40 Watt Gigolo

from the album Enter The Sideshow Groove (2013)

Dafuniks are a hip-hop band from Denmark.  This year, they released Enter The Sideshow Groove, a record loaded with cool vibes and grooves that has become a mainstay when my funky friends pop by for a visit.

I've been delayed in writing about them because I could not decide which tune I digged most.  Not enough records stump me this way.

But after holding a gun to my own head, I chose D To The A.  Not only does the bouncing groove put you in a party mood, the song's title instructs you how to play along.  If so inclined, you can pick up your Fender Jazz, bounce some octaves on D and A, and wallah, you own the funk.

Also of note are the vocals by another great Danish artist, Barbara Moleko.  She is one of my favorite artists this year.  If you have a chance, check out her single Sugar Man.

I urge you to give Dafuniks a chance.  They will likely put a bounce in your step.

Click Here to listen to D To The A.

from the album Shaka Bundu (2013)

1994: Johannesburg, South Africa.  Joseph Shirimani is producing Tsonga (a form of Afro-Disco) records at a local studio.  He is solicited by the janitor, who is anxious to make a record.  They work together and produce Shaka Bundu, an album that initially sold 250,000 copies.  However, the reach of that album never extended much beyond South Africa.

Twenty years later, this album has been reissued globally, giving it a chance to reach music lovers like us.  This album is loaded up with great tunes that help get your groove on.  My favorite is the remix version of Shichangani.  It is a curiously timeless song, bringing together elements of London dub, a disco lounge vibe, and Jamaican dancehall stylings.  This is all wrapped in something uniquely african. I keep listening to this song and try to pick apart its elements, all the while thinking "this is brilliant."

So, what is Penny Penny up to today?  That is the best part of this story.  Aft…

from the album The Coincidentalist (2013)

Well, welcome to the desert
It's becoming increasingly more expensive
It used to be much cheaper
To find a love and to keep her
To play guitar and reiterate
To embrace the heat or just hibernate
A little tin foil on the windows works just great

What I dig about Howe Gelb is that he reminds me of a great painter.  His music creates soundscapes of the desert southwest in-and-around his Tucson, Arizona home.  He is a master of establishing space in his music and framing it with well crafted instrument and tone choices.  From there he weaves in lyrics that ring with honesty and visual imagery.

The song Vortexas is a beautiful representation of his art.  On this track, the band plays with a looseness and warmth.  Brushes lightly working the drum kit.  Electric piano delicately navigating the chord changes.  Weathered vocals delivered like a soft conversation.  It creates and maintains a feel that is distinctly Howe Gelb.

He adds color to his intimate …

from the album Melbourne Ska Orchestra (2013)

I have the ability to obsess.  It is a blessing and a curse.  At times, it allows me to accomplish fantastic things. But occasionally, my "damm the torpedoes" attitude puts me on a non-sustainable path.

I was reminded of this earlier this week when my most fervent obsession appeared to have me on the road to disaster.  Fortunately, I caught it in time and am making the necessary adjustments.

I had a long talk with myself and said, "Hey Mister Gigolo, you need to get smart."

So what could be more appropriate for today than the Get Smart TV Theme song performed by the Melbourne Ska Orchestra?

Hope you enjoy.

Click Here to listen to the Melbourne Ska Orchestra perform Get Smart.

from the album Any Port In A Storm (2013)

Craig Dermody is the brainchild of Scott & Charlene's Wedding.  He is a Melbourne, Australia native who now makes music in Brooklyn USA.  I find that pretty cool since I consider those to be the planet's two best places for aspiring music artists today.

The band name is taken from the long running Australian Soap Opera, Neighbours.  In July 1987, two popular characters - Scott and Charlene (played by Kylie Minogue) - got hitched to an audience of over  20 million viewers across Australia and the UK.  For US readers, it was kind of like Luke and Laura's wedding on General Hospital.

The band plays a lo-fi indie groove that is driven by guitars and fresh, unpretentious lyrics.  It is the kind of music I used to admire in my younger NYC daze, hangin' out in scuzzy East Village and Hoboken joints.  Back when Brooklyn was where your grandmother lived.

I've been most enjoying the song Jackie Boy.  Guitars are blaring over bass…

from the album Pop Obskura (2013)

I dig bass.  I dig a meaty subwoofer.  I dig it in the song Love Rollercoaster when the baritone vocal comes in with his "Say what?"  If you've got a spectrum analyzer, you will find me digging the stuff on the left side of the screen.  So, is there any doubt I would dig a band called The Low Frequency In Stereo?

Hailing from Hagesund, Norway, this band plays with an energetic, art pop feel and a vibe that - at times - reminds me of bands like Joy Division and Stereolab.  Their new album Pop Obskura is strong from beginning to end.  My favorite song on the record is Colette (Subie Subie).

This song hooks me from the opening measures.  The primary guitar track is chunking out chords with a treble tone that sounds like you are prying open a metal box with a seagull.  It is an original tone that I dig.    This is coupled with a straight, uptempo drum beat hammered out on a closed hi-hat.  The hi-hat adds to the metallic feel.  Behind it in …

from the album Phantom Ride (2013)

Lost Ragas are a four piece band from Victoria, Australia led by frontman Matt Walker.  For those unfamiliar with Matt, he has one of the most impressive resumes of any indie artist I can think of, having toured with Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Nick Cave, & The Black Keys.  How cool is that?

I stumbled across their debut album - Phantom Ride - shortly after Lou Reed died. The straight-forward  bass-guitar-drum combo with deadpan vocal stylings seemed to have a foundation in Lou Reed's solo and Velvet Underground work.  Then again, I hear his influence everywhere.

Reminds me of the famous Brian Eno quote that although the first Velvet Underground record initially sold only 30,000 copies, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band."

My favorite song on the album is the title track.  Aside from the vocals and visual imagery, I totally dig the way varied classic guitar tones are intertwined to craft the vibe.  Not only a…

from the album Big Wheel And Others (2013)

Have you ever driven across a desolate plain towards a majestic mountain?  When you first see it, your heart starts pumping and you start to speed up.  A little later, you can feel the engine working harder as you subliminally begin your climb.  Then more and more time passes and you think "Holy shit, am I ever going to get there."  So you kick it in a little harder, you hear the engine hum, staring through the windshield at a mountain in distance.

That kind of sums up 2013 for me.  I have set a course and worked my ass off, but I'm not there yet.  Personally and professionally.  When I look in the mirror, I see a guy who has aged at an accelerated rate.  I am sun drenched and burnt, beaten and worn, but still kicking it into that next gear.  I will stand on that mountain.  There is no doubt.

I realized on a flight the other day that the music I've been gravitating towards matches the guy I see in the mirror.  Songs like The…