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We start this date with some "Dramatic" legal stuff involving The Temptations, then it's funk punk soul rock for the rest of the gig, with Dan Lloyd doing the honors on our AMPED weekly rock feature supreme!
"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.
Oct 14, 2021
The Drop with Danno
The Dramatics – Your Love Was Strange
Otis Redding – Hard To Handle (DJ Spinna Galactic Funk Remix)
Brownout – I Won’t Lie
Adrian Quesada feat Brownout – Funky Chick
MF Robots – Mother Funkin’ Robots (alt vers)
Flevans – Loose Gardener
Web Web – Inner Revolution
Web Web & Mulatu Astatke – Meskel Flowers (alt vers)
Emanative feat Ahu – Turn The Lights On
Meernaa – Bells
Yellow Days – Belong Together
The Ebonys – Life In The Country
I.
It is 20 hours past midnight here in downtown Gwangju, and naturally since it is indeed the fourth night of the dreaded work week, it is time to let the stank waft & throw rocks for our funk punk soul rock weekly sesh. And this Thursday is extant forever as October 14, 2021. This is Danno of course as I do nightly on GFN between 8 & 10, thankful to each & every one of you tuned in now or later. As we do every single Thursday evening, it’s time to roll out our Sampled funk & soul Thursday here in the first hour, and the Man On The Drums Dan Lloyd joins us for our AMPED weekly rock feature for hour two. Good mix of old & new tonight, for sure in both the funk & punk worlds, so do keep it locked for that good new biz. However, before anything it’s time to roll out the scrolls for the history, and tonight we note a bit a massive lawsuit that was rather dramatic, and we’ll talk about the background of the most tempting dramatic after the strange love goes comes & goes. THIS is The Drop.
The Dramatics – Your Love Was Strange
The Drop has begun the funk & soul courtroom proceedings for this Thursday evening. What’s the haps, Drop Tops? (KOR) Danno here holding the gavel, studio 2 in downtown Gwangju, real nice to have you with us tonight tuned into GFN HQ’s signal of signals.
That was our TIGHT (or) feature to begin opening arguments, that was The Dramatics with Your Love Was Strange, as it was on this date in 2003 that former Dramatics & Temptations vocalist Barrington Henderson sued Motown Records and The Temptations for wrongful termination and millions of dollars in alleged unpaid royalties.
Henderson, who was one of the group's lead singers for five years until he was fired in June of 2003, claims in the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that he never received royalties for the albums "Awesome" and "Ear-resistible."
The lawsuit also alleges the Temptations, dubbed the "Emperors of Soul" and one of the top acts to emerge from Motown in the 1960s, continue to use Henderson's image and voice on merchandise, advertising and a group Web site to further their own success.
According to his lawyer, Brian Glicker, Henderson was fired in June despite promises he would continue to be the lead singer of the band. Henderson further alleges that during his employment with the group, the Temptations failed to make required social security payments on his behalf and that Williams, the group's only remaining original member, made defamatory and untrue statements about Henderson's ability to perform.
Now, you might be wondering, is this the same Temptations from the late 60s & early 70s? Yes, indeed it is. Even though the original members especially David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks and pretty much everybody else left way back when, the group kept on doing their thing, and still does.
Apparently the lawsuit was settled, as it seems that Henderson continues to appear as part of the group, having done so at a gala in 2019.
#9870 (50/100)…SM…podcast.
Now, let’s have a spin on a few newer cuts, with an Otis Redding joint to start the procession followed by a couple of tunes from & featuring Brownout. THIS is The Drop on your Sampled funk & soul Thursday night.
____
Back on The Drop as we continue with part 1 on our Sampled funk & soul Thursday first half, and we just went through a couple of quite new tunes along with a remix of a classic to begin the show properly. Danno here, making the sure the levels are juuuuuust so, and for now let’s get to the liner notes on those last three joints...
Otis Redding – Hard To Handle (DJ Spinna Galactic Funk Remix) (…a tune that has been covered many times since recording in 1967, one of the last that Otis ever put together prior to his sudden transformation that same year. The original was put out on the posthumous The Immortal Otis Redding, released that next year in 1968. This was a 7” double single put out by NYC’s DJ Spinna just a couple weeks ago.)
Brownout – I Won’t Lie (…an older cut right here from 2012, released on the group’s Oozy LP (note spelling).)
Adrian Quesada feat Brownout – Funky Chick (…a little latin soul team-up here much more recent. Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas fame teams up with the aforementioned Latin Soul outit, both being from Austin, TX. This just dropped a week ago and it must be mentioned that’s Tomar Williams doing the honors on the vox.)
Towards the close of part 1 this evening, we’ll head over to the UK & London specifically. First up is Brand New Heavies project MF Robots with Mutha Funkin’ Robots (which is not what the band name stands for, by the way). MF or Music For Robots just dropped their sophomore LP last week, available everywhere via BBE, and is called Break The Wall. After that we’ll play something from Flevans and our final exam for quarter one tonight is called Loose Gardener. THIS is The Drop on your Sampled funk & soul Thursday.
MF Robots – Mother Funkin’ Robots (ext vers)
Flevans – Loose Gardener
II.
The Drop continues along tonight for our Sampled funk & soul first hour. What’s crackalackin’ tonight Drop Tops (KOR)? Danno here keepin the air mostly new & fresh for the first 57 prior to Dan Lloyd’s AMPED rock and/or roll feature for this week, but let’s run down that first pair of quarter two openers...
Web Web – Inner Revolution (…)
Web Web & Mulatu Astatke – Meskel Flowers (alt vers) (…the latter artist involved in that block needs no introduction for most music heads out there, especially those of the jazzual persuasion. Mulatu Astatke even in his advanced years continues to release incredible work, and hoping for much more from the father of Ethiopian jazz for the future. Web Web is the duo of German rapper & producer Herre and Italian-German percussionist Roberto Di Giola which came about after the two played an impromptu show together several years ago. Very high quality spiritual jazz sounds there, awesome collab with Mulatu Astatke as well.)
Moving onto the next block, we’ve got another mix of new & older, starting with the latter & tune by Emanative then we have cuts from Meernaa & Yellow Days to close things for the next triad of tunes. THIS is The Drop on your smoother Sampled funk & soul Thursday.
____
The Drop is back for the final airbreak of the first half tonight. Danno here, going through some of the smoother new cuts and a recent discovery for that last block, and Gwangju’s Sultan of Drumistan Dan Lloyd is ready for our 2nd hour AMPED feature which blares in all of our faces shortly. To the last block’s recap, that was...
Emanative feat Ahu – Turn Your Lights On (…this is a great UK-based producer who makes some amazing electronica & jazz with an oh-so-subtle touch. This tune appeared on what I believe was his debut album in 2010 called Time.)
Meernaa – Bells (…CA-based Meernaa along with Hatchie released new singles this week as part of Secretly Canadian’s SC25 compilation album celebrating their 25 years as a label. Wondering what’s upcoming, as their last album Heart Hunger from 2019 was a very good LP.)
Yellow Days – Belong Together (…this is the first single to drop since the UK-based NZ-born artist’s debut album last year A Day In A Yellow Beat. Like Meernaa, interested to see how he develops into the future, lots of potential there no question.)
So, to finish the first half let’s go way back on the timeline for tonight, and we’ve got a cut cued up by The Ebonys called Life In The Country, and we’ll let that long one mosey at its own pace straight into our 2nd half. THIS is The Drop on your Sampled & AMPED Thursday night and it is halftime.
The Ebonys – Life In The Country
III & IV AMPED
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes – Off With His Head ft Cassyette
Sam Fender – The Leveller
The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – Trouble
Dan Andriano and the Bygones – Dear Darkness
Gang of Youths – The Man Himself
The Last Gang – Shameless
Circa Survive – Impostor Syndrome
We Are the Union / Eve 6 – Sound System (Operation Ivy cover)
Billy Bragg – Mid Century Modern
Noah Gundersen – Atlantis ft. Phoebe Bridgers
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes – Off With His Head ft Cassyette
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are back with their brand of high energy attitude-filled rock, but for their latest song they've got a special guest taking things up an extra notch. British newcomer Cassyette matches Carter's energy, giving listeners a vibrant pairing that comes firing through your speakers with "Off With His Head."
Fittingly the song is accompanied by a live performance video, perfectly capturing the energy, bravado and stage presence that both musicians bring to the track. "Off With His Head" is the latest advance single from Carter and his band's fourth full-length album, Sticky, which is due Oct. 15.
The track itself serves as Carter's takedown of a patriarchal society. The singer shares, “Patriarchal society is a plague; it’s a pyramid scheme. It has strict regulations regarding who and how it benefits and is unique in its ability to oppress people at the exact same time it benefits them. ‘Off With His Head’ is a scathing generalized attack on trolls whose only joy in life is flexing their sixth-form grammar and Proud Boy mentality with the same smug tact as both sides of the fence in Good Will Hunting."
He continues, "The patriarchy is the worst because it enables all men to exist in a greater quality of life than all women and children, and while doing so, it also organizes the men into an untenable hierarchy that excludes a high percentage of men. Patriarchal society is designed to support apex predators.”
Sam Fender – The Leveller
Sam Fender is racing towards his second UK Number One, with new album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ currently outselling the rest of the Top Ten combined.
The North East singer-songwriter released his second album last week (October 8), before announcing UK arena tour dates for next year.
Per the Official Charts‘ midweek update, Fender’s closest rival for the top spot is Drake, whose album ‘Certified Lover Boy’ currently sits in second place.
Other new entries in the Top Five include Trivium and James Blake, whose album ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ sits at Number Five, while Fender’s debut album ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ has also returned to the Top 40, sitting at #38.
In a four star review of Fender’s new album, NME wrote: “If ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ was the sound of a young boy kicking out at the world, ‘Seventeen Going Under’ sees Fender realise that it can kick back a lot harder, and he counts every blow and bruise.
“But he seems to have found that time passes and that most wounds – even the deepest – will eventually heal, if he can allow them to.”
The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – Trouble
Fourth album Illusory Walls came out last week to rave reviews. It’s a hefty piece of work to tackle in one sitting; two songs pass the 15 minute mark, but what I’ve heard so far has been excellent. Slant magazine (4.5/5): ”On their fourth studio album, Illusory Walls, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die bring their emo-inflected brand of post-rock to bigger, darker, and more life-affirming places than ever before. The album harnesses the lyrical clarity of 2019’s Always Foreign, the unabashed grandeur of 2015’s Harmlessness, and the spacious post-rock of 2013’s Whenever, If Ever, all while incorporating a prog-rock bombast and studio slickness that serve to revitalize the band’s signature sound.”
Dan Andriano and the Bygones – Dear Darkness
Alkaline Trio man Dan Andriano has announced details of an album with new solo project The Bygones.
The band – completed by Randy and Dylan Moore, and Nick Kenrick – will be releasing their new record Dear Darkness on February 11 via Epitaph, with the title-track out now.
As with plenty of new albums at the moment, Dear Darkness began life in the early stages of the pandemic, with Dan also doing his musical research while writing.
“I spent that whole time trying to get better at music,” he says. “I learned a lot about music. I sat in my garage every day and just played guitar and, you know, tinkered with basses. Which is something I try to do anyway, but I did it with a little more of an active interest in education, like time I feel like I lost learning or trying to get better at music while I was just on tour doing the same thing.”
He adds of how it all naturally came together: “It did feel sort of magical, just being that everything fell into place in such a crazy time when nothing was falling into place. That was something I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Gang of Youths – The Man Himself
Gang Of Youths have followed up their recent ‘total serene’ EP with another brand new single, ‘the man himself’.
The track finds frontman Dave Le’aupepe meditating on the loss of his father. Speaking on the subject matter, he explains: “If I ever have kids I’m not really sure how to raise them without my dad helping me out.”
The band produced the track themselves in their own studio space in Hackney. Over the next couple of months, they’ll play a quartet of sold out headline shows in Nottingham, Glasgow, Brighton and Bristol, interspersed with a stint supporting Sam Fender on his sold out dates in Newcastle, London, Leeds and Cardiff.
The Last Gang – Shameless
3rd album Noise Noise Noise came out last Friday. After the title track and lead single I was really looking forward to this release, but after having spent some time with it over the weekend, I’m a bit lukewarm about the whole thing. There are some solid tracks (this being one of them) but too many unremarkable tracks which sound like so many songs released on Fat Wreck Chords over the past couple of decades. I would have liked them to tap more into the Clash-style reggae punk they did so well on the title track, as that song is really the only essential tune on the whole album.
Circa Survive – Impostor Syndrome
Circa Survive are back, but there's been quite a bit of life happening since we last caught the band on The Amulet album in 2017. Some of that is reflected in the soul-baring new song "Imposter Syndrome" that you can check out below.
The song itself came about as a result of singer Anthony Green coming to terms with relapsing with heroin and suffering an overdose. This singer has since entered rehab and has attended daily Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
“This was the last song I wrote before I went into rehab two years ago," says Green. "The song is about forgiveness and accountability and represents a sense of starting over for me. Scrapping the blueprints and building from scratch in every aspect of our life.”
A bit of that rebirth is also represented in the Bob Sweeney-directed video for the song in which Green is shot in black-and-white sitting onscreen before a faceless figure approaches and proceeds to shave all of his hair off during the video. You can check that out below.
With a new perspective, the singer says, “To me, it’s a new phase for the band. For 15 years, we’ve just been touring nonstop. Because of the pandemic, we’ve learned a little bit about what we need to address in our lives. As the band is growing, we need to tour a bit smarter. We need to take care of our mental health and our personal lives. If we’re gonna have a reason to keep playing music, we need to fucking take care of some of this shit.”
The band's new EP, A Dream About Love, is currently on target for an Oct. 22 street date via Rise Records.
We Are the Union / Eve 6 – Sound System (Operation Ivy cover)
Twitter is a wild place! After becoming funny on Twitter, Eve 6 got added to The Fest "as like a postmodern joke" (to quote Eve 6), and they've used their platform to promote a lot of the cooler, younger punk bands playing The Fest who never had a video on MTV. Meanwhile, Laura Jane Grace has been petitioning another punk festival, Riot Fest, to get Operation Ivy to reunite. Eve 6 got involved in that too, urging Riot Fest to book Eve 6 doing a set of Op Ivy covers. Riot Fest replied, "LOL. I’d rather have @LauraJaneGrace cover @Eve6 songs." Laura then said, "If @RiotFest makes the Operation Ivy reunion happen I will perform a full set of @Eve6 covers… specifically ‘Inside Out’… I will cover that song on repeat for a full 45 minute set. I still get paid though." Riot Fest asked, "Do you like Operation more than you hate @Eve6? Would an Op Ivy reunion be worth it if it meant you had to listen to an @Eve6 cover band?" Rancid liked the tweet. Riot Fest made a Twitter poll asking who the worst band to cover Op Ivy would be, and Eve 6 won. Modern ska-punk greats We Are The Union tweeted, "god i just want one day on the timeline without seeing anything about eve 6, riot fest, and operation ivy."
Now, in a truly galaxy brain turn of events, Riot Fest has premiered a collaborative cover of Op Ivy's "Sound System" by We Are The Union and Eve 6! Presumably, some of those aforementioned tweets were adding fuel to this fire on purpose, knowing the cover was coming, but still, this is amazing. Also, the cover is genuinely good!
Billy Bragg – Mid Century Modern
Iconic British singer/songwriter and activist Billy Bragg is releasing a new album, The Million Things That Never Happened, on October 29 via Cooking Vinyl. Now he has shared another song from it, “Mid-Century Modern.” He’s also shared a video of him performing the song live with his band.
Bragg had this to say about the song in a press release: “As a mid century modern geezer, I’m aware that my notions of personal relationships were formed almost 50 years ago, likewise my politics. To cling to that and imagine that you’ve nothing to learn from younger generations, you’re in danger of becoming a dinosaur. Kids have got new priorities and new ideas. Thatcher’s dead. The world has moved on. I’m trying to respond to the things I’m hearing now, rather than reminding folk of ‘the good old days.’”
Noah Gundersen – Atlantis ft. Phoebe Bridgers
US singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen released his latest album, ‘A Pillar of Salt’, last Friday (October 8) via Cooking Vinyl. The album contains a track that features Phoebe Bridgers titled ‘Atlantis’.
The sombre track sees Gundersen grappling with regret and sorrow with Bridgers over an understated indie folk arrangement.
“It’s overdramatic, yeah, I know / Somebody cast me in a TV show / Where I play an addict, a drunken romantic / Always reaching for another drink,” they sing in its chorus.
Its monochrome music video, shot on an iPhone, follows Gundersen through bars and gardens in the dark to his piano and the stage. Bridgers does not appear in the clip.
“Phoebe may not be physically in the video but she’s there in spirit as the sweet voice of my inner monologue,” Gundersen wrote in a press statement.