September’s come and gone and I’m looking forward to a change in seasons both physically/environmentally and creatively. I finished the manuscript of the Boyz II Men book I’m working on, and with that out the way, I’ve been reconnecting with other aspects of my work. A big part of that reconnection process has come in the form of DJing. I’ve recently played a couple of sets at Vinyl Tap 215 events, one at Bartram’s Garden and another at Common Beat record store on Baltimore Avenue. I’ve also been doing private gigs, mostly playing funk and soul records from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I’ve also been feeling the urge to get back up to speed with new music releases. Local folks have been putting out lots of fantastic new projects and with the book done, I finally feel like I have enough breathing room to dive in. Here are 5 releases (old and new) that caught my attention this month.
Old City by Old City
Historically, punk and hip-hop have always converged in interesting ways. As products of the rich cultural stew of New York in the 1970s, hip-hop and punk are less siblings than they are rowdy kids who grew up in the same city with similar ethos. In the spirit of this kinship, Philly band Old City is back with a brand new album full of ass-kicking tunes that deftly combine rap and punk. The entire project is great with fun and raucous standouts like “Jump Off”, “Sixers” (feat. MURS), and “Get Sued” (feat. Olmec).
Sun Ra And His Arkestra – The Lost Arkestra Series Vol 1 & 2
The Lost Arkestra Series Vol. 1 & 2 is a beautiful 2-disc 10” vinyl release packed with rare Sun Ra recordings. Compiled from live recordings made between 1974 and 1983, these performances were captured in Philly, Milan and Paris and feature Ra and his Arkestra in rare form. There are a ton of great performances here, but the version of “Love Is For Always” recorded at Temple University in the Fall of 1974 is particularly beautiful.
The Roots – “Silent Treament” 12″
During Vinyl Tap 215 events, my guy DuiJi 13 will sometimes bring a few boxes of records to sell. At the Bartram’s Garden event a couple weeks back, I came home with another clean copy of The Roots 1995 song, “Silent Treatment.” Like all of The Roots early singles, the “Silent Treatment” 12” is packed with remixes, including alternate versions from Questlove, The Beatminerz, Kelo and Black Thought. With a beautiful cover photo featuring Black Thought and Santigold, taken by the late Mpozi Tolbert, “Silent Treatment” is a work of art.
The Roots’ Silent Treatment
Lil Dave – Concentrated Sound EP
Earlier in the year, West Philly’s Lil Dave dropped the fantastic Work Around EP and now he’s back with Concentrated Sound. “Washed Over” is a groovy and dark Tech-House jam while the title track is a synth-heavy dancerfloor burner. The EP ends with “Feels Like Friday,” a velvety House anthem that sounds like the soundtrack to an evening drive to the club.
Dell- P – I Can’t Make This Up
For years now, Dell-P has been on a crazy run, dropping project after project of quality hip-hop music. With his ever-growing catalog of bangers, I Can’t Make This Up might be Dell-P’s best album. The album opens with “World News,” a powerful tone-setter that sports a Louis Farrakhan sample reminiscent to a classic Public Enemy track. This is immediately followed by “The Balance (feat. Freeway),” a hard-as-nails track with some slick synth brass samples. The title track features Malay Sparks and it might be my favorite beat on the album. I Can’t Make This Up is brimming with passion and fiery, top-notch production. Regardless of region, scene or demographic, this is one of the best hip-hop albums of 2024.
