I'm BACK! & part of the VAMP music*art*consignment team!

Hello Friends! WOW...that was a long hiatus. A lot has happened since April. Some crazy things, some stressful things, many fun things and some BIG things! Namely, I have joined the team at VAMP music*art*consignment in Oakland in a BIG WAY! If you haven't heard about VAMP, check out the Facebook page to see what we're all about: https://www.facebook.com/vampmusicandart. We are open every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from noon until 6pm. We are a vintage vinyl record store made up of both consignment and shop owned offerings. We specialize in Black music from the 1940s-1980s, specifically Jazz, Soul, Gospel, R&B and Blues. We carry LPs, 45s, 12" singles, etc. We are always getting in new stuff, so be sure to check back often and keep an eye on our FB page for the best news!

We recently started making lists of new stock coming into the store. Check out the list below for tons of great titles that you will have the opportunity to buy starting this weekend! And as a matter of fact, VAMP is the location and setting for a play that is currently being put on the the All Terrain Theatre group (https://www.facebook.com/events/434243053263196/). Opening night is tonight! (Thursday night), with shows Friday and Saturday night, as well as Thur/Fri/Sat for the next 2 weekends. Shows start at 8pm with a couple ending at 10pm and a couple additional ones extended to midnight with a little after party! The storefront will be open during these times for your shopping pleasure, so come in for these special hours to get the first choices of the new stuff! Hope to see ya there!

Okay, here's the list of new stuff! **Breaking news!** Hitting the shop this weekend! Lots of excellent 70s and early 80s soul, funk & boogie records from this collection! Mostly all in excellent condition and priced to move! Check it here:

5 Stairsteps & Cubie Love's Happening
Al Hudson and The Soul Partners Spreading Love
B.T. Express Energy To Burn
B.T. Express Non-Stop
Bar-Kays Light Of Life
Bill Summers and Summers Heat Straight To The Bank
Bill Withers Menagerie
Bill Withers Still Bill
Bill Wolfer Wolf
Billy Paul War Of The Gods
Billy Paul Let 'Em In
Billy Paul 360 Degrees of
Billy Paul First Class
Billy Paul When Love Is New
Billy Paul Only The Strong Survive
Bloodstone Do You Wanna Do A Thing?
Bloodstone I Need Time Bloodstone I Need Time
Bloodstone Unreal
Bobby Caldwell Carry On
Bobby Womack Lookin' For A Love Again
Bobby Womack Understanding
Breakwater Self Titled
Brenda and The Tabulations I Keep Coming Back for More
Brother To Brother Let Your Mind Be Free
Casiopea Eyes of the mind Cheri Murphy's Law - 12" Single
Chic Self Titled
Chocolate Milk Blue Jeans
Chocolate Milk Self Titled
Chocolate Milk We're All In This Together City Limits Circles
Collage Get In Touch With Me/When You Smile - 12" Single
De La Soul Saturdays
Dee Dee Bridgewater Just Family
Deodato Happy Hour
Detroit Emeralds I'm in Love with You
Digital Underground Kiss You Back
Donald Byrd & 125th Street, NYC
Double Exposure I Got The Hots For Ya (Salsoul 12" Single)
Double Exposure Ten Percent
D-Train You're The One For Me
D-Train You're The One For Me - 12" Single Eddie Holman I Love you
Enchantment Journey To the Land Of…
Enchantment Once Upon A Dream
Enchantment Self Titled
Faith hope & Charity Self Titled
Faze-O Riding High
Floaters Self Titled
Flora Purim Nothing Will Be As It Was…Tomorrow
Freddie Hubbard Splash Funk Deluxe Self Titled (Salsoul)
Funkadelic One Nation Under A Groove
Gene Page LoveLock
Gene Page Love Starts After Dark
George Duke Dream On
Gregg Diamond Bionic Boogie
Heaven & Earth That's Love
High Energy Steppin' Out
House Party Soundtrack
House Party Why You Get Funky On Me - Soundtrack Single
Impact Self Titled
Invisible Man's Band Really Wanna See You Jackson Five Dancing Machine
James Brown The Original Disco man
Jean Carn Sweet & Wonderful
Jeffrey Osborne Don't Stop
Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager The Love We Have
Lenny Williams Spark of Love
Lets Clean Up The Ghetto Comp
Lisa Stanfield All Around The World
Manchild Power and Love
Marlena Shaw Sweet Beginnings
MFSB Summertime
Mike & Brenda Sutton We'll Make It - 12" Single
Norman Connors You Are My Starship Norman Connors This Is Your Life O'Jays Meet The Moments Self Titled
Originals Green Grows the Lilacs
Parliament Mothership Connection
Parliament Funkentelechy
Patrice Rushen Anthology of…
Pharoah Sanders Love Will Find A Way
Phyllis Hyman Somewhere In My Lifetime
Phyllis Hyman Self Titled
Public Enemy Night Of The living Baseheads
Ramsey Lewis Routes
Raydio A Woman Needs Love
Richard Evans Self Titled
Rick James Stone City Band
Rick James Fire It Up
Ronnie Laws Friends & Strangers
Ronnie McNeir Love's Comin' Down
Rose Royce Fresh Cut
Roy Ayers I'm The One
Roy Ayers No Stranger To Love
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan Self Titled
Seawind Self Titled
Silk Get On Up - 12" Single
Slave Showtime
Stanley Turrentine Pieces of Dreams
Starpoint Hot To The Touch Starpoint Say You Will 12" Single
Starpoint Have You Got What It Takes
Starpoint I Want You - You Want Me - 12" Single
Starpoint Sensational
Tavares Madam Butterfly
T-Connection Totally Connected
T-Connection Pure & Natural
The Blackbyrds Better Days
The Choice 4 On Top Of Clear
The Choice 4 Self Titled
The Delfonics LaLa Means I Love you
The Dramatics Joy Ride
The Jamaica Boys Spend Some Time With Me - 12" Single
The Miracles Do It Baby
The Miracles City Of Angels
The Moments Look At Me
The O'Jays In Philadelphia
The Originals Portrait of…
The Temptations House Party
The Trammps III
The Tymes Tymes Up
The Undisputed Truth Higher Than High
The Whatnauts Help Is On The Way - 12" Single
Third World Arise In Harmony
War Galaxy/Junkie To My Music - 12" Single
Wes Montgomery The Best Of Wes Montgomery Bumpin' Willie Hutch Fully Exposed
Your Arms Too Short To Box With God Soundtrack
Zapp Computer Love - 12" Single

BBC Reggae Britannia

http://youtu.be/95zSqP75kVI

Musical Legacy and a tribute to those we've recently lost!

There is a lot of talk lately about music, new vs. old, good vs. bad, etc. With the recent loss of greats such as Etta James, Johnny Otis & Jimmy Castor (in the soul world), many are feeling sadness at the thought of an important musical era coming to an end. The 1960s and 1970s provided just the right environment: politically, socially and musically, to fuel what exploded onto the scene in a collective musical genre that we call SOUL. A few years back, in 2006 to be exact, we lost one of the most legendary contributors to R&B, Funk and Soul (and beyond!), Mr. James Brown. A quick check on other Soul greats who passed that year adds the following to the list: Lou Rawls, Wilson Pickett and Billy Preston. And while we are spending time to remember those we lost most recently, in 2011, we lost a great talent in Nick Ashford of Ashford & Simpson fame; Dobie Gray, best known for "Out on the Floor" and "The "In" Crowd"; and Gil Scott-Heron, a socially active spoken word artist known for tunes such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", amongst others.






I guess the point that I would like to make here is that music is lasting. The message, the feeling, the melodies...all of these things have been preserved in recordings for future generations to discover and enjoy. Death is a strange thing and when it's someone who has been influential to pop culture, to your life's musical journey, or someone who has touched you personally, it is expected to make an impact on the way you see their individual contribution, as well as the music or movement or genre, on the whole.

I have realized that being born in the 1970s, as I was, thankfully gave me the link to the first half of the 20th Century that has been so influential to me and on the second half of the Century, but seems to be a distant memory now into the 21st Century. Because of this link, I have been exposed to music, culture, cars, fashion, etc. that most kids born in the mid 80s and beyond do not and will most likely never understand. Some of us out here are what can be called "old souls" and will tend to gravitate towards stuff from eras that we never lived through ourselves. But this is the most important thing to recognize and hold onto! Modern technology, pop culture and most notably, music, has brought about an abrupt change to our culture. Instead of appreciating true talents, society accepts digitally altered "talent" and the sad thing about it, is that it's eaten up! We are all too busy with our iPads, iPhones, Blackberry's, etc. to lift our heads up and look and listen to what's going on around us! If our society as a whole, blindly and silently, continues to accept the low quality, mass produced crap that is being offered up on not so shiny silver platters, we can only expect for things to continue to get worse. Mainstream has never been the stream I have flowed with. Humans are individuals and we should be proud of that, instead of trying to find a way to become assimilated with the rest of the millions of people out there. Eccentricity is a good thing! Individuality is a good thing! Embrace these things and find the path that is right for you!

...And now back to our beloved singers, songwriters and entertainers that have been lost, we must keep their talent alive. Share the music with anyone who will listen. Share the passion for their talents and remind the young ones coming up now, to dig. Dig into the past to find the influence for the future!

~ Wherever I Lay My Hat ~

This tune has been spinning around in my head this afternoon, so thought I'd share it with you! Enjoy!

Delano Stewart's version from 1970, produced by Sonia Pottinger (RIP).


And Motown's own, Marvin Gaye, performing the original from 1963.

New Poster Design collaboration and upcoming show!

This poster was created as a collaboration...the artwork was done by a friend of First Round Promotions and I did the layout. Thanks to Jim of First Round Promotions for keeping me busy creating posters for his gigs! This show is bound to be a great one! The Meatmen are back and ready to shake the house down! Check it out!

Sunday April 10th
Doors open at 7pm
Oakland Metro Opera House
630 3rd Street
Oakland, CA
You can buy advanced tickets here: http://holdmyticket.com/event/22393

Hitchin' A Ride by Vanity Fare

While out for a walk last night with my dog, this tune popped into my head:

Little Richard - Green Power!

Leningrad Cowboys.....

....so, my friend shared a link to a blog post the other day. It was about this crazy fashion trend in Mexico that is starting to take off with the young Mexicans living in Texas (Tejas). It involves really LOOOOOOOONG and pointy boots. Anyway, reading through the bit that was written up about them, the author mentioned that they could have been influenced by the Leningrad Cowboys and offered a link. http://www.leningradcowboys.fi/

I find these guys (and what appears to be "sometimes" gals) visually interesting. I've listened to a few of their songs (all live) on Youtube and am not that impressed with the music that goes along with them...but they do get an A+ for visual stimulation, stage presence and performance! I think they like pointy things...pointy hair, pointy shoes...well, you get the picture!

Myron & E - Cold Game

A great tune to get your toes a tappin'!

Steven Kemper

Someone that I recently met and am now linked to on Facebook shared a link to a Steven Kemper video. I took a look and listen and found his instrument to be pretty fascinating and wanted to share it with you. Hope you enjoy!

Friday NIGHT! After Thanksgiving recovery ~ Chill out with us!

Whether you spend your Black Friday shopping for deals and Christmas gifts, or just recouperating from all those yummy Thanksgiving eats, we'll be happy to have you join us for a night of soulful tunes at Where It's At! Come chill with us at Mad Dog in the Fog, our gracious host bar, enjoy a brew from their newly expanded beer list or a lovely glass of wine. We'll be there from 10pm til closing!

If you happen to be in the neighborhood early, stop by the Lower Haters Gallery just across the street from Mad Dog and take advantage of their sale and smooth tunes all day long! Take a look here for more details on their Friday sale: https://www.listbox.com/post/20101124/9605841C-F790-11DF-8E4C-5F47517AB67C/15843057-770e13aa

Modern Day Space Age Fashion of the Stars???

Okay, so this morning, I saw this video on Bing Videos: Check out this great MSN video: Space Age Star Style

...and it made me think of this...among so many other music stars in the 1970s who had grasped ahold of the cosmic for inspiration. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rhianna...they ain't got nothing on the folks from the 70s! This fashion statement bridged all generes, from soul and funk, to disco, glam, jazz and hip hop. Below are just a few examples...oh, and note that it wasn't just the ladies in glitter and lame'!

Parliament-Funkadelic


Labelle

Sun Ra

Afrika Bambaata

and who could forget David Bowie!

West Coast Wigout II ... (Video game inspired music concert)!!

CHECK THIS OUT!



Check it out next Tuesday night! June 15, 2010 Opening Reception / Jun 15, 6:00PM - 11:00PM


Game Music 4 All and Broken Tape Decks are proud to present WEST COAST WIGOUT 2! Video game inspired music concert.

The event will take place at Gallery Nucleus. Doors open at 6pm. We will have everything for video game fans and music lovers alike. Nerdcore, Chiptunes, VG Cover bands, and then some! Come on out after E3 to see how video games have influenced art and music over the last twenty five years.

$10 presale and $15at the door


Confirmed Artists performing include:

A_Rival (San Francisco, CA) – rivalrivalrival.bandcamp.com

Random (Phoenix, AZ) – megaran.com

WizWars (Los Angeles, CA) – myspace.com/wizwars

EvilWezil (Los Angeles, CA) – myspace.com/evilwezil

Tanuki Suit Riot (Los Angeles, CA) – myspace.com/tanukisuitriot

The Megas - http://themegas.com


SPONSORS:

Nerdapalooza - http://nerdapalooza.org

Nerdy Show - http://nerdyshow.com


I had the honor of going to a gig where the guys were playing video game music once many years ago...it was more amazing and fun than I would have thought! If you're in L.A. area, get yourself down to Gallery Nucleus to experience West Coast Wigout II! Don't miss it!


http://www.gallerynucleus.com/event/254

Count down to INDIE MART!!! June 6th is just around the corner!

Come visit me...I'll be in space #53. Look for Questionetc. Handmade Fashion Accessories! See ya there!!!

The Indie Mart is back for our first throw down of the year and our 3rd anniversary party. We have our best group of vendors ever! We personally recruited over 30 new to Indie Mart vendors that have never shown at SF shows before. Over 100 vendors bringing you the best makers, designers, vintage, handmade unique goodies, art, baked treats and much more. Tons of interactive vendors offering customization or showing you how it's made. Besides our usual standby's on stiff drinks, cheap beers & fresh BBQ food from thee Parkside...we've also got a giant demo station brought to you by Workshop (www.workshopsf.org) that'll feature demos every hour, on the hour. A DIY terrarium station while supplies last. PBR giveaways. Puppies & kittens for adoption from WonderDog. The Fashionist taking shots of the most stylist peeps for her site (www.fashion.ist). Heavy Metal Aerobics pumping at 2pm for all to join in (SF Weekly & 7x7 Best of SF winner). Photobooth. DJ's outside all day playing rock & roll. Bands inside: Music for Animals (4pm, music4animals.com), Jonesin' (3pm, myspace.com/jonesin), Magic Magic Roses (2pm, myspace.com/magicmagicroses) & Red, White & Drunken (2pm, boy band & fun 90's covers). Good times and a whole street taken over by SF's best.

The Indie-Mart Street Fair
Sunday June 6th, 12-6pm
Thee Parkside- 17th st & all down Wisconsin
Ride your bike, take the 22 Muni Line
Valet bike parking from the SF Bike Co-alition
ALL AGES- 21 to booze it up.

$3 suggested donation
www.indie-mart.com
www.twitter.com/indiemart
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122268807805853


JUST GOOD SHOPPING. GOOD FOOD. GOOD MUSIC. GOOD DRINKING. GOOD PEOPLE. GOOD ALL DAY FUN. THE INDIE MART.

www.indie-mart.com

A night of Soul, Funk, Disco and Rare Groove! This weekend!

This Friday night I will be DJing along with my partner in crime, Shawn, at Where It's At! We spin all original vinyl records and promise a night that will keep your bootay shakin! Specializing in the late 60s to mid 70s sound, we'll be spinning soul, funk, disco and rare groove.

As an addition to this Friday's happening, we'll be celebrating my birthday, so come on down to join in the party!

It all starts at 10pm and goes till closing.

Located at:
Mad Dog in the Fog
530 Haight Street
Lower Haight
San Francisco, CA

If you don't make it out this Friday, we're there every 2nd and 4th Friday and would love to see ya anytime!