Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 107

March 09, 2011

Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 107

Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

Now in its 107th smash week, Mining the Audio Motherlode is back with an all-new smorgasbord of life-changing sounds. Ho-hum, you might say, business as usual. But ho! You must know that none of this would be possible without conscientious financial support from you fine readers. In fact, your contributions last March to listener-sponsored WFMU, which hosts these pages, are what made the past 12 months of Beware of the Blog possible. Now with WFMU once again in the midst of its annual fundraiser, won't you take a moment to make a thoughtful donation?

Offerings of any amount are gladly accepted. Those who give $75 or more will automagically receive Love Your Motherlode, Again, a CD compilation of the best tracks from the best recordings presented in the past year of Mining the Audio Motherlode. (Just go to WFMU's marathon page, and be sure to check off "Doug Schulkind's Love Your Motherlode, Volume 2" when you make your pledge."

Mining the Audio Motherlode's patron saint—the iconic Miner, whose illuminated noggin is the shining beacon of these pages—has been adopted! Henceforth for the next year, our beloved lamp-head is named for generous reader Andy Waer. Thank you Andy!

Money, that's what I want...

FEATURED BLOG:
The Singing Bones

NOLA Gay
I first became aware of the miraculous blog Singing Bones when Ana-B, its estimable curator, guest-posted over at Derek's Daily 45. Ever since, I've ravenously pounced on each new offering—one magnificent 7" slab of soul after another. Last Xmas eve, Ana posted an epic, 11-song sequence, which I downloaded and aired on my radio show in tribute. (If you do nothing else today, give it a listen.)

Various ~ "Funky L.A. Lost Funk & Rare Grooves from the L.A. Underground"
(Blog: Free Défendu)

La La Landmark LP
"It's one of those ace compilations where you manage to get your mitts on some super rare funk bombs, this time all sleazy, easy and sultry numbers from L.A. 1970-1975. With cuts from Wardell Howard, Charles Miller, Marie Adams, Bill Spencer, Blockbusters, Soul Primers, Caprells and Baraka (this track is bloody incredible!!!), this one is choc full of dancefloor bombs."
(Xanakse, at Xanakse's Blog )

West African Cosmos ~ "West African Cosmos et Umbañ U'Kset"
(Blog: Big Head Stevenson)

WAC not Wack
"Wuyé Wuyé is my favorite Afrobeat song of all time. Every aspect of the jam is perfect, and the horn solo at the end kills me every time. The actual album is pretty hard to find nowadays, but I’m sure there are digital copies floating around somewhere."
(Chief, at Dipped in Dollars)

Aunt Molly Jackson ~ "Aunt Molly Jackson"
(Blog: Allen's Archive of Early and Old Country Music)

Sticking With the Union
"Aunt Molly Jackson and Texas Gladden were the finest traditional singers I met in the United States....Her songs of protest can only be matched by those of Woody Guthrie, but they were more passionate than his, and they cut deeper."
(Alan Lomax, from the front cover)

Hukwe Zawose ~ "Mateso"
(Blog: Freedom Blues)

Is There a More Pleasurable Word to Say Than "Tanganyika"?
"As an adult he became a favourite artist of Julius Nyerere, the first President of Tanzania and Zawose became sort of a living legend. Fantastic stories of mythical power rose, making Zawose an immortal and divine being; his voice possessed magical healing powers.Of his own talent, he said, "When I was a young man my voice was so sweet that people would often cry when I sang." (Scott Hreha, at PopMatters)

Listen to my radio show Give the Drummer Some—Tuesdays 6-7pm, on WFMU and Fridays 9 to noon—on WFMU's web stream Give the Drummer Radio.
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