The Grunt Pt. 1

Allow me to introduce to you one of the funkiest cuts ever recorded. It was so funky the production group The Bomb Squad got the foundation of two of their many hit songs for the iconic group Public Enemy from it. The list of artists that "borrowed" from this song doesn't stop with PE though. It's a long and varied one. The song is called The Grunt Pt. 1 and it was put together by The JB's which was James Brown's band from the 1970's to the early 80's. In that time they recorded some music that made it impossible for you or anyone you knew to sit still.

The Grunt starts off with a horn blast that is easily identifiable if you know Public Enemy's music. The groove then takes over and it's a funky one with a saxophone just wailing away over it. Every now and then the horn section will come in and contribute a few horn blasts. Then there's a break that is another easily recognizable Public Enemy sample. This cut is nonstop funky fun and it'll put a smile on your face.

This was the JB's just showing off and they showed out with this cut. Such a funky piece from start to finish, and the finish was abrupt because you just don't fade out the JB's baby. Enjoy!

Fire & Earth

It's the last post of the year and I felt this blog should bow out of 2014 with an X-Clan bang. The song is Fire & Earth and with the way this year has gone, to me this song is appropriate. X-Clan was a pro Black hip hop group from the early 90's, back when hip hop said something. back when it had a positive message mixed in amongst the music about women, money, and jewelry. I was a zealous X-Clan fan and thought Brother J was one of the most underrated rappers in the history of the genre.

Fire & Earth is off of their 1992 second studio release entitled Xodus - The New Testament and the song contains subtle digs aimed at the white rap group 3rd Base and the teacher himself, KRS-One. I love this song for its message of course. I also loved the mid tempo beat which allowed Brother J to flow smoothly over as he dropped knowledge.

It was during this time when I identified heavily with the Black nationalist movement and supported the call for divestment in South Africa. X-Clan albums were my soundtracks back then and their music will always have a special place in my heart. And if you like this song then definitely check out their cut Heed The Word of the Brother. Enjoy and again Happy New Year.

Work Song

Work Song is an amazingly moving song about unconditional love that not even death can conquer. It's by Hozier and it's off his 2013 EP release From Eden. It can also be found on his 2014 release Hozier. Hozier is an Irish folk singer and this song, in my humble opinion will make him a household name. It's haunting, moving, mournful, and gripping.

It starts off with backing vocals that sounds like a choir, hand claps, and eventually some sparse percussion. Hozier comes in with lyrics about how much in love he is with his baby. When the second verse comes in you get the sense that these two people are broken beyond repair and can only survive with each other by their side. The chorus brings that sentiment home with When my time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her. 

While this song sounds like it could be a Ray LaMontagne jewel since it has all the ingredients, the one thing Hozier has over Ray is the darkness. The song is one of the darkest love songs I've heard and Hozier's vocals fit perfectly. If you like this then you might be interested in checking out Cherry Wine. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Scorpious 1111

This amazing piece of music entitled Scorpious 1111 is by an artist named VonLichten (whole name Helmut Vonlichten) and it's a spectacle. Helmut was once part of a group I was (and still am) a huge fan of name E.S. Posthumus. He formed the group with his brother Franz. When Franz died in 2010 Helmut ended E. S. and in 2011 formed a new group named Les Friction. I found this piece on his 2014 album entitled mDust and once I heard the song I've had the hardest time stopping myself from playing it again and again. And just for the record, you need to hear this song on your BIG BOY speakers. Ear buds won't do this song justice and you'll miss out on all the little nuances that make this an awesome piece of music.

The song starts off with a poignant mournful piano melody which is the melody carried throughout the song. Then the voices come in with dramatic strings following. Suddenly the song takes flight and the strings add a sense of urgency. Scorpious 1111 slowly builds as the voices come back and the piece swells with percussion and horns to a powerful crescendo. All of which brings us full circle back to the lonely piano.

If you enjoy Scorpious 1111 then I highly recommend Liller 1 off the same album. It's an action packed piece that starts off running right from the start and never lets up until the end. It's a treat for me to have new music from Helmut. I just wish his brother Franz could have been a part of it. Enjoy!

Our Destiny

Thomas Bergersen may not be a name you're familiar with, and that's understandable. He does what's known as position music aka trailer music, and since it's not pop, played on the radio, have music videos for it, and only heard when you see a movie trailer his and other names that create this style of music won't ever be household. Thomas' should be though in my estimation because he is an amazingly talented artist. In fact Thomas and his friend and co-founder of the production team Two Steps From Hell, Nick Phoenix, should both be known names.

Thomas's latest album is entitled Sun and Our Destiny is a grand, epic, sweeping piece that pulls you in if you let it. It comes in with full on drama that leads into a lovely piano movement which then brings you into the bombast. The second you get caught up in that he changes the mood of the piece entirely and throws this amazing heroic theme at you. The strings are a real treat for your ears, and the second movement of the theme is built upon with vocals which adds a level of drama to a satisfying crescendo that ushers in the finale.

If you aren't aware of Thomas then I am happy to make the introduction and suggest you check out his piece Final Frontier on the same album. Along with Two Steps From Hell's pieces Nero and All Is Hell That Ends Well. No matter how many times I hear those pieces they still blow my mind and maybe they'll blow yours too. Then maybe you'll see why I think he should be a household name.

Norman

When I saw the movie Fury I wasn't impressed but the one thing I couldn't get out of my head was the score by Steven Price. That especially goes for this melody entitled Norman. It's a grand piece with stirring strings and packed with emotion. I thought the score was the one thing the producers got right with Fury and while it's a shame that such a great melody and piece was wasted on a bad movie, at least the music is out here for us to enjoy regardless what it's attached to.

Steven Price also did the score for the Oscar winning film Gravity, and while there are touches of that score within Norman, this piece stands on its own and it's hard to ignore. Let me know if you agree.

Infiltration (Creeper Mix)

This little instrumental ditty is brought to you by the group known as Trifonic. I've been a fan of theirs since I first came across a song they did called Parks On Fire (which I highly recommend taking a listen too. It's here on this blog actually). After hearing Parks I made it my mission to hear everything these two brothers Brian and Lawrence had ever done which led me here.

Infiltration is the name of this masterpiece and when played loudly on those big boy speakers of yours, it shakes walls. The high end frequencies won't annoy your ears but the low end will definitely annoy your neighbors, but they'll thank you in the end for the introduction. Infiltration (Creeper Remix) is off of the groups 2008 Remergence EP.

The groove in this cut is unmistakable as you might cut detect a little Funky Drummer in the beat. And if you like this song then check out Transgenic (Rust Mix). It's a tad more mellow but just as cool. Now if you need to put some pep in your step and some stride in your glide, cue this monster up and hold on. Enjoy...and you're welcome.