http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/ O-Dub's Weekly Serving of Soul en Copyright 2009 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:34:06 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Kool G Rap and DJ Polo: I Declare War Craig G: Drop a Bomb On 'Em From The Juice Crew EP (DWG, 2008) There's many layers of face-melting madness involved in this project. Let us count the ways: 1) Unreleased Juice Crew tracks from the vaults of Marley Marl?... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2009/01/recoveries-juice-crew-gems/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2009/01/recoveries-juice-crew-gems/ hip-hop old music Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:34:06 -0500 Spoonie Gee: Spoonin Rap From 12" (Enjoy, 1979). Also on Best of Enjoy. Paulette and Tanya Winley: Rhymin' and Rappin' From 12" (Winley, 1979). Also on Death Mix. As we're wishing goodbye to 2008 - a great year in some ways (Obama!), a terrible year in others (financial meltdown) -... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/30something/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/30something/ hip-hop old music Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:20:06 -0500 Since I spend so much time buried in older music, my end-of-the-year lists can never properly be based around just new tunes. Especially in 2008, I'm certain I spent considerably more time listening to music from 30-40 years ago than I did new material and so my list of favorites... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/riding-out-of-2008/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/riding-out-of-2008/ hip-hop new music old music retro-soul soul Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:13:54 -0500 Lorraine Ellison: Stay With Me From Best of Loma Records (Warner Bros, 1995) Roberta Flack: Gone Away From Chapter Two (Atlantic, 1970) Folks are often surprised when I admit to having heard certain songs "for the first time," as if my work as a critic, DJ and fan somehow equals... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/lorraine-ellison-and-roberta-flack-going-epic/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/lorraine-ellison-and-roberta-flack-going-epic/ old music soul Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:48:34 -0500 Mary Wells: Two Lovers Marvin Gaye: I'll Be Doggone The Supremes: The Happening Eddie Kendricks: Shoeshine Boy T.G. Shepherd: Devil in the Bottle Brenda Holloway: You've Made Me So Very Happy All from The Complete Motown #1s (Motown, 2008) As for many children of baby boomers, Motown was my... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/a-mountain-of-motown/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/a-mountain-of-motown/ old music soul motown Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:55:58 -0500 The Delfonics: Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time Spinners: I'll Be Around O'Jays: Give the People What They Want Teddy Pendergrass: Love TKO All from Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia (Sony, 2008) 'Tis the season for Philly soul. Right now, a series of media forces are all converging... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/philadelphia-feeling/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/12/philadelphia-feeling/ old music soul philly Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:10:31 -0500 Kanye West: Say You Will Kanye West: Coldest Winter From 808s and Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella, 2008) I have to admit: when I first heard Kanye West was going to record an entire album singing - with Auto-tune no less - I figured it was going to be an unmitigated disaster. Then... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/kanye-west-tuned-out/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/kanye-west-tuned-out/ hip-hop new music Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:08:30 -0500 Illa J: Timeless Illa J: All Good From Yancey Boys (Delicious Vinyl, 2008) I have to admit - there's something just slightly unsettling about the younger brother of the late J-Dilla releasing an album, featuring all Jay Dee beats, and named "Illa J" to boot. At the very least,... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/illa-j-the-other-yancey/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/illa-j-the-other-yancey/ hip-hop new music soul Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:23:29 -0500 Jimmy Hughes: Steal Away Jimmy Hughes: Neighbor, Neighbor From The Best of Jimmy Hughes (FAME, 2008) Leon Austin: Steal Away From 7" (King, 1970) When people talk about "Southern soul," inevitably, Memphis' Stax Records tends to come to mind first. After all, Stax/Volt was as vital a force in '60s... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/jimmy-hughes-almost-fameous/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/jimmy-hughes-almost-fameous/ old music soul Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:51:58 -0500 Q-Tip: Won't Trade Q-TIp: Believe (feat. D'Angelo) From The Renaissance (Motown, 2008) Ruby Andrews: You Made a Believer Out Of Me From 7" (Zodiac, 1969). Also on Casanova. Large Professor: For My People From The LP (Geffen, unreleased, 1995) I know I just wrote about Q-Tip the other week but... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/qtip-revisited-the-renaissance/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/11/qtip-revisited-the-renaissance/ hip-hop new music old music soul samples Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:48:22 -0500 Whatever you may think of Barack Obama as a potential president, it's undeniable that his candidacy has spurred a reaction from the hip-hop community the likes that I haven't seen in a generation. I don't want to go off on the typical "rap these days is so apolitical, blah blah"... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/music-for-our-message/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/music-for-our-message/ hip-hop new music old music soul mixtapes Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:18:00 -0500 Menahan Street Band: Make the Road By Walking Menahan Street Band: Home Again! From Make the Road By Walking (Dunham, 2008) The Menahan Street Band (MSB) comes out of the Daptone Records camp - the Band's leader, guitarist Tommy "TNT" Brenneck, is part of the Dap-Kings (of Sharon Jones/Amy Winehouse... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/menahan-street-band-the-road-less-travelled/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/menahan-street-band-the-road-less-travelled/ jazz new music retro-soul Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:08:01 -0500 Alton Ellis: Get Ready (for Rocksteady) Alton Ellis: I'm Still In Love With You From Sings Rock and Soul (Studio One, 1967). Also on I'm Still In Love With You. Alton Ellis: What Does It Take To Win Your Love From Sunday Coming (Trojan, 1970) Alton Ellis: Ain't No Music... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/alton-ellis-rocksteady-soul/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/alton-ellis-rocksteady-soul/ old music reggae soul in memoriam Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:27:42 -0500 Robin Thicke: Magic Robin Thicke: Ms. Harmony From Something Else (Star Trak, 2008) I've always found Robin Thicke to be a curious figure in soul. It's not because he's white, though race is never entirely absent from any discussion of American music; it's more because he manages to be recognizably... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/robin-thicke-mr-harmony/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/10/robin-thicke-mr-harmony/ new music soul Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:23:02 -0500 Solange Knowles: I Decided Solange Knowles: 6 O'Clock Blues From Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (Geffen, 2008) It can't be easy being Solange Knowles; as much as she may insist on her new album's first song, "God-Given Name," "I'm no 'sister'; I'm just my god-given name" the first... http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/09/solange-knowles-still-standing-solo/ http://blogs.vibe.com/oliverwang/2008/09/solange-knowles-still-standing-solo/ new music soul Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:01:01 -0500