The Funk Is Back. (defunct as of 12/30/2005)
Careful there: It’s 80mb, not a light download, and not something (if you’re a true friend) you’ll want to do twice.
Tracks best listened to in order. Or so I think.
Funk slowly devolved into a looser translation: This is music that, for ME, inspires only dancing and speeding.
Or, at least, 95% dancing and speeding.
There’s no euroclub wistfulness, Ludacris raunch, rock violence, or candypop guilt in this mix: Just fast cars and faster asses. Enjoy.
ACTIVISION FUNK
01: Interstate ‘76 Theme, Bullmark.
Set in an alternate 1976, I76 pitted auto vigilantes (people who strap rocket launchers to muscle cars) against OPEC mercenaries attempting to blow up the oil reserves in the deserts of the Southwest. On top of incredible physics and one of the best single car chases ever put into a game, I76 was a leader in style: long before Katamari and Viewtiful, Activision put considerable work into the color palette, cutscene implementation, and overall feel of the entire game, even down to hiring California’s Bullmark to create one of the rompiest, funkiest soundtracks ever put behind a game. The opening theme just a bombastic taste of the overall quality and accuracy on display: Get the whole album here.
NSYNC FUNK
02: Plug It In (Featuring JC Chasez), Basement Jaxx
Kish Kash’s greasiest, loudest song, Plug It In squashes dozens of over-the-top tracks together into a huge, thumping mess of pop cheese. I lovvvve it.
SOME GUY FROM KINGS OF CONVENIENCE MUMBLING OVER IT FUNK
03: Radio Jolly/Prego Amore, Jolly Music vs. Erlend Oye
This could be a touch shorter, but it could not be funkier. Mm.
SPACE FUNK
04: Give Me Every Little Thing, The Juan Maclean
You read the blog. You know I love DFA’s Juan Maclean. This one starts out a little chilly, but certainly gets jumping by the end. If you need more, look for Tito’s Way.
KATAMARI DAMAFUNK
05: A Crimson Rose And A Gin Tonic, Asuka Sakai and Ado Mizumori
I can’t tell if it’s scat or Japanese, which probably means I need to keep reading my Japanese lessons.
OCEAN’S FUNK
06: $165 Million + Interest (into) The Round Up, David Holmes
One of the only original movie soundtracks rockin’er than Ocean’s 11 was Ocean’s 12, a sassy mix of retro cool and European scenery pieces. Yen On A Carousel and Lifting The Building are also fantastic, and LTB has some great instruments throughout.
IN A FUNK, ER, FUNK
07: If I Ever Feel Better, Phoenix
Sniff. Okay, this one isn’t so much a drive-fast song. But it’s funk-ish. And emotion-y.
GLITCH FUNK
08: The End Of Biters-International, Prefuse 73
I’m not sure why I settled on this track as the Prefuse 73 representative. It’s probably his most concentrated, fiery track; but not really as catchy as Busy Signal (Make You Go Bombing Mix). Also, this is probably the best vocal-cut song of his that doesn’t give some listeners headaches.
GUITAR FUNK
09: Seventeen Years, Ratatat
Step One: Read comments for Timoni’s opinion on Seventeen Years. Step Two: Listen. Step Three: Agree wholeheartedly.
DOOM FUNK
10: Old School ft. Talib Kweli, DangerDoom
That background sample was actually from an old movie intro graphic that said “And now, time for the show.”
No, that’s the only comment I have on this. I have to get back to work, man.
PUPPET FUNK
11: Pet Sound, Puppetmastaz
Since I’m sick of sneaking this onto mix CDs, I’m gonna sneak it into your downloads folder.
Twenty one puppets make up the Puppetmastaz, but this track only features half. I like the one that sounds like an angry Eugene Levy.
ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST SONGS FUNK
12: Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
I already wrote about this. Don’t make me write about things twice.
ONE OF HISTORY’S BEST SONGS FUNK
13: Organ Donor, DJ Shadow
Have I ever told you about my fantasy involving playing this in a cathedral, with an accompanying drummer?
No?
Do you want to hear?
Okay, fine. Nevermind.
SURGICAL FUNK
14: Blue Flowers, Dr. Octagon
Mentioned before, but certainly not posted!
Dr. Octagon, paramedic fetus of the East, with priests, I’m from the Church of the Operating Room.
10-YEAR-OLD GIRL FUNK
15: Rad, Smoosh
Yo guys:
Everybody, are you feeling bad today? ‘Cause
Maybe you should be a little happier
If you’re doing this for real now
Shouldn’t make any mistakes when it was bad
See now I’m going everywhere I can
I’m helping you
If you’re sad, If you’re mad
If you’re feeling happy
That’s great
See, everybody should be
COWBOY FUNK
16: Tank! (TV Edit), Yoko Kanno
It’s the opening theme from Cowboy Bebop. I can’t imagine you not having this by now, but, here you are.
CHEERLEADER FUNK
17: Bottle Rocket, The Go! Team
HALLOWEEN FUNK
18: Trick Or Treatz, Metronomy
Why is this man confined to Myspace fame? Why is Trick Or Treatz not pumping in, say, the club?
When I open my club, you’ll see. YOU’L ALL SEE.
DEUTSCHFUNK
19: Dancingbox (With TTC), Modelselektor
I’ve been rocking the hell out to this a lot recently, even though it lacks some of the subtleties similar artists have. Warning: Headache-inducing.
ASCEND TO HEAVEN FUNK
20: Promised Land, Edan
Lyrically, still my favorite rap song ever.
—–
TAKE THAT, CHRISTMAS!
I just finished shopping for every person on my list except one.
Remaining major items:
Finish illustration for Mom
Three days of OnTap work
Look at AFAC brochure some time in the next month
Suppress butterflies until next Saturday
Put together a CSS cheat sheet for a friend
—–
FLICKR:
Mele: i’m feebly trying to catch up with you
Doug Nelson: sniff. but. if i pared my crop down to just ones that were as good as yrs
Doug Nelson: i would have.
Doug Nelson: 2.
Doug Nelson: SO NO RUSH
Mele: thanks, dude…. you are a good talker upper
Mele: i wish you were a grad school
Doug Nelson: me too.
Doug Nelson: it’s a dignified life.
Mele: you look like an ivory tower
Doug Nelson: was that tied into something we said, and i am dense?
Doug Nelson: or do you literally want to ride a luckdragon to reach the princess in my head?
Mele: ivory tower: AKA the halls academy, such as a grad school
Doug Nelson: oh, well, yes.
Mele: OMG yeah that too!
Mele: these hands, they look so strong don’t they?
Oooh, careful, or you’ll be evicted from your new apartment for listening to too much funk rock. Or is it funk rock?
Honestly, if my Wu Tang Clan phase didn’t get me evicted, nothing will.
(a) I like that you have what I call “old songs” on the list, because I always feel kinda out of it when I put Edan and Ratatat on any mix CD. But…they’re the best.
In fact, the more I listen to “Seventeen Years” the more I’m convinced it’s the all-around best song I own. The jury’s still out, but really. It’s incredible.
(b) These look good. Although I’m irritated I’m downloaded a Smoosh song. DON’T YOU KNOW I’M AVOIDING SMOOSH BECAUSE OF THE HYPE UN-DOUGLAS?
And, weirdly, I define “hype” to be one mention by you, and one posting on a random blog somewheres. For real. It’s like if two people recommend it, I’m all “Clearly I cannot be listening to this nonsense.”
Ooo…
Look! Error message!
DAMMIT.
Okay, I’ll rearchive using Stuffit. That’s what I get for being lazy.
Also, nice use of your domain space. Heeheehee.
HYPE:
Dude, that’s what I was doing this summer. Once Gang Of Four was on two MP3 blogs, I was like “Yeah, I sure am tired of all this Gang Of Four stuff.”
Smoosh’s stuff is uneven. Cute, novel, sure. Rad is the standout: It’s like that awesome “If You Steal My Sunshine” song from 1998 (do not correct me on the awesometude of that song), but, even better.
Also, nice use of your domain space. Heeheehee.
I didn’t want to use Flickr space. :/ People do that and I think it’s a bit odd.
Also, you will have to teach me the ways of the Torrent, oh technologically-superior one.
The first rule of the torrent is you don’t talk about the torrent.
Keep it secret! Keep it safe!
Parliament, Funkadelic, George Clinton, the P.Funk All-Stars, Bootsy Collins… start downloading NOW!
You know that hole, the one you put pie in?
um, my pie hole?
Yeah.
Shut it.
Well, that worked out well.