Theo Parrish - Ugly Edits #4

The Dells, "Get On Down (Theo Parrish Re-edit)" (YSI link)

Minnie Ripperton, "Stick Together (Theo Parrish Re-edit)" (YSI link)

Let's get back ready for the weekend with some disco . That's right, more Ugly Edits from Theo Parrish! We've posted up one or two other volumes of this series, essential music, some of the greatest edits that I've ever heard, as the Detroit techno third waver and Chicago house-man shows his disco side.

The "Get On Down" edit has sweaty dancefloor written all over it. It's an 11 minute soul workout that really never lets up, getting The Dells ready to take over at peak hour. Parrish has added a rubbery bass that keeps the whole thing moving; amazingly it never gets boring despite the length. I really love the strings on this one, they are out front and melodic. There's a really nice repetitive sound to this one, as Parrish brings a new disco style to the old disco sound. Great stuff.

I'm an even bigger fan of the Minnie Ripperton edit, as this one rewards close listening. There's so many little pieces that turn this one into a winner - piano vamping, Ripperton's whispers, finger snaps. Things stay on a slow burn for the first 5 minutes, then Parrish raises the flame by letting loose with some real vocal fireworks and brings it home strong.

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Wake Up Everyday" (YSI link) 320

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Keep On Lovin' You" (YSI link) 320

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "I'm Searching For A Love" (YSI link) 320

Here's the logical follow-up to our Dimitri From Paris edits, a return to the original source material, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes! Yeah! Here's a few tracks from their 1975 Philadelphia International LP, Wake Up Everybody, classic Philly Soul sound, Gamble & Huff produced songs. This is what it's all about: songs about love, happiness, freedom, the good things in life. There's very few things I would rather hear in the whole world, this is LIFE on vinyl.

The LP opens with a bang, the title track and my personal favorite "Wake Up Everybody." This is just seven minutes of slow burning soul, featuring beautiful lyrics calling us all to action to change the world. Perfect soundtrack for these post Bush, Obama days. The band provides a subtle groove underneath, letting Teddy Pendergrass preach on as only he can do for the full seven and a half minutes. "Keep On Lovin' You" keeps the good vibes and beautiful strings and horns music comin'. As I listen to it now, feel like this might be my favorite, such a classic love song, perfect for listening to with your loved one, lying in bed on a lazy Sunday afternoon without a care in the world. Finally, check out Sharon Paige's vocals on "I'm Searching For A Love," giving us the opposite side of the love coin. This one has a sort of Bacharach/David feel to it, probably because of the melancholy lyrics, backed up by some heartbreaking strings.

I'll just leave you with the refrain from "Wake Up Everybody," take them with you and think them over today: "The world won't get no better if we just let it be/The world won't get no better we gotta change it yeah, just you and me."

Dmitri From Paris - Southside Edits Vol. 1

Dimitri From Paris, "Madd Luck" (YSI link)

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, "Bad Luck" (YSI link)

Dimitri From Paris, "Feeling About 'Cha" (YSI link)

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, "Tell The World How I Feel About 'Cha Baby"

We're jumping right back in the mix here, with two edits from the master, Dimitri From Paris. Dude is probably best known now for his Playboy Mansion mixes, which feature a much more mellow, cocktail jazz, smooth disco vibe. But, the man is also responsible for some perfect, seriously funky, raucous disco edits and tracks and his Southside Edits Volume 1 gives you the perfect window onto that side.

Both of these cuts are edits of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes songs, classic Philly Soul numbers that will remind you of why music is the greatest thing on Earth and Philly's its greatest city. Both are also furiously paced ragers, they get going quickly and never let up.

"Madd Luck" is my choice of the two, Dimitri's edit of "Bad Luck." There's just nothing like hearing Mr. Teddy Pendergrass belting out those "Satisfied"'s and "Down down down"'s over those beautiful strings, cymbal splashes, horn blasts, doubletime beat and vamping keys. Man, this needs to be the soundtrack to your life, this is LIFE MUSIC! Perfect for those days when nothing is going right, as it's sure to lift your spirits or provide company to your misery. For those wondering, Dimitri has mostly fucked with the drums, adding a kick drum to the mix that ups the pace and does away with the more relaxed original. The bass is also less prominent, making it less funky and deliberate.

"Feeling About 'Cha" adds an extended drums intro and outro, but for the most keeps things the same as the original, "Tell The World How I Feel About 'Cha Baby." Again, most of the edit revolves around the drums, as Dimitry has added a much more forceful beat, upping the tempo for the dancefloor. This one's on some feel good, I love my girl, the world is a beautiful place shit. If you don't love that, you don't love America, kittens or apple pie. Download all of this stuff, it doesn't get better.

Greg Wilson Edits

D.C. LaRue, "DC Le Groove (GW Edit)" (YSI link)

Talking Heads, "Gotta Tape I Wanna Play" (YSI link)

I've been meaning to up some more recent music, but as a sign of where my head is at, the only thing I really felt a NEED to put up right now was these edits of old songs by Greg Wilson. Doh! Give these two edits a listen though and you will lose any doubts or complaints that this shit ain't the truth.

The first one, "DC Le Groove," is completely new to me, a re-edit of D.C. LaRue's "Ca-The-Drals." Unfortunately, I can't really say what Wilson has done to this one or how far he strays from the original, but I will simply that this song in and of itself is amazing, a funkified disco stomper that makes the world seem better. It starts off with bass and guitar, some percussion comes in and things start chugging along. Then, every 30 seconds or so you get a great blast of strings and horn noise, which evaporates quickly, leaving you back with the guitar, bass and drums.

The next one should be instantaneously recognized by Talking Heads fans (who isn't a TH fan?!?) as an edit of "Psycho Killer" from the Stop Making Sense soundtrack. Wilson has created a nice extended drum-heavy opening that makes this one dancefloor-ready. It doesn't sound to my ears like he's done a whole lot to the original, which comes in with David Byrne's "Hi, gotta tape I wanna play you" intro. The original features only Byrne, his guitar and the "tape," i.e. drum machine that provides the beat. Wilson adds more percussion, but mostly let's this amazing song breathe.

Larry Levan - Live At The Paradise Garage Part 2

Larry Levan, Live At The Paradise Garage Disc 2 (YSI link) tracklisting in comments

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Give thanks! I finally remembered to do a post on the second disc from this recording of Larry Levan spinning at the Paradise Garage. Long-time readers will know that I had planned to do this months ago, but it got lost in the hiatus I took. But, it's here now and you need to download this. People, this is life. This is love. This is sex. This is joy. This is pain. This is heaven's soundtrack, as I hear it. I can't say enough about these two discs. Whenever I am feeling a little down or sad or uninspired, I throw these on the iPod and just let the music take me to a better place. There's no greater compliment I can offer a DJ.

RIP Mr. Levan, the world is lesser without you.

Ashford and Simpson - Set It

Ashford and Simpson, "Don't Cost You Nothin'" (YSI link)

Ashford and Simpson, "Send It" (YSI link)

Ashford and Simpson, "Bourgie Bourgie" (YSI link)

For those who have had a chance to listen to the first disc of the Larry Levan mix, you couldn't help but have been struck by the opening instrumental song, a beautiful, keys-driven tune that starts things out so perfectly and lushly. That tune comes off of Ashford and Simpson's Set It LP from 1977. Ashford and Simpson were Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who actually originally made their name writing and producing hits for other artists, including Miss Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Chaka Khan. They worked at Motown working with a who's who of that label, but eventually left to make music on their own. Their names

This is their first album, one of many to come. This one is for the lovers in the audience, as Ashford and Simpson sing songs about love and sex in male-female duets. The music is mostly slower, soul-inspired stuff, not necessarily dancefloor burners. This is for those moments with your significent other, lying around the apartment, just hanging out together. In other words, this is grown folks music, not for the kids in their neon outfits partying to the latest electro remix. "Send It" was the only single to make the charts, a nice R&B slow jam featuring a flute, strings and piano that add up to something a little cheesy but still delicious. "Don't Cost You Nothin'" is a personal fav. It's all about this nasty bassline, gives the song a dirty, slinky feel that works perfectly with the back-and-forth male/female vocals. "Bourgie Bourgie" is the highlight, a perfect 6 minute instrumental that makes you feel like you are floating on a cloud.

No clue what we're going to be getting into this week coming up, so check in again soon and see what I'm feeling.

Larry Levan - Live At The Paradise Garage

Larry Levan, Live At The Paradise Garage Disc 1 (YSI link)

Wow, I killed Thanksgiving dinner, may have even eaten the plate in my gorging. Anyway, today is the day we give thanks for all that we have in life. I wanted to give thanks to all of my great readers, as you are the loves of my e-life. There's been an upswing in comments recently, which makes me so happy. I put comments right behind pastrami on rye on my top things in the world list, both of which are right behind sex and boobs.

I also want to give thanks for disco for saving my life. I can't think of more perfect musical statement of joy and giving thanks than this DJ set by Larry Levan at the legendary Paradise Garage. Throw this one on at some point this weekend and think of all the people you love, all of the great things in your life and all that is still to come. This is the soundtrack to those thoughts.

I've upped Disc 1 today for those who are newer readers. I promise to upload Disc 2 on Monday, as I had intended to do months ago. Celebrate! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Massimo Barsotti - Whole Lotta Love

Massimo Barsotti, "Whole Lotta Love" (YSI link)

Massimo Barsotti, "W.L.L. (Another Version)" (YSI link)

Italo! Yeah! We're staying in Europe for some more disco goodies, finally digging into the Italo disco crates to see how the Italian twist on the disco sound. This one is pretty crazy (in a good way), as Massimo Barsotti does an Italo cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Weirdly, thanks to AB, I have started listening to Zeppelin again and been loving hearing some of their classic tunes again ("Tangerine" is my personal fav). However, a disco cover of one of their songs? Yes, please. Pound for Pound dream shit.

Barsotti is another artist who came out of the ether, dropped two singles in the early 80s and then disappeared again. I believe that's the extent of his output, although please let me know if he changed to an alias or what. Anyway, this one has all the markings of a burning Italo track - sleazy vocals, synths!!!, barebones drum machines. While Robert Plant sounds like a dude who really needs to get laid, Barsotti sounds like that dude who got laid the night before, plans to get laid again that night and every night for the foreseeable future. So calm and sleezed up, love love love it. I picture him walking into the club, possibly in Miami Vice Don Johnson white jacket with sleeves rolled up, saying hi to some friends, when he sees a gorgeous brunette on the dancefloor. The song takes place from this moment on, as he takes to the dancefloor and puts his spell on this woman. Her name is Monica, but the vision gets a little cloudy at this point.

FYI, the instrumental is even sicker, with an extra minute and a half of synth magic. There's also the occasional vocal moment, but this one's definitely for those not loving the vocals. Oh, and remember to add my blog in the upper right hand corner, 20 followers and counting! Yeah!

Cerrone - The Golden Touch (IV)

Cerrone, "Je Suis Music" (YSI link) 320

Cerrone, "Rocket In The Pocket" (YSI link) 320

Okay, I've got the computer back from the shop, I've finally come to terms with the fact that I am now living in a post-Obama, post-Phillies World Series Champions world. The time off has perhaps left many afraid that this blog would lose its way, no longer confident of its direction or what to post. Au contraire, these recent developments have only confirmed what I have always known - disco will save the world. Is it a coincidence that all of these great events happened once Pound for Pound made a disco turn? The answer is a resound "No!"

Let's jump right back into the deep end, heading to Europe to listen to one of its disco masters, Cerrone. Born Jean-Marc Cerrone in Paris, Cerrone would be one of the first to adopt the disco sound on the Continent. Dude was making music early, already signed to Barclay at aged 20. His late 70s, early 80s work has had a profound impact on all of the later French dance music like Daft Punk, who sampled the man.

Cerrone IV - The Golden Touch is one of those classic LPs, dropping on the Malligator label in 1978. Man, this one is so necessary, you will immediately imagine yourself in steamy, sweaty club, around 1 am, huge crowd dancing, music swirling all around you, balloons falling from the ceiling, nothing left to do but smile smile smile, yes yes yes. "Je Suis Music" is the highlight of the A side, an excellent slow-burning vocal track that is completely irresistible. A big, rubbery bass and solid beat holds it down, while the various horns and percussion take things to the next level of jublilation. I really love the vocals on this one; it's thing I miss most with all of the great recent cosmic and new disco stuff. "We all feel the pain, is it necessary?/ When we feel the pain better to stick together/Music is the way to relieve the pressure/Music all the way, do you get the message?" Love it. "

"Rocket In The Pocket" is about as subtle as the title, a nice rocking disco track. This one features some serious electric guitar jams, bordering on the cheese. I kinda like it, but I've never been a big fan of taking the guitar seriously (suck on that, rock critics!) You also get more female vocals, a heavier beat, less up-front horns and bass and even a rattler sound. Yeah! This one walks the line between real and cheese, rock and disco and it works for my ears nicely.

We're back people, all sucker blogs are warned.

Ashley Beedle - Dance and Shake Your Tambourine

Inner City Express, "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine (Beedle's Heavy Disco edit)" (YSI link)

Disco edits! Yeah! We did a post last week on "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine," the tune covered by the Universal Robot Band. The original by Inner City Express is hard to come by, but thankfully the master Ashley Beedle decided to drop an edit for the world to experience the original.

Beedle is one of those dudes who always has his hand in great music without becoming an ubiquitous figure. He was a part of the rave-y X-Press 2, made amazing house music with Rob Mello and Josh Howard as Black Science Orchestra and jazzy downbeat music in the Ballistic Brothers project. Dudes has even started three labels over the past decade plus - Afroart, Soundboy Entertainment and Ill Sun. Through it all, he has maintained an interest and love of disco, which has become much more clear recently with his amazing Heavy Disco edits.

This 12" is just pure bliss on a slab of vinyl. I want everyone to download these ASAP, put them on your iTunes or iPod, take 20 minutes out of your work day and revel in the beautiful sounds. I can guarantee you that Monday will seem a lot better and you will look forward to the week ahead and to falling in love and Obama being President. Let the horns and strings and guitars take you away from everything, as this is LIFE MUSIC people. Beedle has put his foot to the pedal on "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine," keeping it a burner right through. He's thankfully kept things mostly the same, including that little kazoo sound. There's a sick drum breakdown, those airy vocals and "oohs" and just the right amount of synths. All I can really say is wow. Grab a copy now.

Phreek - Weekend

Phreek, "Weekend (long version)" (YSI link)

Phreek, "Weekend (short version)" (YSI link)

Phreek, "Weekend (extended version)" (YSI link)

I got free guacamole from the Chipotle lady tonight, who I think may have been flirting with me, and now it's Friday afternoon and the weekend is here and it's just the perfect time for some classic disco.

Oh boy, you need this one in your life. I guarantee that Phreek's "Weekend" will be in the main rotation for a long time regardless of the day. It's one of those songs that will immediately lift your spirits as soon as you hear it, from those first rubbery bass notes and beautiful keys. This one was written and produced by the amazing Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams, you can hear his touch with the all the little details, like the cowbells, gorgeous strings and shakers. It's all so well composed, all of these little pieces fitting into a magnificent big picture. The lyrics and vocals might even be better, as Christie Shire kills it on that front.

For everyone getting ready to head out, this one's for you. "It's party time, it's party time tonight." Enjoy, be safe, dance your asses off, fall in love.

Disco Saves Lives

Disco will save your life. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly

Bionic Butterfly, "Chains" (YSI link)

Bionic Butterfly, "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)" (YSI link)

Bionic Butterfly, "Fess Up To The Boogie" (YSI link)

Let's kick the week off with some great disco tunes and some of Larry Levan's favorites from the year 1979. Bionic Butterfly either have the worst name ever or the greatest, I have not made up my mind. I do know that in their short career, they dropped three LPs including this amazing one, Hot Butterfly. This is just joyous disco music that you need in your life. Yes? Yes!

Check out "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)" and experience the magnificence of this music. That bass is so big and so deep, it will make you funky and cool by osmosis. This one's got some great vocals, including a goody sounding guy talking about private parts at one point. "Chains" is my favorite, an uplifting rager that goes from 0-60 in one second. This one's ready to go right from the starter's gun. It's got another massive bassline, some horn bursts, great lyrics about going for love, drums right up front and lots of soaring vocals. Awesome stuff. "Fess Up To The Boogie" gets the award for best song title, another great track, similar vibe and structure as the other two. When you do it so well, why fuck around with experiments? They do add in a really deep horn, perhaps a tuba or bass saxophone? Whatever it is, it's nice and gives a great low end to the tune.

Okay, much more to come. Disco! Yeah!

P4P Video - Maestro

This one's a special one. Maestro is a film by Josell Ramos that chronicles the early days of disco and dance music in New York City. It takes a look back at the underground scene that gave birth to disco and house music, chronicling legends like Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Frankie Knuckles and Tom Moulton and legendary places like Paradise Garage, The Gallery and The Loft. It's an amazing document, a chance to go back to the beginning of dance music and hear the stories from the people who were there. Ramos talks with Siano, Mancuso, Knuckles, dancers from back in the day, club staff, lighting men, sound engineers and others. Add in some great archival footage from the various clubs and you've got yourself a history lesson kids should be learning in school. It will show you just how important this music and scene was in the lives of so many people, who were able to find themselves and be themselves in an environment that strived to bring people together.

Here's the video for part 1 (there are 9 total parts) and anyone who reads the blog should consider this essential viewing:



It got me to thinking about the dance culture that existed back then, in the late 70s and 80s in New York City, and what things are like in the NYC of today. I try to avoid nostalgia, as it's such a corrosive and pointless emotion, usually based on rose-tinted glasses that never quite tell the whole story. But, it's hard not to feel like NYC today is missing something, something big. I'm not sure if it's the cabaret laws that have shut down so many clubs, if it's the yuppification of Manhattan, if it's the fact that gay culture doesn't have to be underground anymore, if it's the fault of bloggers like me who talk about everything and prevent any underground from really developing, if it's the insane cost of living or a combination of all of those factors. Whatever it is, I feel like club life in NYC is at a nadir, more about being seen or making money than telling a story or celebrating music. Am I being too pessimistic? Am I missing something? Leave some comments and let me know your thoughts, as I want to be so wrong.

DJ Harvey - Essential Mix 12.26.1999

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Universal Robot Band - Dance and Shake Your Tambourine

Universal Robot Band, "Thyme" (YSI link)

Universal Robot Band, "Disco Boogie Woman" (YSI link)

Universal Robot Band, "Space Disco" (YSI link)

Okay, I got all that white boy blues out of my system, time to get back to the dancefloor. Not just any dancefloor, but a weirdo, space-y one in the late 70s, our favorite time. Universal Robot Band aren't just one of the best named bands ever, they also put out some rad disco music for a short stretch of two years. They began as a rock band called Pipeline, became the URB in 1976 and would drop two LPs and a handful of singles before taking on the Kleer name.

I mean, this is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered. Week's been shitty, weather's getting colder, essays won't write themselves, I ain't gonna be eating for 24 hours. Throw on any song from this LP, Dance and Shake Your Tambourine, and all of that will melt away a few notes in. The titles alone convey what a beautiful world the Universal Robot Band conjure up - "Making Love," "Doesn't It Feel Good," "Love and Understanding" and "Sunshine". I love it! Yeah! Pessimism and darkness be gone!

This LP is a classic piece of soulful funk, complete with duets, space out jams and obviously some hot tambourine action. While I love the lyrics and vocals, the real heat here is the music, which was written and produced by the legendary trio of Greg Carmichael, Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess. It's everything you could want - danceable, stretched out, grooving. Check the unstoppable "Disco Boogie Woman," which features great horn work, a tight rhythm section and precise writing. Or "Space Disco," a nearly 12-minute freakout, where the female vocalists intone that "We are going to spaaaacee" and the band tries to get us there. There's so much great stuff I had a hard time picking a few songs to upload.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Disco saved my life, let it save yours. It's what the world needs now. We'll back at sundown tomorrow, with a full belly of bagels. Be rad until then everyone.

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C. - Love Has Come Around

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C., "Love Has Come Around" (YSI link)

It's Friday afternoon, the weekend is upon us, time to take things up a notch. Did you think I was joking about only wanting to hear songs about love and happiness? Oh, my friends, we don't joke about these things. We are deadly serious about those things right now.

I'm also deadly serious about this song, Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C.'s "Love Has Come Around." Another masterpiece from that magical period that most refer to as the disco period and we call heaven, that period from the mid70s to early80s when soul and dance and funk came together and changed the world. This one dropped in 1981 on the Elektra label, produced by soul legend Issac Hayes. Byrd is probably best known for his jazz work over, having played in Art Blakely's Jazz Messengers and with notables like Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. By the time the 70s rolled in, he began to move a long way from hard bop, bringing his trumpet to bear on soul, funk and fusion.

"Love Has Come Around" is nearly eight minutes of pure, unadulterated joy. This song alone should make all the wars around the world come to an end, as those bright horns, jubilant keys and awesome vocals are sure to put a smile on your face, even if you have been trying to kill your enemy for years. It's got that nice warm, lush sound that disco specialized in, built over a steady beat and swirling organs. For me, the vocals are what take it to the next level, as I just want to hear people singing in falsettos about love and its sudden, unexpected arrival.

Wow, listening to it now makes me 100 times happier than I was in the preceding 5 seconds before cueing up the iTunes. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Disco saved my life, let it save yours. This is the first step on the road to recovery.

El Coco - Cocomotion

Quito, Ecuador mural, courtesy of J H-B

El Coco, "Cocomotion (Parts I & II)" (YSI link) 320

El Coco, "We Call It Disco" (YSI link) 320

El Coco, "Love To The World" (YSI link) 320

I spent yesterday at an orientation for the 826NYC group, a prerequisite to become an after-school tutor. Yes, that's right, Pound for Pound is a step closer to having a real day-to-day impact on the kids. Not just on an mp3 basis, but in a real life, real talk way. I will have free rein to teach them the evil of suburbs, the importance of universal health care, the beauty of boobs and to love themselves and each other (i.e. to be opposite of me) I will be able to create a new generation for the Pound for Pound massive, extending our reach and our power.

Most of all, I want to teach them about the power of disco to save their lives. With that in mind, let's continue to spread the word with some more classic 70s magic, a few tracks from El Coco's Cocomotion LP. El Coco was ostensibly a vehicle for the producers Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder, who would make write the music, play it and find the vocalist to finish it off. They would make a handful of hits, including the massive 2 part, 10 minute+ "Cocomotion." This one's more of a slow-burner, a slinky kinda number that grooves throughout. It's a prototypical classic sound, with strings and horns and even a flute lead the way. However, there's definitely a different sensibility at work here, perhaps informed by Rinder's jazz training. While there is a steady pulse throughout, it never goes all out, always feeling a bit laid-back. Even the vocals have a whispery quality, they're quite far from diva-level.

"We Call It Disco" is a lot shorter but maybe even sweeter, as great organ and synth chords help this one to such great heights. The vocals are front and center here as well, always love to hear some proud lyrics about disco and the club. Finally, "Love To The World" the B side to the Cocomotion 12", is as uplifting as the title suggests, a strings-heavy track that sits between the previous two songs. It has a few peaks and subsequent quieter periods. The whole album is excellent, a great example of how the disco sound could create

Larry Levan - Live At The Paradise Garage

Larry Levan, Live at the Paradise Garage Disc 1 (YSI link) (Sendspace link)

I'm not sure if there's something in the air or what, but this post looks at another musical artist taken from us way too soon. Larry Levan is a legend, a hero for this blog, one of the many people who helped to create the disco sound and scene. We're gonna come back to Mr. Levan a lot, so I won't go on to much about his biography.

One essential fact of the Levan story is the residency at the Paradise Garage that Levan began in 1977. The Garage was located in Greenwich Village at 84 King Street in an old parking garage (hence, the name). Founded by Michael Brody and Mel Charen, it was a member's only place and no liquor, food or drink was served. The club was modeled after David Mancuso's Loft, although its owners intended it to be a downtown version of Studio 54, a gay club for rich white men. From the beginning, though, the Garage would bring in a diverse crowd and Levan's sets reflected that diversity perfectly.

I can't begin to tell you how perfect this music sounds to me, from those first beautiful keys on Ashford and Simpson's "Bourgie Bourgie" straight through. I tend to think of dance music as being synthetic, cold, mechanical (and love it for that!), but Levan's DJ sets were the complete opposite. His sets were filled to the brim with classic Philly soul, funk and pop, lovely strings, huge drum breakdowns, brassy horns, as warm as a summer day. It's ecstatic music, joyous, life-affirming. emotional; during the refrain of T-Connection's "In Midnight," I'm always brought to tears, when that bassline goes nuts and Theo Coakley sings "When midnight come around, I really come alive. At Midnight! Oh I really come alive," it makes me feel alive.

For the record, this is the first disc of the out-of-print Live At The Paradise Garage 2 CD set from 2003. If there's interest, I will put up the second disc. Download this, your life will be better from here on out, I promise. Disco will save your life.

Caribou - She's The One

Caribou, "She's The One (Hot Chip remix)" (YSI link)

Caribou, "She's The One (Kelley Polar's Hughes Wilson Prom Night In Hell version" (YSI link)

Not sure why, but I feel a little melancholy today. Blame it on the weather, the unread emails from an ex or just being me. I'm not sure if Dan Snaith's music as Caribou is good for me right now or if it just makes me a little bluer, but when the music is this beautiful and essential, I just need to get over myself.

"She's The One" is the first single off of the 2007 Andorra album and one of the best songs of the past year. It combines that psychedelic pop sound perfectly with lyrics about love and that one girl. It's just the type of song I love, a dark love song about heartbreak and love lost and moving on. "Every night there's a new name on her mind that I don't think I recognize/
and it's never strange just how long she stays away, I guess I'll have to compromise." Not surprisingly, this one was co-written by Jeremy Greenspan of Pound for Pound favorite Junior Boys, who do this sort of music perfectly. Anyway, if you have not bought the LP, do not hesitate in buying your copy today.

The label came up with two interesting choices for remixers, Hot Chip and Environ's Kelley Polar. Hot Chip have added a beat to the mix, stretched it out by double and added two almost-euphoric breakdowns. The first is slower and more deliberate, the second is a little more of freak-out to close things out. Definitely somthing different from the guys, not my favorite. While everyone is probably going to gravitate towards the Hot Chip remix, the real treat is the one by Kelley Polar. This one has to be heard, as Polar has turned the original into a spoken word experimental disco track. There's amazing soaring harmonies, sweeping strings, claps and off-key chords, it sounds like nothing you've heard in quite a while. The best guidepost I can say is to think back to the late 70s, early 80s when guys like Arthur Russell brought the avant-garde to the dancefloor. I'm really liking this one,

I highly recommend grabbing one of the copies of the 12" before they are gone, as you won't want to miss a chance to have the original and the additional new track, "Niobe." You won't be disappointed.