I love a bit of obscure soul as much as the next nerd, but when someone is obsessively collecting all the 45s Major Lance ever released, I sometimes wonder if s/he spent enough time with Aretha Franklin. This is a live performance of her Sam Cooke cover from my favorite Aretha album, Aretha Now. It’s the piano intro that gets me. By the way, we’re playing at Memory Lanes a week from today. It will be great.
Millie Jackson – “I’m Tired Of Hiding”
From Millie’s 1974 masterpiece, Caught Up. There’s not a bad cut on the entire album, and the whole thing hangs together not just as a concept album, but as a narrative album. Millie became notorious for her sexually explicit lyrics in the 1980s, but she was already explicit here – the pedestrian details, the confessional tone. Rap and pop music has taken a sharp turn in this direction in the last couple of years. On the tip of the iceberg, Ke$ha and Drake are basically reading their diaries over synth pop, while rappers like Danny Brown, Zeroh, Yelawolf, Quelle, Playboy Tre, Z-Ro, and dozens of others have created their own brands of confessional rap, all eschewing the broad strokes we’ve painted pop music with for so long. I doubt there’s a direct Millie Jackson influence there, but she was laying foundation years ago.
Filed under Things Millie said to your wife
Sterling Cooper Presents: The Mad Men of Soul
This one is going to be good. Really, really good.
On Saturday, April 16th, join us in celebrating all things Mad Men. Whether or not you share our love of the award winning AMC series about the ad industry of the early-mid 1960s, you’ll find something to love about this show.
Let me walk you through it. In advance of the show, head down to Blacklist Vintage at 25 E. 26th Street in Minneapolis, and mention the Mad Men of Soul event – they’ll knock 10% off any item in the store, and they’ll probably help you pick out something to wear to the show.
On the night of the 16th, head down to Memory Lanes with a few friends and get yourself a lane and some dorky-looking shoes. Take advantage of the drink specials on juleps and martinis, and take in a few episodes of Mad Men while bowling a few frames and waiting for the show to start.
At 10pm, Hip Replacement will knock your socks off with their airtight horn-based funk music.
At 11pm, local neo-soul luminaries Soulacious will insist that you put your damn socks back on.
Finally, at midnight, the Robinson Caruso Organization will do what the RCO does. If you don’t know, you’d better ask somebody.
It’s like fries and milkshake – all our favorite things mixed together. If you plan to go, do us a solid and RSVP, then spread the word. Let’s make it a party.
Filed under The best thing ever
Ray Charles – “Hard Times”
It’s Springtime in Minnesota, which means it’s snowing again. This song seemed fitting.
Ray had a serious winning streak on the Atlantic label – if you’re a soul music fan, there aren’t many of his sides from those years that you wouldn’t recognize. This is my favorite. I can’t break it down – I need to leave it just as it is. I will note, however, that the very best Ray Charles songs ALL feature a David “Fathead” Newman sax solo. I think he has four bars in this one. Four bars. That’s all he needs.
Filed under Fathead steals the show
Donny Hathaway – “Lord Help Me”
I was going to post “Love, Love, Love” this morning, which is also amazing, but then I kept listening to Extension of a Man, and I got to this song, which I had forgotten about, and it blew me away. It’s not going to be everyone’s favorite Donny Hathaway song, and the key changes are disorienting, but it’s hitting the spot for me this morning. This YouTube clip doesn’t do it justice…I feel like the dude kind of slowed it down. Whatever. I need you to hear this song.
Filed under My favorite stuff ever
Jackie Wilson – “Danny Boy”
I’m pretty sure I posted this last year in anticipation of our St. Patrick’s Day show, but it deserves another post. Hey, kids…you know how you used the word, “Epic” to describe the line at the dorm room showers this morning? Well, this is what it actually means.
See you tonight at Honey – 205 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, from 9pm until whenever you wanna go home (though we’ll be playing until 10pm).
Filed under Putting the Caruso in Robinson Caruso
Mavis Staples – “You Are Not Alone”
Here’s a live acoustic recording of the title track of Mavis Staples’s 2010 album You Are Not Alone. It’s a beautiful song, written for her by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.
Filed under Pops Tweedy
Blue Notes/David Brent – “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
Here’s one of the most beautiful songs ever (with a nipple-exposing jumpsuit and impressive hand-choreography):
And here’s one of the funniest things ever (courtesy of Juxtaposition Records):
Filed under Expert wine selection
Sam Cooke/Soul Stirrers – “Jesus Gave Me Water”
This is Sam Cooke’s first ever recording, and it’s transcendent. It’s so rare for an artist to emerge this fully-formed. How can he be so emotional, but so technically precise? He hits all the marks, then occasionally he’ll let loose something really giant. This kid must have been singing from the moment he was born.
Filed under Water Water Water Water
Demo: “The Record That I Bought Today”
So, here’s a new Robinson Caruso song. I wrote and recorded it today, because apparently I have something against time off. It’s incredibly rough – the vocals were tough to record, because I go from singing very quietly to pretty loud, and I couldn’t be bothered to do it properly…after all, it’s a demo. Still, as a reward for actually visiting our website, here it is, hours after delivery, a brand new baby song.
It’s called, “The Record That I Bought Today.”
Filed under Distorted vocals and accented upbeats
