New Year's Eve With Hungry Beat!

For those of you out there still keeping score, you'll know that Hungry Beat! has been a pretty quiet in 2012, that all changes on New Year's Eve! It's particularly special for me (Marion), as I've been (happily) on the air over at KCRW for the past few years, either at the stroke of midnight, or mere hours after. The fact that I'll be surrounded this year by great friends, two of L.A.'s finest young noise pop bands, and a brand new venue whose addition to the fabric of downtown L.A will most certainly prove to be vital in a matter of months feels almost too good to be true. The fact that I'll be ringing in 2013 by co-hosting the night that has been conspicuously absent in my life for way too much of 2012 almost brings tears to my eyes. I hope you'll be able to join us.

Japan, Scotland, Flipper's Guitar, and the General Wonder That Is Cornelius...

Wasn't planning to write a post today to be perfectly honest. Despite my very real intentions to contribute new content everyday, life always manages to get in the way doesn't it? And you know what they say about good intentions...

However, sometimes the stars align, you get a flash of a good idea, and all of a sudden, you're writing when all that you originally planned to do was post a picture of Morrisey on facebook.

I remembered that there is a very charming photo of Japanese enigma Cornelius sporting a T-shirt with the logo of one of his very favorite record labels; the Edinburgh based 53rd & 3rd which was founded by Sandy Mclean, David Keegan (of the Shop Assistants), and Stephen Pastel.

Cornelius is best known these days for shape shifting electronic dreamscapes that disguise themselves as songs, but did you know that he got his start in the indiepop band Flipper's Guitar? Well, they were originally called Lollypop Sonic, but Flipper's Guitar seemed to be where the good stuff really started to happen. They were a straightforward guitar band that wrote pretty, whimsical songs that would not have been at all out of place on 53rd & 3rd. Actually they'd have been even more at home on another label favorite of Cornelius', El Records, but that's another story for another time.

Check out Flipper's Guitar paying further tribute to 53rd & 3rd, or rather the band formed by one of the label's founders in this video for "Goodbye Our Pastel Badges:"

Whitney Houston

I was getting ready for a DJ gig on Saturday, February 11th when I began to see videos popping up all over Facebook. Why are so many people posting Whitney Houston videos, I wondered? She can't be dead... A few seconds later, I saw the news.

In addition to being on my way to a gig, I had my radio show that night. I began my research to get the best possible tribute together. It wasn't long before I came upon a song she recorded for Bill Laswell's experimental punk/funk outfit Material. Material, and Whitney Houston seemed like an odd fit at first, but the album that the song appears on, One Down, is already more straight forward in it's jazz/funk/disco style than previous Material albums. And there are plenty of songs out there that combine somewhat avant garde instrumentation with a pretty melody sung by a diva's voice. In fact, that describes quite a number of Material songs. This one though, "Memories," is one of the best. The sax solo from legendary jazz musician Archie Shepp is pretty spectacular as well.

- Marion

Tonight in Los Angeles: Motown Great Brenda Holloway at the Echoplex!

I've got to admit, I didn't know a thing about Angel City Soul Club until fellow HB! DJ Brian Cunningham brought it up a few months ago, but damn if it doesn't look like they might have put together one of the best shows of the year tonight.

You've got rocksteady group The Gaylads, who recorded for such legendary record labels as Studio One (amongst others).



Nolan Porter, popular Artist on the Northern Soul circuit, will start the night (and I imagine the dance floor) off with a short set. I have one single that is credited to an N.F. Porter that I remember liking, but haven't seen in years. If memory serves, Nolan Porter and N.F. Porter are one in the same. Can anyone confirm?



But perhaps the most exciting artist on the docket is Brenda Holloway, she'll be performing favorites from her Motown years, like this one:




It all happens tonight at the Echoplex, plus Hot Shot and Angel City Soul Club DJs keeping you moving all night long... HOWEVER, if you feel like a little variety once you've danced to some of the rarest, and greatest records on the planet... you can always head over to Los Globos where I'll be spinning the night's closing set, and it will be 100 percent Hungry Beat! style moving from Orange Juice to the Temptations to lot's of lesser known greats within the same theme. Either way, there's plenty to do tonight, so get out there!!

- Marion

New Soul! Alice Russel With Quantic and the Combo Barbaro

I was excited, or perhaps more realistically, apprehensive as I thought the other night about what I would write for this first straight up music post. I felt like it should be about something new. So many interesting projects that use indiepop and/or northern soul as their jumping off points for new creations have popped up since Hungry Beat! turned into a wayfairing stranger. It seemed completely necessary to acknowledge that.

Over the past few years, and in various guises, Quantic and Alice Russell have teamed up quite a few devastatingly beautiful soul tracks. Look Around the Corner marks the first time they've collaborated on a full album. The first single, also titled "Look Around the Corner" is really something special. It's a straight up nod to the 70s; full string section, the gentle rhythm of light conga drums, and Ms. Russell's clear and powerful voice all coming together in perfect harmony thanks to the spot on arrangement, and warm production of Will Holland (aka Quantic).

Watch this beautiful live version of the song... now!

- Marion

Exciting Updates... And a Challenge!

Hello friends of Hungry Beat! As you've probably noticed we've been in a bit of flux lately. You know, cause of life and stuff. The dry spell ends today though... at least when it comes to this blog. Updating this page will now be the first thing I do, and maybe if some of you out there will join me in asking them real real nice... the rest of Team Hungry will send some content your way as well.

This song seems perfectly appropriate for the occasion:

Love,
HB!/Marion

Hungry Beat! TONIGHT at Senor Fish!

Tonight we'll be at Senor Fish for the first FRIDAY Hungry Beat ever! We've all been busy digging in the crates so there's plenty of new cuts to play tonight!

Here's the event listing on Facebook: