Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Tonight we dedicated our full second hour to the genius of the dearly departed Taylor Hawkins, and whatever happened during the rest (although important) simply pales in comparison. Rest In Power.
"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
Mar 31, 2022
The Drop with Danno
The Roots feat Cody Chestnutt – The Seed 2.0
Bosq feat Pat Kalla – C’est Quoi, C’est Quoi
Brian Jackson – All Talk
Chelsea Carmichael – All We Know (Shabaka Hutchings remix)
Addison Groove – Brand New Drop (Nuff Pedals remix)
Topher James & Biscuit Brigade – Kinda Heartbreaking
Topher James & Biscuit Brigade – Matter of Time
POSY feat Brandon Markell Holmes – Fill My Cup
Henry Franklin with Jazz Is Dead – The Griot
Funmilayo Afrobeat Orquesta – Vazante de Verao
Charles Mingus – The Man Who Never Sleeps (Live)
I.
It is 20 hours past midnight on an overcast end to March and as we’ll talk about in hour 2 it’s no surprise that the universe seems rather sad this week. Hoping you’re having a great end to your Thursday which if we wanna get nerdy about it and keep the scorecard proper, is written in the margins of spacetime as March 31, 2022. This is Danno, naturally, doing the thing I do from studio GFN HQ in downtown Gwangju, how do you do? Tonight we once again go into the funk punk soul rock realms for the full two hours, and we begin with our Sampled funk & soul spectacular. Not a ton of new stuff out this week, so we have a mishmash splish splash going down tonight, but good new stuff out from Bosq, Jazz Is Dead, and our man Topher James as well. Now, for those that don’t know long-time Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away while on tour over the weekend, and our own main man on the drums here in Gwangju Dan Lloyd joins us for a proper tribute to an absolute legend, and that’s going to be what we do for hour 2 tonight. For right now though, we go back 19 years to the date with The Roots, and we’ll break down the Phrenology after we let the seed sprout. THIS is The Drop.
The Roots feat Cody ChestnuTT – The Seed 2.0
The Drop has unmoored the boat and we are out in the audio ocean for tonight’s Sampled & AMPED Thursday foray. This is Danno here in studio 2 GFN HQ and ever at the ready for our fourth chapter of the work week funk & punk Thursday massive. Dan Lloyd tonight shares a very special 2nd hour tribute to the dearly departed Taylor Hawkins, which you do not wanna miss.
That was The Roots with Cody Chestnutt on the lead single to Phrenology, which dropped in full today. The Seed 2.0 was truly a departure for the band, as was the album overall, which really pushed the boundaries of hip-hop and soul.
The Roots' version of the "Seed 2.0" is a genre-bending song - most critics couldn't figure out exactly what to call it. Alexis Petridis probably found the best descriptor when he wrote in the Guardian he called it "an individual hybrid of distorted rock, hip-hop and psychedelic soul, blessed with a fantastic chorus."
For me personally, I found this rather funny, as it’s really just a soul tune. Yeah, there’s some rapping in it, but it seemed like everyone was trying to call it a hip-hop tune when it clearly wasn’t. But this record did push commercial music especially hip-hop in different directions of soul, jazz, funk, and experimental vibes. Brilliant stuff if you’ve never rocked the record front-to-back.
As to the song, the lyrics speak from the perspective of a guy trying to get women pregnant behind his woman's back (this is never specified explicitly mind you, but he's shameless about this in the narrative). The protagonist sees it as keeping his legacy alive.
At any rate, can’t recommend this record enough. Phrenology, The Roots…doweeet.
#9870, @gfnthedrop, pod.
So, let’s get some new vibes in tonight as we bump the first block of cuts. On deck we got something new from Bosq and then it’s Brian Jackson and Chelsea Carmichael doing their thing, and we’ll talk about the mixes when the mixup is through but for now THIS is The Drop on your Sampled funk & soul Thursday.
______
The Drop is on the mic once again my friends, and it is our Sampled funk & soul Thursday night for here in the first hour. Danno here, maintaining, never mansplaining, and Dan Lloyd joins us in hour 2 tonight for a special one hour tribute to the recently departed Taylor Hawkins so do stay tuned for that. As to the vibrations we just let out into the cosmic miasma, that was...
Bosq feat Pat Kalla – C’est Quoi, C’est Quoi (…file this one under prime summer jam as the weather gets warmer up here on top of the globe. This one just dropped on the artist’s Bacalao label, and Pat Kalla is a French poet who features on the vocal deliveries. Do check Bosq’s other work if you dug this, great producer.)
Brian Jackson – All Talk (…this tune dropped from the veteran soul master on February 18 and is the lead single to the upcoming solo album titled This Is Brian Jackson. The album drops May 6, so do check it out if you dug the vibes there.)
Chelsea Carmichael – All We Know (Shabaka Hutchings remix) (…this one is the title track to an EP of remixes taken from the artist’s debut album The River Doesn’t Like Strangers. The LP and EP both dropped on Shabaka Hutchings’ label, with the EP out in full back on March 4.)
Now we’re just about to reach the end of our proverbial spacetime rope here on the air, so let’s have a bit of a long player to end the first fourth this evening. Up next to close it and take us to the wormhole is Addison Groove and an interesting recent remix by Nuff Pedals called Brand New Drop, which came out in 2020 so not totally new, but it is indeed a groove. This is tonight’s Brand New Drop on your Sampled funk & soul first hour.
Addison Groove – Brand New Drop (Nuff Pedals remix)
II
Into the 2nd quarter with the slow cooking on our Sampled funk & soul first hour, we open with another joint from Say She She, but first, that was another favorite of ours although far less recent a discovery. That was...
Topher James & Biscuit Brigade – Kinda Heartbreaking (…big up to our guy in Ohio, always putting out some sweet soul tunes and due out with a new EP tomorrow called Tell Your Story. And it is kinda heartbreaking, as I had gotten the release date wrong when I initially told the listeners. For those in Columbus, the band are doing a show in Worthington on Saturday at Natalie’s for the EP release so go support if you’re around.)
Topher James & Biscuit Brigade – Matter of Time (….)
#9870, @gfnthedrop, pod.
So, continuing forward, we have something recent from Brandon Markell Holmes to start things in the next block, and then it’s some very African and jazzy joints to take us to the final tune of the first hour here with Jazz Is Dead and Funmilayo Afrobeat Orquesta, all of which we’ll discuss after les griots. This is The Drop on your funk & soul Thursday night.
___
The Drop clears the throat once again for our final airbreak here in hour 1. Danno here, keeping the flame tempered here in quarter 2 of our nightly game of audio mirrors. Dan Lloyd joins us once again for our AMPED rock feature, dedicated tonight to the memory of Taylor Hawkins, who shockingly passed over the weekend. And just as a programming note, I knew our man on the drums was going to cover this, so I didn’t touch it previous to him having his say. That being duly noted, let get to explaining what just happened…
POSY feat Brandon Markell Holmes – Fill My Cup (…great stuff as always from the Grammy-nominated vocalist out of Chicago now based in NYC. This is the latest from the legendary Bastard Jazz label, who just celebrated a huge 20th anniversary last year, and great to see them still going strong. Big up to Brandon, great friend of the show.)
Henry Franklin & Jazz Is Dead – The Griot (…the latest LP from Jazz Is Dead is out as of Friday with JID011. Another label that just continues to kill it, and for those uninitiated this label is fronted by Adrian Younge and former Tribe Called Quest main man Ali Shaheed Muhammad.)
Funmilayo Afrobeat Orquesta – Vazante de Verao (…this is the title track to a record from last year, and this power all-female crew out of Brasil is really redefining the Afrobeat game here in the modern age. In a genre that typically has relegated women to chorus and background singers, Funmilayo is putting their all femme power right out front, and doing some killer stuff. Very nice.)
Okay, so we have something I was a tad surprised to find in my feed this week, but a new live version of The Man Who Never Sleeps from Charles Mingus is just out, and we’re going to play this joint to maintain the jazzy vibes before we start to cry in parts 3 & 4. THIS is The Drop and that’s a wrap on the first half.
Charles Mingus – The Man Who Never Sleeps (Live)
III & IV AMPED
Foo Fighters – Times Like These
Alanis Morrisette – You Oughta Know
NHC – Something About You
Foo Fighters – Cold Day in the Sun
Coheed and Cambria – The Running Free
Foo Fighters – Rope
Led Zeppelin – Rock n Roll
Queen – Somebody to Love
Taylor Hawkins – Bob Quit His Job
Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders – I Really Blew It
Foo Fighters – My Hero
Foo Fighters – Times Like These
The Foo Fighters have canceled all of their upcoming tour dates following the sudden death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last Friday, March 25.
“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins,” the band said in a statement. “We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned. Instead, let’s take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we’ve made together.”
The Foo Fighters were on tour in South America when Hawkins died, his last show with the band taking place March 20 at Lollapalooza Argentina. The group had a full year of touring ahead, with dates scheduled around the world through December. Rolling Stone has reached out to see whether the Foo Fighters still plan to perform at the Grammys this Sunday.
Hawkins died in Bogotá, Colombia as the band was preparing for a show at the Festival Estéro Picnic. The Bogotá municipal government issued a statement confirming that the city’s emergency services received a call about a patient complaining of “chest pain.” After health workers arrived on the scene, they tried “resuscitation maneuvers” on Hawkins, but he was declared dead. An exact cause of death has not been determined yet, but the Attorney General of Colombia said at least 10 substances were found in Hawkins, including antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids.
In the wake of his death, tributes to Hawkins have poured in from his peers and admirers in the music world, including Tom Morello, Perry Farrell, Miley Cyrus, and Slash. Elton John called Hawkins “one of the greatest drummers and a true musician,” while Metallica’s Lars Ulrich said, “I will always be appreciative for you championing our community as in your parting words…. ‘Drummers stick together!’ Damn right brother”
Alanis Morrisette – You Oughta Know
Taylor Hawkins' first major break in the music industry came when he was tapped to be the touring drummer for Alanis Morrisette. This also came at the peak of Morrisette's fame, as Hawkins was hired to perform on the tour for the Canadian singer's mammoth, multi-multi platinum album, "Jagged Little Pill."
"It was so much fun. I joined Alanis' band and the single ('You Oughta Know') came out and it just went f****** nuclear. Next thing you know, I'm in a video that's on MTV every hour. That tour was very special, and I owe her a lot of gratitude," he said during an appearance on shock-rock legend Alice Cooper's radio show "Nights with Alice Cooper."
"She gave me a lot of space to do what I wanted. It was probably the biggest album of the year, and there was a lot of pressure on her," Hawkins said. "She was having to learn to be this leader on the job, which isn't easy. But it was really one of the most fun times of my life."
NHC – Something About You (Level 42 cover)
Most recently, Hawkins teamed up with Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney to form the trio NHC. Earlier this year, they released the EP ‘Intakes & Outtakes’.
Foo Fighters – Cold Day in the Sun
One of the few Foo Fighters recordings to not feature Dave Grohl on lead vocals is this cut from 2005’s double album In Your Honor.
"Cold Day in the Sun" is the first original song that features drummer Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals, while lead singer Dave Grohl plays drums. Hawkins wrote the music for the song in 2001. During pre-production of In Your Honor, Hawkins played the song on an acoustic guitar and suggested that Grohl record it. While an electric version was considered, it was eventually recorded for the acoustic album. Hawkins wrote the lyrics the morning before the song was recorded and considered them sub-par: "To be honest, the lyrics suck, It's more about the melody. And Dave always said he liked it, and I was like, 'Yeah, bull.'"
Coheed and Cambria – The Running Free
Taylor Hawkins played drums on No World For Tomorrow, C&C’s fourth album. After Coheed drummer Josh Eppard left the group, Hawkins filled the void for the band’s 2007 album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow. Eppard’s replacement Chris Pennie wrote the drum parts, but contractual issues related to Pennie’s previous band Dillinger Escape Plan prevented him from recording at the time. Hawkins also toured with Coheed for a time after the album’s release.
Foo Fighters – Rope
This is one of my favourite drum recordings from Taylor Hawkins, because you can really hear his main influences coming through in his performance, like the heavy rock power of drummers like Bonham and Roger Taylor, to the deft cymbal playing of Neil Peart and the displacement of the backbeat that Stewart Copeland made his name on. It’s a very good rock song elevated to a truly great song on the back of an incredible drum part.
Led Zeppelin – Rock n Roll
Queen – Somebody to Love
Two of the best performances from Hawkins came from in front of the drum set; the 2008 Wembley Stadium rendition of Led Zeppelin (accompanied by Jimmy Page and John-Paul Jones is every bit as good as Zeppelin in their prime; and the band’s cover of Somebody to Love that became a staple on their most recent tour. It’s always a treat to see Grohl on the drums, but it had become equally as thrilling to see Taylor Hawkins take up lead vocal duties.
Taylor Hawkins – Bob Quit His Job
Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders – I Really Blew It
Bob Quit his Job comes from Taylor Hawkin’s 2016 album KOTA, which was recorded almost exclusively by himself at his home studio. I Really Blew It is from the most recent Coattail Riders album (2019’s Get the Money), a record which features guest appearances from Roger Taylor, Dave Grohl, Chrissie Hynde, LeAnn Rimes, Perry Farrell, Duff McKagan, Nancy Wilson, Mark King and Jon Davison. Not a bad roster for a fun side-project. The video is an incredible Weird Al-level pastiche of Rod Stewart’s Tonight’s the Night promo, too.
Foo Fighters – My Hero
From Foo’s 2nd record The Colour and the Shape (drums by Grohl, but Taylor Hawkins joined the band for the subsequent tour). I’d seen Foo Fighters on their first UK tour, with their original drummer and a long haired, much less confident Dave Grohl at the helm. The band’s second tour was like watching a completely different group, in the best way possible. A lot of it can be attributed to Dave Grohl becoming more comfortable as a frontman, but I think the real catalyst for the Foo Fighters success was Taylor Hawkins.