Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump

LCD Soundsystem, “All My Friends”

This is my favorite LCD Soundsystem song, by a fair ways, as the melancholy mood and nostalgic lens here is just kind of irresistable. And that piano, this is just such a damn jam. Please enjoy.

Trans Am, “Diabolical Cracker”

Is this, like, a sulferic Wheat Thin? Or just, you know, a cop?

The Streets, “Never Give In”

The Streets should be, maybe even are, the corniest act ever. But they’re saved by a core of sincerity at the heart of things which let them bypass all the corniness. It’s a high-wire act in the extreme, to be sure, and the vast majority of people who tried this sort of thing would sound awful. But he sticks the landing.

Today!

Ashanti Afrika Jah, “Onyame”

One of the tremendous things about today’s music scene is that we have so many quality reissue labels that are looking through the past and finding great stuff to bring back to light. This comes from the Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump compilation which is just a delight to listen to all the way through.

De La Soul, “Church”

De La Soul seemed pretty done after the second Art Official Intelligence record came out. However, The Grind Date turned out to be an excellent record, proving they still had plenty left in the tank. First Serve was also good (although, technically, it was only two-thirds of De La Soul), so they ended up having a bit of a late career renaissance.

Here’s today’s music.

Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, “Ezuku Buzo”

This song comes to us courtesy of the compilation Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump, an exploration into the funk and afrobeat coming out of Nigeria. I don’t really know that much about the scene, but this compilation is excellent.

Mule, “Mississippi Breaks”

Midwestern band Mule were veterans of several previous bands, and came together to play something that sounds something like Midwest punk combined with Southern rock. I like most of the music on this album, but never really got along that well with the vocals, so I never really listened to it all that much. Oh, and looking at this record, the second song is called “What Every White Nigger Knows”, so, yeah. Didn’t remember that.