REGGAE PARTY TONIGHT!

Last August I posted a short thing about Dillinger's "Cocaine in My Brain" and how it borrowed the bass line from People's Choice's "Do It Any Way You Wanna", a song he toasted over prior to recording his signature song. Today, while browsing American Athlete (an excellent blog with tons of groove heavy international music), I ran into a post about Escort's "Cocaine Blues", which is as close to a disco type cover of Dillinger's "Cocaine in My Brain" as you can get it. It's a recent release, but you could swear that it was one of those songs that you never heard back in the late seventies (because, of course, disco sucked, right?). So, the bass line has come full circle, from dance floor to sound system, and back to the dance floor. (Note: get the Escort cut now, because it was posted with a note that said it would only be available for a few days, and that was back in November.)

In looking for an image for this post, I ran into an instant book mark. It's a site called Streamola Archive, and it has tons of reggae-centric stuff on it, streaming and in mp3 format. And I'm not talking about just songs. There's tapes of sound systems, interviews, radio shows, and all sorts of cool shit. Some of the sound files are a teeny bit warbly in parts (because they were ripped from streaming webcasts, from 1999-2001), but it's very minor. And there's some more recent stuff, including an Ari Up DJing gig, from February, just months before her death. It's an excellent set, with recent sounds from Jamaica and a few of the new Slits songs, and a mash up of John Lennon's vocal from "A Day In the Life" with a rhythm that, if you're at all into reggae, you'll recognize. (Stream the whole show at your hoedown tonight!) There's other posts with a Lee Perry set and interview, a King Jammy sound system set from '87, and a interview with Dillinger, and tons more. (Links are below.) I'm also including a repost of a link from a while back, in case you missed it. It's a Slits live set, from the Primavera Sound Festival, in Barcelona, from earlier this year.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

The bass line that won't die:
Escort - Cocaine Blues mp3 at American Athlete
Dillinger - Cocaine in My Brain mp3 at Giant Panther
People's Choice - Do It Anyway You Wanna mp3 at Lulu.com

PARTY SUPPLIES, the other good stuff:
Ari Up DJing w/Joly & Mad Scientist at Party 4 Haiti (2/2010) mp3 and streaming at Streamola Archive
The Slits, Live at the Primavera Sound Festival (2010) at Free Music Archive (NOTE: Click the arrow to the right of the plus sign [+] to download)
King Jammy's SuperPower soundsystem set (1987) mp3 and streaming at Streamola Archive
Lee Perry gig from 1999 mp3 and streamimg at Streamola Archive
Lee Perry interview (mid-80s) mp3 and streaming at Streamola Archive
Dillinger & Trinity interview mp3 and streaming at Streamola Archive
Breif Selection - Reggae mix mp3 and streaming at Streamola Archive

ARI UP DEAD

Just minutes ago, I opened an email from my friend Mikel, who I've known since our fanzine days back in the early punk scene. Reading the email, my heart sunk. It was just a forwarded press release, saying that Ari Up, lead singer of the Slits, had passed away at the age of 48:

"Ari Up (born Ariane Forester), the German-born lead vocalist for seminal British punk band The Slits has died at the age of 48 after a long battle with illness. Her immediate family has asked for privacy at this time and no public service is planned. She is survived by three sons, her mother Nora, and stepfather Johnny Lydon (also known as Johnny Rotten)."

Video of "Lazy Slam", just released today

Regulars here (all four of you) will know that know that she held a special place in the Trastos heart (uh, punk crush #17). I wrote about her a little over a year ago, when the revamped Slits had just released a new album, their first in years (that post can be found here). A certain amount of innocent exuberance has been lost, but photos of that smile will be be around to remind us of the joy inherent in following one's own path. And something tells me that she's not one to rest in peace, more like run amok in peace.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

The Slits - Ask Ma mp3 at Limewire
The Slits - Live set from the Primavera Sound Festival (2010) at the Free Music Archive (Once there, click on arrow to the right to download)
The Slits - The World of Grown-Ups (live 2008) mp3 at Pitchfork
The Slits - I Heard It Through the Grapevine mp3 at One Sweet Song
Ari Up's bio, in her own words at Pitchfork
The Slits at MySpace

ARI GROWED UP

Though it's been thirty years since the first Slits LP Cut, there's no mistaking the voice and the phrasing on the song "Ask Ma" from the upcoming Trapped Animal. Even if the sound isn't as all together organic as the first album (who can follow up using dropped silverware as a rhythm?), and there is more than a touch of electronically produced sounds, the feel (from the one song I've heard, at least) is still full-on Slits. And, surprisingly, even with all the time that has passed, it isn't as removed from the early work as you'd expect. But there's no mistaking that it is an update, and not a reunion.

It's comforting that Ari Up, punky reggae's Pippy Longstocking, hasn't changed much since the early days of the Slits. She exudes all of the characteristics of being comfortable in one's own skin. (And if it works, why change it, right?) Turns out, even with constant moving around, living in jungles and becoming a mother, she's still the same gangly wide-eyed girl she's always been. She's like the six year old that rides up on their bike while you're working on your car and says "Whatcha doing?" Without an ounce of fanboy (too old for that anyways), I have to say, I really missed her.

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The Slits - Ask Ma mp3 at LimeWire

The Slits - The World of Grown-Ups (Live 2008) mp3 at Pitchfork

The Slits - I Heard It Through the Grapevine mp3 at One Sweet Song

Ari Up's bio, in her own words, at Pitchfork

The Slits on MySpace (w/semi-recent videos)