip Hop Bario' is one of my favorites of the year.

 

8) "Deltron 3030"

Lush Automator production, rhymes from Del laced with four syllable words, and the always surprising scratches of Kid Koala. Basically, a hip hop supergroup, which for a change delivers. Estupetious.

 

9) Imaginary Visions 7" Single "Houston Hook / Texas Rumble"

Abrasive funk 45 DJ Keb Darge puts his money where his mouth is, recording a funk 45 of his own which is actually pretty good--your basic dirty funk with Hammond.

 

10) Jazz on The Latin Side Allstars "Jazz on The Latin Side Allstars vol 1"

Jose Rizo put together a group of Los Angeles superstars to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his 'Jazz on the Latin Side' radio show. This recording captures the power and fun of live Latin Jazz.

 

Top 10 + 4 Collections/Reissues

1) Broasted or Fried: Latin Breakbeats, Basslines, and Boogaloo

Perfect. The finest of New York Latin soul from the late 60s to early 70s.

 

2) Ann Robinson/Freedom Now Brothers 7" Single "You Did It/Sissy Walk"

Obscure late 60s funk single from Philadelphia dredged into modern consciousness by Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) who was caught lifting the instrumental for his hit 'Gangsta Trippin'. Sampled or not, this is a great bit of funk.

 

3) "Bollywood Funk" / "Doob Doob O' Rama 2"

"Bombay the Hard Way" whet our appetites for the funky grooves coming out of the most prolific film industry in the world. These compilations give us the real, unedited stuff.

 

4) "Spike's Choice 2"

The second collection of Desco released funk 45s. This is some of the best music being put out today, collected on one CD for your listening pleasure.

 

5) "Schoolhouse Funk" / DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist "Brainfreeze"

Sometimes we benefit from the obsessions from others. Shadow's record collecting has resulted in two fine compilations. "Schoolhouse Funk" collects the finest moments of school band recordings. How many lame ass records did he have to listen to get the raw funky stuff on this comp.? Brainfreeze--originally released in 1999 but reissued for the masses in 2000, is just one of the sharpest live sets/mixtapes out there, featuring rare 45s.

 

6)Various "Ethiopiques 8"

'Swinging Addis.' Weird and wonderful, but undeniably funky.

 

7) Various "Music For Dancefloors: The Cream of the KPM Green Label Sessions"

Some of the finest library music from the KPM collection. Funky and impossibly rare.

 

8) Various "Revenge of the B-Boy"

Up-tempo hip hop instrumentals

 

9) James Brown's Funky People volume 3

The long awaited third installment

 

10) Various "Shapes of Rhythm: Ultimate Breaks and Beats Volume 2"

Live set recorded at a benefit for Vanderbilt's station WVUR. Eothen "Egon" Alapatt put together an amazing lineup including Galt MacDermot, Pretty Purdie, the Breakestra and lots of turntablists and rappers to celebrate hip hop and its roots. Egon also produced a mighty fine compilation of unreleased Galt MacDermot tracks this year

 

11) Various "Just Another Taste of Electronic Watusi Boogaloo"

Sample heavy electronica with an emphasis on fun

 

12) Raymond Scott "Manhattan Research, Inc."

Experiments in electronic music from a true mad scientist of music.

 

13) Various "Cinemaphonic: Electro Soul"

Another Library Record compilation--super obscure but funky stuff.

 

14) Various "Xen Cuts"

Ten years of Ninja Tune suitably celebrated with a mix of hip hop, electronica, and miscellaneous.