The end of here, at least as far as 2008 goes.

This marks the last Urban Landscapes Radioshow of 2008. I’ll be on vacation until the first full week in January. Unlike past years, Part Two, the Singles & EP’s, will kick off the show’s 12th year.

As with past years, this is by no means a comprehensive list of my recommended albums There are more albums than a (nearly) two-hour show can fit in. Also due to time, I don’t count compilations or “best of” albums for the sake of brevity. Like previous years, there’ll be a complete list of my picks, including those I’m not able to fit into the show, as well as the aforementioned compilations and “best of’s.” I hope to have the list posted by year’s end, if not sooner.

This won’t be my last blog post of the year, but it is my last playlist for 2008. Now’s a good time to thank the many, many labels, artists, producers, DJ’s and tastemakers, radio/music promoters and fans of the show. You help keep Urban Landscapes going. Without you, I honestly would have cast this aside long ago, finding something else to occupy my time. As it is, the show has been a true labor of love. You, and the people who help create and bring the music, are the reason why I spend many hours a week outside the two-hour broadcasts, doing my best to bring you something special.

I also want to thank KCPR, Cal Poly’s student-run radio station, for allowing me the privilege of continuing to air the show live. There are a plethora of Internet stations left and right, and it’s good to know that the show has a home at a real, live radio station that’s a special place all its own.

Some special things are in the works for the new year, and I will let you know moving forward. I do hope that you move forward with me and the show.

If you enjoy the show, please spread the word and tell your friends. Have them subscribe to the podcasts, or have them find it via Twitter, Myspace or Facebook. Help do your part to keep the radioshow on the global radar.

Thank you again so much. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season, and I’ll be back atcha for Part Two, the Most Recommended Singles & EP’s of 2008, live come January 8th.

Peace.

Song - Artist - Title - Label
Prayer - Lizzy Parks - Raise The Roof - Tru Thoughts
Winter Wind - Jose James - The Dreamer - Brownswood
Run/Fedime’s Flight - The Sonar Kollektiv Orchester - Guaranteed Niceness - Sonar Kollketiv
The Land of Freedom - Quasimode - The Land of Freedom - Sonar Kollektiv
The World is Filled By… - Soil & Pimp Sessions - Planet Pimp - Brownswood
Identity Breaker - J.A.M. - Just A Maestro - Brownswood
The Story - The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There’s Me & There’s You - !K7
Fonte de Prazer - The Ipanemas - Call of the Gods - Far Out
All The Stars - NOMO - Ghost Rock - Ubiquity
Omak Besos (Big Waves) - TM Juke & The Jack Baker Trio - Boto & The Second Liners - Tru Thoughts
Brazilian Sugar - Jackson Conti - Sujinho - Mochilla
Interested Benevolence - The Souljazz Orchestra - Manifesto - Do Right
Cut You Loose - Kylie Auldist - Just Say - Tru Thoughts
Together (featuring Jennifer Johns) - J. Boogie’s Dubtronic Science - Soul Vibrations - Om
Bill Blows It - Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins - Clutch of the Tiger - Ubiquity
Morning Scapes (featuring Bembe Segue) - Jazzanova - Of All The Things - Verve
Go - 2 Banks of 4 - Junkyard Gods - Sonar Kollektiv
Ethio-Steppers - The Lions - Jungle Struttin’ - Ubiquity
Hi Life Music - Lightning Head - 13 Faces of Lightning Head - Lion Head
Superpsychosexy - The One - Superpsychosexy - Om
Soundcheckin’ - Milez Benjamin - Feel Glorious - Tru Thoughts
Cosmik Dust - Stacy Epps - The Awakening - Japanubia Musik
END BROADCAST

 

 Show 11.37: The Most Recommended Albums of 2008 [113:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s high time to put the first half of 2008 behind us. As I was out last week, it’s good to return to give you most of the singles and EP’s from the year so far that I recommend for you to check out and support. It’s the second part of the Halfway Rewind Special, and it turns out that not all that I wanted to get into the show could be accomodated, even if the show stretched once again to three hours.

I hope you enjoy this week’s show. Next week comes a whole lot of fresh new music, so stay tuned.

Song - Artist - Title - Label
The Mighty - Vincent - EP - Music For Collapsing People
Mr. Sneak - Scott - Sweep EP - Bagpak
Ra-Monk - Eval Manigot - Monk Swing EP - Public Transit
Reckonerz (featuring Charli2Na) - AmpLive - Rainydayz: Radiohead Remixed EP - AmpLive
American Dreamin’ - Black Spade - EP - Om Hip Hop
Electric Chair (featuring Elmore Judd) - TM Juke - EP - Tru Thoughts
Giant Pickle - Mr. Scruff - Donkey Ride EP - Ninja Tuna
Get Caught - Cutty Lark - Do Right
Break It Til It’s Broken - Ed Meme and the Forms - EP - Straightup
All Night Prescriptions (Late Night Call) - Art Bleek - Urban Watcher EP - Loungin’
Super Rock Body Shock - Eye Beta Rock - EP - 4Lux
You Do This To Me - Summary - Nasty Depths EP - Bagpak
All Over - re:jazz - Live at Motion Blue Yokohama - Infracom
Brisk (Omegaman Remix) - Onur Engin - EP - Straightup
This Journey (Ghana ‘74) - The Boogoos - EP - Perfect Toy
Kept On Runnin’ (Domu Remix) - Ashley Thomas - Remixes EP - Counterpoint
I Wanna Be With You (featuring Sarah White) - Arch_Typ - Muddy Rhythms EP - Bagpak
Hit The Bit (Loose Cannon Remix) - Ben Mono - Remixes EP - Compost
Creating Waves - Ben Mono and Kemo - Higher Level EP - Sick Trumpet
Tides (Ripperton Remix) - Beanfield - EP - Compost
Dead End (D’Julz Remix) - Bangana featuring Clarisse Muvemba - EP - Heya Hifi
The Track - Fabrice Lig - Purple Raw Vol. 1 EP - Versatile
Ecosystem - Soul Designer - Evolutionism EP 2 - Third Ear
Kiss You Everywhere (Alex Attias Dark Dub) - Laverne - EP - Past Due
You Can Do What You Want (Graham Sahara Remix) - Christos Kedras - EP - Lovemonk
Brazil - C.O.N.E. and Colonel Red - Electric Theory Vol. 1 EP - Bagpak
Under Water featuring Xan Blacq (Simbad Remix) - Soul Vigilantes - EP - Lovemonk
Living Beat (Patchworks Remix) - Mop Mop - Kiss of Kali EP - Infracom
Inside and Out (MaryMary Edit) - Feist - MaryMary
Bantu - Dub Traffik Control - Bastard Boots 4 EP - Bastard Boots
Ciudad del Swing - Quantic Presents Flowering Inferno - Tru Thoughts
Friendly Flowers (Simon S Special Blend) - Jhelisa vs. Dudley Perkins - Soulclap
END BROADCAST

Other Recommends
Connexao EP - Sabrina Malheiros - Far Out
The Ringer EP - Four Tet - Domino
Brain EP - OliverDaySoul - 4Lux
Let It Ride EP - Unforscene - Tru Thoughts
La Renfree EP - Scott - Doppelschall
Leave That ‘Ol Devil Alone/Broken and Battered - Drawbar - Counterpoint
Land/One For Joe - Jazz Chronicles - Futuristica Music
Everyman - The Captain - Resense
The Rising EP - Natural Self - Tru Thoughts

 

 Show 11.21 - Halfway Rewind Special (2 of 2) [184:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

UPDATE 22 June 2008: Some corrections were made on the playlist. Thanks to Rocky Rococo for pointing out my error in one of the tracks from “Disco Not Disco.” The James White and the Blacks track was incorrect; the correct track was from Isotope. Some other minor corrections were made, as well.

This week presents one of my favorite shows of the year. It’s the half way mark of 2008, and it’s time to look back and pick out those albums presented on the show that I recommend to you, the selective and picky music consumer. There’s an overload of music in the world these days, thanks in large part to the advent of digital downloads, legal and otherwise.

If you’re like many a music fan, you’ve been sick and tired of being spoonfed crappy music. I do my best to be one of the filters, bringing you music that I feel holds up over time. Mind you, it’s only a tiny spectrum of great music in the world, but one can only focus on so much in a two-hour span each week. It’s best if shows are self-contained in a niche. In the case of Urban Landscapes, it’s jazzy and soulful club culture. But not just any kind of soul, and not just any kind of jazz. You know this, you recognize this, and you’re feeling the goods.

Being overwhelmed and missing out is never a good thing. So time to catch you up on the music that can potentially slip between the cracks. It’s the Halfway Rewind Special, presented to you in two parts. The first week–this week’s show–focuses on the albums, while next week’s show (the second part) wil hone in on the singles and EP’s.

One of the most important criteria I look at when picking albums is that I need to listen to the whole album. It can be challenging at times when music stacks up in the queue. Somehow, though, it gets done. To that end, there are a few albums I’ve played on the show recently that have not been released yet that are not part of the list. It could be that an album hasn’t been listened to in its entirety yet; you could end up finding them on the year-end show.

Also, I tend to miss an album or two that I forget to bring to play for the special. There are two albums of note, and I will tack them on at the bottom of the playlist so that you can look them up and check them out.

Enjoy this week’s three-hour edition of the show; I’ll catch you again next week.

The Urban Landcapes Radioshow 11.20
Thursday June 19, 2008
The Halfway Rewind Special
Part One: The Albums
Three-Hour Broadcast

Song - Artist - Title - Label
Pillow Talk - Quiet Village - Silent Movies - !K7
Mean Spirit - The Stance Brothers - Kind Soul - Ricky Tick
Momentum - Simbad - Here Comes Treble - TrebleO
Crazy Bout Ya - Milez Benjamin - Feel Glorious - Tru Thoughts
It’s Not A Game - Daru & Reggie B. - Future Music - 4Lux
Too Much To Ask For (featuring ABD Al Malik) - Outlines - Our Lives Are Too Short - Sonar Kollektiv
Song For Wolfie - Clutchy Hopkins - Walking Backwards - Ubiquity
Free (Version) - Jet Tricks - Remote Control - Jet Tricks
Gosto de Ser Como Sou - Claudia & Brazilian Octopus - Nicola Conte Presents Viagem - Far Out
Era Bom - The Ipanemas - Call of the Gods - Far Out
Don’t You Believe Me? - Ricotti & Alberquerque - A Night At The Jazz Rooms - Mr. Bongo
(Sometimes) Believe In Yourself - Roy Ayers - Maiden Voyage - Compost
Lay Lady Lay - The Dynamics - Version Excursions - Favorite/Groove Attack
Hot No No - The Lions - Jungle Struttin’ - Ubiquity
Humankind (Grant Phabao Remix) - Alice Russell - Shapes 08:01 - Tru Thoughts
Black Is The Night - DJ Vadim featuring Katherin Deboer - Best Seven Selections 2 - Sonar Kollektiv
No Memory of Time (featuring Joe Dukie) - Eva Be - Moving Without Traveling - Sonar Kollektiv
Robinson - Protassov - Shalina Music - Switchstance
Pretty Things - Kylie Auldist - Just Say - Tru Thoughts
Grilos - Marcos Valle - The Best of Marcos Valle: Carioca Soul - Far Out
Flags and Words - 2 Banks of 4 - Junkyard Gods - Sonar Kollektiv
Shibuya Crossing - LTC - A Different View- Ricky Tick
Red - Jose James - The Dreamer - Brownswood
The Grass Harp - The Nostalgia 77 Octet - Nostalgia 77: One Offs, Remixes & B-Sides - Tru Thoughts
I Like It Like That (Aaron Jerome Remix) - Pete Rodriguez - I Like It Like That: Fania Remixed - Mr. Bongo
Hotchacha - Danny Massure - What It Is - Spring Strut
Put It On - Atjazz featuring Ernesto - Full Circle - Mantis
Like A Child (Carl Craig Remix) - Junior Boys - Carl Craig Sessions - !K7
Squirmy Sign Language - Ben Benjamin - Ghostly Swim - Ghostly/Adult Swim
Crunch Cake - Isotope - Disco Not Disco - Strut
Go Ballistic featuring Zulu - Ghislain Poirier - No Ground Under - Ninja Tune
Freak-A-Zoid Robotz (Rmxxology Theme) - Bobby Evans- Rmxxology - Delicious Vinyl
The Upgrade - J-Live featuring Oddisee and Posdanus - Then What Happened - BBE
ATLiens (Circle Research Remix) - Outkast - Circle Research: The Lost Remixes - Do Right
Beyond The Time Vortex - DJ Frane - Journey to the Planet of Birds - DJ Frane
You’re Not All That (featuring Jennifer Darling) - The Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was - !K7
Sweat Band - Seiji - DJ Tools Vol. 1: Seiji - Sonar Kollektiv
END BROADCAST

Other Albums That I Recommend
Replife - The Unclosed Mind - Futuristica Music
Paul Woolford Presents Bobby Peru - The Truth - 2020 Vision

 

 Show 11.20 - Halfway Rewind Special (1 of 2) [175:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Song - Artist - Title - Label
It’s Your Thing (covering The Isley Brothers) - Lou Donaldson - Droppin’ Science - Blue Note
Lights On A Satellite (covering Sun Ra) - 2 Banks of 4 - Junkyard Gods - Sonar Kollektiv
Bitches Brew (covering Miles Davis) - Otis Jackson Jr. Trio - Yesterday’s New Quintet: Yesterday’s Universe - Stones Throw
Arriving Soon (covering Cannonball Adderley) - Guido Manusardi - Romanian Jazz - Sonar Kollektiv
Around The World (covering Daft Punk) - Christian Prommer’s Drumlessons - Drumlessons Vol. 1 - Sonar Kollektiv
The Creator Has A Master Plan (covering Pharoah Sanders) - Bobby Matos - The Best of Bobby Matos - Cubop
Park Bench People (covering Freestyle Fellowship) - Jose James - The Dreamer - Brownswood
Baby, I Love You So (covering Jacob Miller) - Colourbox - I Like It - Compost
Grand Magneto - Night Fever (covering The Bee Gees) - Big Smile
Move On Up (covering Curtis Mayfield) - The Dynamics - Version Excursions - Favorite
Brown Paper Bag (covering Roni Size) - Me & You - Floating Heavy - Tru Thoughts
Funky Nassau (covering Beginning of the End) - Orgone - The Killion Floor - Ubiquity
Superstition (covering Stevie Wonder) - Eddie Mobley and Fresh Taste - Jazz Bizniz - Counterpoint
Mission Impossible (covering Lalo Schifrin) - Big Horns 8 - A Night At The Jazz Rooms - Mr. Bongo
Happy (covering Max Sedgley) - The Bamboos - Shapes 07:01 - Tru Thoughts
Get UR Freak On (covering Missy Elliot) - Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Hit The Hits - Ubiquity
Fever (covering Little Willie John) - La Lupe - I Like It Like That: Fania Remixed - Mr. Bongo
I Can’t Get You Out of My Head (covering Britney Spears) - Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra - Hit The Hits - Ubiquity
My Favorite Things (covering John Coltrane) - Al Jarreau - Gilles Peterson Digs America Vol. 2 - Ubiquity
Feel Like Making Love (covering Roberta Flack) - Ricardo Marrerro - I Like It Like That: Fania Remixed - Mr. Bongo
Inside and Out (covering The Bee Gees) - Feist vs. MaryMary - test
Trans-Europe Express (covering Kraftwerk) - Christian Prommer’s Drumlessons - Drumlessons Vol. 1 - Sonar Kollektiv
END BROADCAST

 

 Show 11.15 - The Annual Covers Show [117:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m planning to keep this a bit on the short side, as I’m currently on vacation visiting family in Vegas.

Because last week’s show ended up with a recording glitch, I had to reconstruct the show piecemeal; hence, the delay in posting the show online. It’s now done and ready for you.

Part Two of the Most Recommended Music of 2007 (Part One was last week) is a three-hour broadcast. The first 45 minutes is all about the compilations that were on the show that I think stood out among others, while the rest of the show is on the singles and EP’s of the year.

 The complete list of albums, comps, singles and EP’s that I recommend for 2007 will be posted on the site at a later date. Alos, don’t forget the 10th Anniversary celebration of the radioshow in Los Angeles at the Mountain Bar in Chinatown on Friday, January 4th. Jeremy Sole will headline our DJ lineup, set to be seven strong (including yours truly) taking two floors. It’s a free event from 9am-2pm, 21 and over. More will also be posted on the site very soon.

As I mention, want to keep this short. But I want to thank everyone who has supported Urban Landscapes in their own way this year…the labels, the artists/producers, the promo companies ahd peeps, the the fans. Have a safe holiday season, and we’ll do it again in January.

Peace.
 

The Urban Landscapes Radioshow 10.45
Thursday December 13, 2007
The Most Recommended Compilations of 2007

Song - Artist - Title - Label
Xybaba - Marius Popp - Romanian Jazz - Sonar Kollektiv
Introduction/Lord Have Mercy - James Tatum - Gilles Peterson Digs America Vol. 2 - Luv N’Haight/Ubiquity
Drammma Della Gelosia - Armando Trovaloji - Nouvelle Vague: Coming Home - Stereo Deluxe
L’amour et l’eau Traiche - Eddy(la) Gooyatsh - Le Pop 4 - Le Pop Musik
Cottonwood - State River Widening - Jazzanova & Dirk Rumpff…Broadcasting - Sonar Kollektiv
I Have Changed - HP Riot - Super Cool California Soul Vol. 2 - UbiquityLast Night - Jumbonics - Shapes 2007:01 - Tru Thoughts

Bonjour - Daedelus - Fair Weathered Friends EP - Ninja Tune
Go With My Flow - Featurecast - Music For Fat Kids EP - Funk Weapons
Comeandgetme - Steve&I - EP - Still Music
Free - Sasso - EP - Sing Sing Music
Love Someone (Slope 90’s Mix) - Atjazz featuring Robert Owens - EP - Mantis
Traffic (Markus Enochson Remix #2) - Greyship Daviz - EP - Past Due
Na Oil - Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - Think Africa EP - Still Music
Wanda Vital - Jazzconductor - Brazilian Love Affair EP - Dicey
Musical Blaze-Up (Rub N Tug Remix) - Wild Rumpus - EP - Bitches Brew
Abyssina Rising - Lightning Head - 7″ - Lion Head
Monday Drive - DJ Sun - EP - Alternate Take
Soul4U - OliverDaySoul - EP - 4Lux White
Fantasy (Think Twice Remix) - Voice - EP - Public Transit
Too Much Talk - Ed Seven - EP - Straightup
Love Won Another (Antena Love Power Remix) - Hawke - The Chill Remixes EP - Eight-Tracks
Bahia 2000 - Freesoul Sessions - EP3 - Antipodean
Dime La Verdad - Aklimatize - EP - Future ElementsGravity (Simbad Remix) - S.U.M.O. featuring Ayesha - Remixes EP - Heya Hifi
Technicalities - Joel Harrison - Future Revolutions EP - Soul Science
A.I.E. (Cobblestone Jazz Remix) - Soil & Pimp Sessions - EP - Brownswood Recordings
Lunatic Fringe - Stefan Goldmann - EP - Macro
Konono - The Pig - Are You Nuts EP - Rush Hour
People Be Happy/Rhythm Dance (Audion Remix) - Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid - EP - Domino
Catch My Soul - Drawbar - EP - Counterpoint
END BROADCAST

 

 The Most Recommended Music of 2008 Part 2 [176:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s time once again to go through the music played on Urban Landscapes this year, and narrow the picks down to those that I recommend you add to your music collection.

It’s the Most Recommended Music of 2007, and Part One this week focuses on the albums. As you take a look at the playlist below, bear in mind that these are domestic releases from this year. Some of the albums have already been released the year before in Europe. Others have not made the list simply because they have not been released yet.

In any event, the picks I’ve chosen represent an eclectic crop of sounds. This will perhaps look different than many a radio show of like minds, but sometimes I can even surprise myself.

Next week, the last Urban Landscapes of 2007, will be a three-hour broadcast starting one hour earlier (10pm U.S. Pacific), The first hour will focus on the compilations, while the remaining two hours will be all about the EP’s and singles. It’s Part Two of my Most Recommended Music of 2007, so tune in however way you see fit.

That’s all for now; catch you next week.

The Urban Landscapes Radioshow 10.44
Thursday December 6, 2007
The Most Recommended Albums of 2007

Song - Artist - Title - Label
If At First - The Nostalgia 77 Octet - Weapons of Jazz Desruction - Tru Thoughts
Cold Nights and Rainy Days - The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble - Yesterday’s New Quintet: Yesterday’s Universe - Stones Throw
Whisper Down The Lane - The Landau Orchestra - Janus Loves Telephone - Milan
Sweet Spot - Timo Lassy - The Soul and Jazz of Timo Lassy - Ricky-Tick
Speedball - Sheila Landis - Parenthe-Seizure - Counterpoint
Marrakech - The Quanitc Soul Orchestra - Tropedelico - Tru Thoughts/Ubiquity
Move What You Got - The Lefties Soul Connection - Skimming The Skum - Melting Pot Music
Crabby Ali - Orgone - The Killion Floor - Ubiquity
Since 1939 - Rephrase - Little Victories - Knowfoowl
Insurrection - The Souljazz Orchestra - Freedom No Go Die - Do Right!
Keep An Eye On Love - Zeep - Chris Franck and Nina Miranda Presents Zeep - Far Out
Your Way Too — The Dragons - BFI - Ninja Tune
Why Don’t You Talk - 4 Hero - Play With The Changes - Milan/Raw Canvas
Rise - Lanu - This Is My Home - Tru Thoughts
The Girl featuring Elsa Esmerelda - Swell Session vs. Jimpster - Swell Communications - Freerange
Hold Me So Tight - Sally Shapiro - Disco Romance - Klein
Daylight - Eddy Meets Yannah - Once In A While - Compost
Sneaker Thief - Me & You - Floating Heavy - Tru Thoughts
Push On - Surreal and the Sound Providers - True Indeed - ABB
Not So OK Corral - Blockhead - Uncle Tom’s Coloring Book - Ninja Tune
Hey (featuring Patricia Marx) - Electric Conversation - Communication - Futuristica Music
Open Doors - Kira Neris - Behind Closed Doors - Futuristica Music
END BROADCAST

 

 The Most Recommended Music of 2008 Part 1 [114:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download