Eclectic Grooves

Once again, it's that time of year again where I dedicate my listening to records that were released or reissued during the calendar year, and compile a list of my favorites. From the looks of things that I have read so far on the Best Music of 2014 lists, the general consensus would lead you to believe that there are only twenty records worth listening to in 2014.  I think that the majority of the popular blogs and magazines share playlists with each other so they can all compile lists that cater to the mainstream listener's idea of good music. It's really unfortunate that this happens, as a plethora of fantastic music was released this year that will sadly not be heard by the general public. As of the beginning of December, it would seem that Thom Yorke's controversial decision to release Tomorrow's Modern Boxes via the "pay what you want" platform on Bittorent would be the story of the year in music. However, the glory would be taken from him by the ...

The 2014 Halloween edition of the I Hear a New World Podcast is available to listen to here, and to listen/download at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com . Every year around the first of October, I start compiling another batch of songs for the Halloween podcast. After scouring through a massive folder filled with tracks that barely missed the cut from previous mixes, I completed the final track sequencing a couple days ago. While I was in the process of adding the tracks into Audacity today, it crashed right before I was about to add the last song. Damn computers!  I had been working on this for over 2 hours, and had lost my entire project.  While I felt like throwing in the towel, I powered through and recreated the entire mix in Audacity, though this time I saved my changes every time I added a track. I guess this is all part of the creative process, but it certainly threw a monkey-wrench in my day. Those of you who recall my mix from last year...

Before I let the month of September slip through my fingers, I wanted to let you all know about that projects that I will be working on in the near future. Some of these, I hope to complete in the next several weeks, while others may take a bit longer to come to fruition. First, back in 2011, I had started compiling a mix of songs to listen to while driving through the desert at night. It was tentatively titled Desert Mariachi Swing Mix, but was shelved for the past three years. Truth be told, my perfectionism stepped in the way of progress, rearing its ugly head once again. Damn you, perfectionism! Another post that has yet to be completed is one that has also been on the back burner for awhile called "The Evolution of Hip-Hop" where I plan on exploring the true pioneers of the rap game such as The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaata, etc. This will likely be a multiple-part series that touches on the highlights of hip-...

Before my already fading memory fails to recall the details, I wanted to share my recent experience of a coincidental music discovery. I was at two concerts in the past month that both referenced the music of a particular band in two very distinct ways. I'm being ambiguous as I don't want to divulge the band name until I get to that part of the story. The first part of this story takes place at the Wonder Ballroom. On this particular occasion, I was going to check out the Breeders, as I had missed the opportunity to see them when the original lineup played Last Splash in its entirety for the 20th anniversary of the album's release date. While this story isn't intended to focus on the Breeders, I have to at least say that they were in fine form, playing like a band who knows exactly what they need to do to get the crowd fired up. They played a rapturous set filled with fan favorites like "Last Splash", "Divine Hammer" and "Happiness Is a Warm ...

It is once again time for me to reach back in the refrigerator for some "choice cuts". Each time, I will be featuring sizzling and succulent morsels that are grabbing my ear right now that range from funk to country, from afro-beat to garage rock, etc. Sometimes there will be a theme to these songs that ties them all together in a nice bow, but other times the songs featured will just be a musical hodgepodge of eclectic delights. Without further ado, lets see what "choice cuts" the vinyl butcher has prepared for us today. Peter Green: Bottoms Up From: End of the Game [1970, Reprise ] I can't believe that the last time I posted a Choice Cuts episode was July of 2013. How time flies, regardless of whether you are having fun or not. This is a special Choice Cuts episode as it only features one song. I feel that this song is so great that it deserves its own post. Over the past several months, I have listened to many songs, ...

It's once again time for the annual summer mix on Eclectic Grooves. This time around, the tracks were compiled from various sources:  a summer funk mix on mixcloud, a few recommendations from a DJ friend of mine and several selections that barely missed the cut on last year's summer mix.    Overall, this mix is way more funkdafied than previous ones, with small servings of rock, African high-life, reggae and hip-hop to balance out the proceedings. As usual, my hope was to post this mix much earlier in the summer, but at least you will have the entire month of August to enjoy these savory summer jams. If there is anyone who still checks out Eclectic Grooves, I would love to hear what you guys think of this year's mix. Summer Mix 2014 1) The Breeders- No Aloha 2) The Creation- How Does it Feel to Feel 3) Skull Snaps- It's a New Day 4) Camp Lo- Luchini (aka This Is It)...

The latest edition of I Hear a New World is available to listen to here, and to listen\download at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ . After a long period of silence, I am happy to say that I am back again. Sadly, events beyond my control have prevented me from compiling and recording a new podcast during the past few months, but I have a feeling that this podcast will more than make up for my absence. Today's podcast is mostly inspired by the eclectic radio shows featured on the new Portland radio station http://xray.fm . Since its inception a couple months ago, I have been obsessively listening to a few of these shows such as Live Vinyl Treats , Hot Fudge Sundaze  and Headbanded . Afterwards, I usually find myself scouring through my hard drive looking for songs, extemporaneously compiling mixes on the fly that would be perfect for this podcast. The range of tunes on this edition of I Hear a New World run the gamut from free-jazz funk, folk-jazz, hip-hop, psychedelic, el...

The latest edition of I Hear a New World is available to listen to here, and to listen\download at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ . It's been a long time since I posted a new podcast on here, but this one has been in the works for awhile. This episode was compiled a few months ago, and it was recorded through my computer since my turntable is not currently hooked up to my stereo due to a change in my entertainment center setup. I was inspired to create this mix one evening when I was just listening to random tunes while surfing the web. As I went from folder to folder on my computer, I began to see the podcast take shape right before my eyes. In fact, you could even imagine listening to this one without the song identification between the songs. As far as content, you can expect a heady mix of jazz, hip-hop, soul, shoegaze and international sounds. In any event, I hope that you find something here amongst this batch of tunes that makes your ears smile! I He...