Jack's Top Tracks - Feb 25 2013 - the best electroswing on the web

Welcome to the second edition of Jack's Top Tracks. Did you have a good weekend? The end of last week was the blog's first birthday, so watch out for my little celebratory video, coming soon. This will be the first of several multimedia, 21st century offerings that will be coming your way in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, let's get on with this week's selection, shall we?

---

New

Dimie Cat - La Voiture

Now, following last week's post featuring Kitten and the Hip,  some of you might be thinking that I just have a thing about girls in shorts, but I can assure you that I am selecting this video from French singer Dimie Cat for its happly little bassline, comedy brass section, and the general jollity of the whole thing. Oh, all right, for the shorts as well. This is a video of a track taken from her second album Zig Zag, which is out now and available to buy from her website.

---

Kinda Newish

C2C - TV intervew and demo

Staying in France, here is an interview and demo from C2C. Sadly it is in French. If you do happen to speak the lingo, it is rather in interesting little piece. If you don't I feel sure you will get the gist. I have featured C2C on this blog so many times, but I continue to find their work fascinating and intoxicating.

---

New

Extra Medium - 'Tamtam - Little Girl (Extra Medium remix)

Just came across this fella as I was on the train back to London. I know very little about him, save that he is based in Bournemouth and makes electro-swing. This track is his latest offering on Soundcloud. I love the piano, and the laid-back roll of the beats. The wobbles towards the end are pretty tasty too. Is it me, or does the singer (Tamtam) sound quite a lot like Adele?

---

Newish

Lamuzguele - Claque des Doigts

I have been meaning to mention these guys for ages, but never seem to get 'round to it. Yet another French outfit, these guys come from Grenoble, and are about to embark on a European Tour. This video has been released in order to promote said jaunt. They are spending quite some time here in the UK, so be sure to catch them. I think of them as France's answer to the Electric Swing Circus. There's even a fella with goggles on his topper.

---

New

Dr Cat - The Real Tuesday Weld - 'Me and Mr. Wolf' (Dr. Cat Remix

The Real Tuesday Weld were pioneers of the antique beat, and are famous across London's cabaret scene. This remix of their work by Dr. Cat is taken from the new compilation album brought to us by Green Queen Music, the label that he runs with DJ Pony [Montana]. The compilation also includes new material from Swingrowers, Kiwistar and favourites like Skeewiff, Odjbox and Grant Lazlo. The compilation is available to buy on 3rd March.

---

So, that wraps it up for another week. I am always interested in what you think of my selection. Get in touch! Likewise, if you are a producer or band, send me your stuff and I might include it next week.

Tally-ho

Jack

Jack's Top Tracks - Feb 18 2013 - the best electroswing on the web

Welcome to the first ever edition of Jack's Top Tracks. The concept is pretty straight forward: each Monday I will be posting 5 tracks. They may be new releases, or old tracks I have only just come across, or tracks that have liked for ages and have just rediscovered.

This week I am bringing just such a selection, with some old, some new, and a favourite from the past.

---

New

Kitten and the Hip - Shut up and Dance

The much anticipated new single from Brighton-based duo Kitten and the Hip (aka Scarlett Quinn and Ashley Slater) was released last week, and its a real earworm. It burrowed into my subconscious and I have been singing it in my head ever since. The release is accompanied by the video below. I may have mentioned in the past that Scarlett is rather easy on the eye too...



The track is available to purchase from beatport, along with remixes by Tavo, James Copeland, The Hip and  Dom Meakins. Kitten and the Hip are performing at Electric Empire on 2nd March at the Amersham Arms, New Cross.

---

New

Jem Stone - The Jem Stone Express

Another of last week's new releases was from Jem Stone, one of the creative forces behind Finger Lickin' Records. You might have come across his track 'The Gasworks Gang', which was featured on the compilation 'White Mink: Black Cotton Vol.2. This tune is laid back, funky and chilled out - a great one to chase away those Monday afternoon blues.


The track is available for free download from Soundcloud.All aboard the Jem Stone Express!

---

New

Ecklecticmick - Boogie Children

Amid the hype surrounding the recent Electric Empire Escapade in Peckham, you could be forgiven for having failed to notice that the same weekend saw the launch of White Mink's latest London event, an electro-blues night at the Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch. Ecklecticmick, one of the most prolific producers I can think of, is, in my opinion, also the best producer of this sub-genre. This stomping track has all the elements that make him so - haunting vocals, great breaks and exquisitely chosen samples. Hats of to Mick!



Boogie Children is available to purchase on Freshly Squeezed's compilation 'Electro Blues Vol. 1'.

---

Old

Bobby C Sound TV - Jelly Belly

Thanks must go to my buddy Actuarius (he designed my natty new logo for me) for pointing me towards this chap. It seems Bobby C Sound TV is rather highly respected (Krafty Kuts called him 'the master of funky breaks), and has shared the stage with some big names in the States. He has made a bit of ghetto funk, and this is one of the tracks from the imaginatively named 'Ghetto Funk EP', released a year or so ago. What do you think?



This track, along with the rest of the EP (worth checking out), is available to download from Soundcloud.

---

Re-discovered

K-Theory & Frost Raven - 18th Century Gangsta

I just love this track, but had not heard it for months and months until it dropped into a long mix I was listening to on my phone. I can't remember who had made the mix - either Incontrol or DJ Dodgy-Style. Whoever it was - thank you for reminding me of it. I had to scroll through nearly 400 'likes' on Soundcloud before I found it. Enjoy!



You can buy this track from here.

---

And that concludes the first ever installment of Jack's Top Tracks. I hope you enjoyed the music - if you did, or if you didn't, let me know by commenting below or contacting me via Facebook or Twitter!

If you are a DJ/Producer/Band and you have a track you would like me to consider for this part of the blog, please send an email to georgecmbrowne@gmail.com.

Them's fightin' words - Dutty Moonshine and The McMash Clan square off.

With just a few days to go before their DJ battle at Electric Empire, Dutty Moonshine and The McMash Clan have been engaged in a war of words on Twitter and Facebook. Like heavyweight boxers exchanging verbal barbs at the weigh-in, the boys have been taunting each other over social media. The slanging match, which I believe to be good natured, began on Thursday 31st, when the DM boys made the following update on their Facebook account: 

Dutty Moonshine · 3,007 like this

January 31 at 2:45pm · 

Oh no Furley's setting up in the studio while Mike gets distracted by the internet, I think "shudder" he wants to practise for the battle with The McMash Clan

A short while later this was followed up by the Tweet exchange below, which then prompted the conversation you will see below. Jamko and DJ Switch stuck an oar in and gave the shit a stir too. 

As I say, I think this is good natured banter, with a smattering of gamesmanship thrown in. Are the McMash boys really that confident? Are Dutty Moonshine that scared? We shall see on Friday night. If you want to find out for yourself, I understand that there are a very limited number of tickets available for the event, which will take place this Friday at the Bussey Building in Peckham. Get there early is my advice. I don't think the battle is due to take place until later on in the evening (early in the morning), but the line-up includes C@ in the H@, Too Mant Ts, DJ Dodgy-Style, Odjbox and the mighty Correspondents, who will be launching their new single 'Well Measured Vice', so waiting for the battle shouldn't be too much of a hardship.

 

Dutty Moonshine‏@DuttyMoonshine

"Battle" against @themcmashclan maybe going slower than hoped. We can drink more than them so maybe we should have a drinking battle 1st

•  Reply 
•  Retweet 
•  Favorite 
•  More

5:33 PM - 31 Jan 13

Tweet text

Reply to @DuttyMoonshine @themcmashclan 

Image will appear as a link

1. James Overton ‏@_Jamko31 Jan

   @DuttyMoonshine @themcmashclan Think you better let Furley handle the drinking. Don't want any table diving this time ;)

   Details
2. Dutty Moonshine ‏@DuttyMoonshine31 Jan

   @_Jamko @themcmashclan there were so few people in that tent that time and yet that story comes up all the time!

   Details
3. The McMash Clan ‏@themcmashclan31 Jan

   @DuttyMoonshine so rumour has the St John's medics are already stocking up on your blood types... >:-0

   Details
4. Dutty Moonshine ‏@DuttyMoonshine31 Jan

   @themcmashclan LMAO! Oh no you didn't ;)

   Details
5. James Overton ‏@_Jamko31 Jan

   @DuttyMoonshine @themcmashclan That's the thing with#legendary stories. They don't go away easily ;)

   Details
6. Dutty Moonshine ‏@DuttyMoonshine31 Jan

   @_Jamko @themcmashclan yes well I think there's been a few too many of those with Dutty so if we could all develop amnesia that'd be great

   Details 
   

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
   •  More

DJ Switch ‏@djswitchbeatz31 Jan

@DuttyMoonshine @themcmashclan FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Details

The video above shows you what to expect from Mr. Bruce and Chuckles... crazy MC skillls, banging beats and one hell of a show. See you on Friday boys and girls. TTFN Jack