Jonathan Chimney's Tracks
Most Recent Track
Tuesday June 10, 2008
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" by Aretha Franklin from Rare & Unreleased Recordings
This alternative version of the famed Aretha title cut is good enough to make me come out of the woodwork. Been listening to it over and over. It's a way rougher take than the original and the groove is just super deep and Aretha herself is hitting some raspy high notes, putting those needles way into the red.
I Never Loved....
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Monday June 18, 2007
"Is There Any Love?" by Trevor Dandy from Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal
Numero Uno has yet to fail me. Every time I hear a track lately that knocks me out. They seem to be involved. This one is from the gospel funk series. The beat is completely solid, a little bit of conga to thicken up the stew. Mr. Dandy comes in wit the question you gotta ask from time to time, "Is there any love in this world?" The answer for me is resounding yes in the form of a slick, deep bass line and some slightly mellow work on the keys. This song is a complete TKO for me. Crazy how a cut like this could go unheard for years.
fine and Dandy
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Friday June 15, 2007
"A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" by The Staple Singers from Use What You Got
I like Dylan's version of this. It's good. This, however, is something else. There are plenty of songs where Dylan's impressionistic style with the words is pretty spellbinding. I've never thought that his original take on this really drew me in. Something like, "Masters of War" - I've gotten caught up in that, for sure. But boy-oh-boy, Pops and Mavis and whoever else is in the Staples really offer up the definitive version of this tune. I've listened to it a dozen or so times in the past week and I just don't think I've heard anything like it. The form here is strictly old-school Staples, call and response vocals, reverb all over the guitar. When they talk about the baby with wild wolves all around it, the black branch with blood that kept dripping - somehow this tune really came to life for me and I realized just what a seriously amazing song it is. This thing is like a Faulkner novel in just a few paragraphs. So I'm praising the messenger for bringing this song into my consciousness. I mean, there is just nothing better to these ears sometimes than Pops Staples and his guitar. But I also can't deny ol' Dylan - who tapped into something mega when he wrote this thing.
Hard Rain
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Tuesday March 27, 2007
"all cuts" by OOOIOOO from live@Independent
I still don't know how to pronounce the name and I'm not going to pretend otherwise, but Yoshimi and her four other bandmates killed it last night onstage. Wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was a healthy mix of burundi-style drum-o-rama, ESG minimal funk, chunky Deerhoof-style prog sections, and some shrieking. So very, very good.
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Monday March 12, 2007
"Let the Sunshine In" by Dennis Coffey from Hair and Thangs
Gearing up for a trip down to Texas for the annual flyer-fest known as SXSW. "Work" - really, such a strange word to use for an event like this. Thankfully Tom Heyman hipped me to clothing store to check out so I can get out of town for a bit. And also, amidst all the Peter Bjorn and John shows, Dennis Coffey is playing. REALLY stoked about this. As well as (on a completely different wavelength) Jandek and Bill Callahan (whose new solo record is a future TOTD). But Coffey - man, what a jammer this guy is. Read the Wax Poetics interview with him where he was like, "how come nobody asks me to play anymore? I still got the funk." Well, I aim to see for myself.
Let the Sunshine In
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Friday March 9, 2007
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Merit Hemmingson from Balsam
Merit Hemmngson was a Swedish mistress of the organ-keys. I had heard some of her material before, and it was nice in the Brian Auger/Julie Driscoll vein of rock/fusion/R&B stuff, but this is a complete monster altogether. The organ is toned down and instead this is a disco-fied reworking of the classic jam by the California Grapes. If that brain melting synth doesn't get you in the first 30 seconds, then you you'll have to settle for those Tull-esqe flutes.
More info on her here
Grapevine
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Thursday January 25, 2007
"Yaz Gazeteci Yaz and Ince Ince, specifically" by Selda from Selda
Turkey don't fake the funk. This record is wayyyyy out of control. My girl Selda cannot be stopped. I found some of her tracks earlier this year and posted one, but then the gents at Finders Keepers have put this thing into the hands up unsuspecting beat and psych freaks for a manageable sum. I cannot get over just how hard she belts it out on here. Her voice is like Dolph Lundgren giving you uppercut. It just knocks you out. And the force of the band is just too much. Add in that most of these tracks sound like they are played with some steel wool bunched up under the needle and you are talking about some GOOD TIMES. When she drops the synth bombs, it is as though this record was made to order by the Godzzz.
Yaz Gazeteci Yaz
Ince Ince
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Tuesday December 19, 2006
"El Condor Pasa" by Congreso from El Congreso
Today, I'm really feeling this Chiléan take on El Condor Pasa from the slow-burning combo behind Congreso. They turn the tune into something that makes me feel like I should acquire (rent?) a sherpa and try to climb a mountain. Feel the early morning mist and break some bread with my Himalayan brethren. I would suggest anyone in need of such a feeling take a listen to this and many of the other fine songs on Congreso's first album. The thing is a flute-addled bit of sunburnt crunch rock that will make pine for some strange mellow days.
El Condor Pasa
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Thursday December 14, 2006
"Ghost Town" by The Specials from 12"
I took the car, as opposed to the train, to work this morning. I was coasting down 280, getting sleepy, coffee was not helping, the Max Richter piano abstractions were certainly not helping. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, bolt of lightning style, comes this heavy duty slab of echoing murderation. The clouds had yet to part and the gloom was such the perfect fit. I was suddenly wide awake and filled with so much joy and happiness that I could barely keep from bobbing and weaving around the freeway. Remember finding this 12 inch in a stack at my friend's parents' house in high school. Taping both sides to a TDK and rocking this jam sideways and back. It remains a monster of a tune, would love to walk down the street and hear this song blaring out of everybody's window. Leather trenchcoat at my heels. Slow-motion style. Solid.
 Ghost Town
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Tuesday December 5, 2006
"Keep On Smilin'" by Wet Willie from Keep On Smilin'
The fact that I can comfortably say that I like a song by a band called Wet Willie should let you know that I am unburdened by the shackles of good taste. Actually, I take that back. Perhaps I am unburdened by the shackles of good band naming conventions. (as well as album covers) But I knew this with Barefoot Jerry. This little jam sounds like the hybrid of Van Morrison and Arthur Conley - a folk/funk little jam with all sorts of post-hippie positivity. Maybe I just like it because of the line about the city boy living in the country, building stuff with his hands. A notion I considered on my recent visit to Amish country. This, despite the fact that I can't even seem to build a shelf to save my life. Can you? I need to store some records.
Keep On Smilin'
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There are so many more tracks... Read the next 10 >>
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Jonathan Chimney
AKA: The Ricker
Location: San Francisco
Total tracks posted: 545
Member since: April 9, 2002
Favorite Genre: Turkish Blend
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Jonathan Chimney Tracks of 2009
Track Comments of 2009
Most recent album purchased
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Thank You Friends - Ardent Records Anthology
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Top Ten Records Purchased/Received Lately - not necessarily of all time
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1. Lani Hall - Sundown Lady
2. Jerry Moore - Life is a Constant Journey Home
3. Battles - Mirrored
4. The Clientele - God Save the Clientele
5. Blops - Box Set
6. The Trees Community - The Christ Tree
7. Duke Ellington - Far East Suite
8. Trans Am - Sex Change
9. Idris Muhammed - Boogie to the Top
10. Marianne Faithfull - Come my Way
Read all the Top 10s >>
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Breathe Deep, Exhale, Repeat.
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