If it's smoke, we want all of it
Hey friends,
Like many of us, when the calendar flips over, I tend spend a bunch of time reflecting. Last year felt to me like a sigh of relief compared to the previous four years or so. The girls are back in school full time and are fully vaccinated. We took a whole bunch of trips to the beach, we took every opportunity to gather with friends and family, and most important of all, the public outdoor swimming pool was open this summer. The girls didn't seem to slow down too much from the off-year, and by the end of the summer they were diving into the deep end and swimming strongly. We added a puppy to our ever-growing domestic zoo. The Doc changed careers again, leaving the long commutes behind and working at a hospital in Hillsboro.
I managed to keep my sanity intact through a combination of marriage counseling, therapy, joining a men's group that self-formed around the patriarchy and how to overthrow it, marijuana, video games, surfing, coffee, my dogs, and on and on... as always, music is the thing that gets me closest to tapping the source of my memory & feelings.
I cannot imagine a better way to start a year.
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DJ MR. MOM's YEAR END STATS
NUMBER OF DJ MIXES MADE: 13
In January, I set a goal to make a dozen+ mixes for the year. I felt a little deflated that I hadn't made the mark after cranking out four (!) in January alone. Wow haha must've had lots of nervous energy early in the year. I realized belatedly I'd contributed two mixes to THE HELLFISH's Strictly Reggae Music series, which padded the numbers. I'd like to make shorter (30-60 min), more diverse, and more frequent DJ mixes, so here's to upping my game in 2022.
NUMBER OF LIVE DJ SETS: 11
It was often frustrating to book DJ gigs in the "post-COVID" (hahahahahaha) era. Lots of the places I really enjoyed DJ'ing went out of business during the first year of the pandemic (R.I.P. to Beech St. Parlor 😭). Other places offered spots but couldn't afford to pay DJs. I try not to have a big ego about playing records, because lots of spots in Portland don't pay DJs and I was happy to volunteer when I was representing a radio station, but I wasn't ready to do all that work for free.
I feel super greatful to Michael Gersten of Speck's Records for booking me at Kenton Club, Either/Or, and his shop. His DJ flyers are absolutely the best in Portland. Blessed also to play Tough Luck (one of my very favorite spots) and Paydirt.
NUMBER OF THOSE LIVE SETS THAT WERE HELLFISH SETS: 5
The flyer from the last live set the Hellfish did, the Thursday prior to Christmas at Kenton Club. We have a pretty good recording of the set we'll upload to Mixcloud soon. Maybe my favorite flyer for a show I've been involved in?
BEST DJ ACQUISITION
Oh my god I love my new Denon DJ Prime Go. It's perfect for mixing digital music & incorporating TIDAL into sets. But I got some other goooooooood stuff this year too. Trying to hit the ground running (?) when the pandemic ends (??).
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MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2001
first off, Portland Division:
BUY IT ON BANDCAMP // SPOTIFY PLAYLIST // TIDAL PLAYLIST
It was a great year for music in the City of Roses. The list compiled here is chronological, beginning with T.$poon on New Year's Day and ending with [E]mpress on New Year's Eve. I also made a similar list with links on buymusic.club if you like to support local artists (😍) by purchasing their music on Bandcamp (❤️😍😘❤️🔥).
Biggest highlights of the local stuff for me:
Youngshirtmayne releasing a solo EP and collaborating with Mat Randol. Shirty is one of my favorite MCs in town, he's a laugh riot with the punchlines. Been glad to hear him on more tracks lately.
Old Grape God continuing his inimitable, joyful, inspiring run of brilliance. The man is possessed when it comes to artistic ideas, and we are all the benefactors of his incredible work ethic.
Big World Recordings smacking everything out of the park, including a label compilation (Solitaire), career-best releases from Sir Nai and Blangblanglang, and a series of four beat tapes from Qeese the Gr8.
[Bryson, the Alien] rolling out a full length, two eps, and some dope collaborative singles as a part of Unexplained Aerial Phenomenon. One of the brightest stars in Portland.
Fountaine releasing South of Nowhere, and following it up shortly with Blue? II. The artist has been kind enough to share iterations of SON with me for years, and I've heard all kinds of different mixes and songs come and go from it. I'm super proud of his accomplishment, and I love the follow-up beat tape to Blue?, which is a favorite of mine.
Mic Capes put out a meditative, spiritual EP called In Spite Of... and more than held his own with dignity in local rap beefs. Continues to wear the crown of King of MCs in PDX in my eyes.
DjangaUnchained surprised me the most with a super good debut album called How Ya Feelin? I didn't know he was nice like that, but he's got bars that burrow into your brain and stick around. I bought it on iTunes because I couldn't find another place to pay money for it.
Milc a.k.a. Blanco is another shining light in PDX Hip-Hop that had a hell of a good year. Between his features and posse cut contributions, his collaboration with producer Calvin Valentine on Tiger Milc, his collaboration with Chase Moore on Wolf Side, and his late-year singles with Andy Savoie, Milc definitely stole the show and more this year. My favorite line of the year comes from his song "UNLV" when he hollers "tell the Portland Police to suck a whole dick." That's art.
Mike Mo put out two beat tapes and an impressive rap demo that prove he continues to be an integral part of the sound in Portland.
Zyah Belle's most recent EP Who's Listening Anyway is charming as fuck. 2020 single "I Think That I Love You" finds a perfect home among songs made by a confident, lovely new voice.
GOD TIER RELEASES
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST // TIDAL PLAYLIST
The album of the year came down to three possibilities for me: Haram, the excellent collaboration between MC duo Armand Hammer and producer the Alchemist; Bo Jackson, the wild combination of Detroit MC Boldy James & the Alchemist; and Pray for Haiti, the gorgeous record from the elusive and cryptic Mach-Hommy. I was able to see Armand Hammer with Open Mike Eagle at Mississippi Studios this year, and catch Boldy James with Milc(!) at Doug Fir also, and while both performances were top notch, I was drawn more strongly to Boldy's material and would give him a slight edge. Not sure if Mach-Hommy tours,that might have changed my mind.
I was also overhwhelmed by all the music that Drakeo put out this year prior to his death. Last year, he released Thank You for Using GTL while still incarcerated and We Know the Truth immediately upon his release. This year, he gave us The Truth Hurts, Ain't That the Truth, and So Cold I Do 'Em 2, as well as A Cold Day in Hell in collaboration with Ralfy the Plug. His music has been heavy in rotation all year, and I can't adequately communicate how saddened I was and still am by his murder. I think So Cold I Do 'Em 2 is among his very best work, but I agree with the sentiment that his entire recorded catalog is essential.
It took me a long time to warm up to Tyler, the Creator; I was very dismissive of the early Odd Future and solo stuff, choosing to embrace Earl Sweatshirt & Frank Ocean from that crew, but few others. He definitely had my attention with Flower Boy, and I really liked Igor a lot, but I was unprepared for how much I enjoyed Call Me If You Get Lost. It's breezy, endearing project from beginning to end.
If I was asked who the most important musician is right now, Pink Siifu continues to get top billing. His most recent record GUMBO'! is so different from last year's NEGRO, which received a deluxe version this year too. The live videos I've seen from his tour are just bananas. His collaboration with Fly Anakin put out an EP called $mokebreak to follow up last year's excellent FlySiifu's. The man just continues to make fascinating moves, and I'm excited to see how he (and Earl) translate lessons of fatherhood into their music.
I really liked a bunch of indie rock records this past year too, for the first time in awhile. I guess I've been far enough away from THE HELLFISH lately (we had few rules, but no white dudes with guitars was one we agreed on quick) that it makes sense that I'd gravitate back toward the music that consumed so much of my listening until about six years ago. I spend a lot of time thinking about why all new indie rock stuff sounds so embarrassing to me now, and I'm sure lots of it has to do with how I perceive the world lately. Anyhow, some of my favorite bands of recent times made some of their best records. Helado Negro is not necessarily something I would pigeonhole as indie rock in sound, but being on 4AD kinda slaps you with that general tag, right? I've really grown to admire Roberto Carlos Lange as a musician and songwriter, and this one leapt out as an easy favorite for me on first listen. Japanese Breakfast continue their winning streak with Jubilee, one of the most joyful records I've heard in awhile with killer singles. The ladies in my house love this one. My current favorite rock band is definitely La Luz, who killed it with releasing singles from their self-titled record for months before dropping it. Their progression (and Shana Cleveland's solo work) has been astonishing.
Isaiah Rashad, Yebba and Jazmine Sullivan were artists that I was mostly unfamiliar with before 2021. That has changed now, both of their records are la crème de la crème.
THE NEXT WAVE
Navy Blue put on a clinic in 2021 in producing and MC'ing.
The show I was the saddest to miss was Cadence Weapon & [Bryson, the Alien] & Fat Tony & Milc at Polaris Hall. Rollie Pemberton continues to be one of my favorite MCs, he writes a great newsletter, and his consistent quality is impeccable.
That Dijon record blew my mind and brought me to my knees. Just breathtakingly gorgeous and sensual.
Like I said, Alchemist had some of the year's best releases. His two eps titled This Thing of Ours was a grail of my favorite MCs, and his beats backed lots of my favorite songs this year.
Enumclaw are for real and I support them 100%.
HOLY SHIT THERE WAS AN E*VAX RECORD THIS YEAR (20 years after Parking Lot Music!) AND IT WAS GREAT!
The Melanie Charles record makes me swoon and sad. Belongs with a galaxy of stunning records about the experience of being a Black woman.
Damn, I really loved the Vince Staples record and I was puzzled by the response of folks that were underwhelmed. It's almost like they don't want artists to change & grow? I don't know, it took me some time to adjust to the clearer production and Vince's measured & methodical delivery, but it was a really rewarding and insightful record. "Are You With That?" was one of my favorite jams of the year.
The Solution is Restless, a collaboration between Joan as Police Woman, legendary drummer Tony Allen, and Dave Okumu, was one of the most pleasant first listens and least-classifiable releases of the year for me. Allen is transfixing in one of his last recorded sessions, and the songs (built from jams) are so curiously constructed.
Goddamn that Kaytranada EP GOES.
Travis Thompson & Parisalexa continue to build on their PNW bona fides and up their game with their latest releases.
Son Raw emerged as one of my favorite Bandcamp producers with the wildly entertaining beat tape Son Raw Vs. The Psychotic Hippies, built from '60s & '70s psych rock samples and biker movie and weed panic dialogue, and the blend tape Fantasy RapBall that paired his dustiest boom bap with classic and under-appreciated verses from the legends. The elusive double threat as music journalist and producer non parallèle.
REISSUES
Portland is a great town for record stores. Shops around this city tend to be staffed by folks with deep knowledge of and love for old records, and occasionally those folks get to help reissue old records or compile old songs. The Albina Music Trust continued its mission to spread the word of unheralded Black Portland music from the '60s-'80s, and this year they were involved in reissues of Transport's Disco Fantasy Land, Slickaphonic's self-titled funk album, and Burnin' by Carl Smith & The Natural Gas Company. All were worth the pickup. Through Michael at Speck's Records, I learned of the music of Vinicio Adames of Venezuela, who made fractured '80s synth pop that reminded me of Arthur Russell in the best ways. But mostly I cherished the compilations released by Eric Isaacson of Mississippi Records, especially Strange World, an unearthly cosmic blast of doo wop, and Written on the Wall, the latest installment of his American Soul Music series. It's a good time and place to be alive & buying records.
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DJ MIXES
Who here finds this world distracting?
Who here finds this world a bore?
Who here thinks we're all play acting
And that the show's piss poor?
I for one am dazzled,
I don't care if dazzled blind,
Rapt, enraptured, captured
By every little thing I find.
Les Savy Fav // "Crawling Can Be Beautiful"
I spent the last quarter of 2021 going back twenty years in time. As a part of my practice to get with audio, I've been listening to & digitizing old radio shows that I recorded while in college. Usually they come from cassette tapes but we also recorded on minidisc and transferred shows to CD. In all, I have about forty old shows and a hundred hours to digitize and clean up.
In 2001, I did a year-end top 40 program in the style of Casey Kasem/Kevin O'Connor, which seemed like an obvious choice to revisit. My plan was to listen to my old show and find my top 40 from that year and compare it to what music I like from that time, right now. I dug around in my archive, found the relevant files, and gave my circa 2001 show a listen.
It was surprising! Holy shit I listened to a GREAT DEAL of white bois with guitars, bemoaning their poor paternal relationships and difficult romantic endeavors. And while I still love rock 'n roll (I think), it just does not have the same emotional resonance it used to. Also, it was slow and boring! So while I still have love for the indie rock of that era, I found that on the whole, it didn't interest me too much in retrospect, and lots of the stuff that felt important then was dull now.
I thought I would enjoy the Hip-Hop and R&B more upon reflection than I did contemporaneously, but that didn't necessarily hold true. Back then, I was still riding high from the Wu-Tang solo stuff that had been released in recent years, but I was perplexed by how toothless and square most of Bulletproof Wallets sounded at the time. I knew there was a much better version of "Flowers" out there, but I had no idea the sample didn't get cleared. If that record could have come out in it's original form, it would've been DOPE. The Def Jux stuff did not stand up for me, with the exception of Cannibal Ox, and The Cold Vein has become a beacon of the good sound from the era to me.
In the end, I tried to distill my favorite songs & albums from the era into a mix designed to reflect the tension of the times. It was a weird fucking year, nationally, internationally, and personally. I got engaged, and my fiancee left for medical school in the fall. The year began with a Bush presidency after a protracted court battle, and the fall brought swift change and an immediate demand for self-reflection.
This year, the album I listened to over and over again was Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You. It was the band's final album, and I still find irony in the fact that it was released in April. Instead of being an album of rebirth and growth, it has the cloistered feeling of decay and chill. To this day, the title evokes for me autumn into winter cold, a time to turn inward and reflect. If I recall correctly, it was the longest charting record during my tenure as music director at KZUU. I went #1 in the spring when it came out, and lingered through a magic summer with little responsibility and many gatherings and Oly stubbies. When fall came back around, it fit the energy.
It really hit home for me when I would play tracks from it while DJ'ing out in 2021, how the anxious energy then is so similar to the feeling now, the mistrust and tension. I played the first song, "We Invent You," to start a set at Speck's Records, and I knew my vinyl copy had a little peculiarity as compared to the CD copy I listened to/DJ'ed from while in college. The intro to the record is the sound of the formation of a choir of sine waves, never quite resolving into a pleasant chord until the guitar line comes in. The vinyl extends the sine wave chord for quite a bit longer than is really comfortable if one DJs it straight, like I did that day. That unresolved tension gives me the eeriest sense of déjà vu now, and it's found in scattered moments throughout the album. Especially the vinyl, which makes spectacular use of a lock groove at the end of side two.
One of the interesting things that hit home for me was to realize that, when working on this project, how big the holes in the streaming services can be. Four Tet's music was pulled off DSPs by his label (BOYCOTT DOMINO) over streaming royalty disputes. At the beginning of the year, there was almost no Aaliyah to be found on any platform. Now it's all there. Jim O'Rourke (and a large portion of the Drag City catalog) remain off streaming. It seems more important than ever to rely on our own collections of music rather than renting them from the platforms.
"We Invent You" from Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound
"Flowers (ft. Method Man, Raekwon, and Superb)" from Bulletproof Wallets by Ghostface Killah
"We Need a Resolution (ft. Jadakiss)" from Aaliyah by Aaliyah
"Crawling Can Be Beautiful" from Go Forth by Les Savy Fav
"Therefore I Am" from Insignificance by Jim O'Rourke
"Blooms and Blossoms" from Kids Fill the Floor by Freescha
"Cocoon" from Vespertine by Björk
"Life and Limb" from The Argument by Fugazi
"I Want You More Than Ever" from Suburban Light by The Clientele
"Gone to Earth" from Know By Heart by The American Analog Set
"What We Meant" from Parking Lot Music by E*VAX
"Pigeon" from The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox
"Beloved Woman" from Whatever, Mortal by Papa M
"Headless Horseman" from The Glow, Pt. 2 by The Microphones
"Believing Is Art" from Girls Can Tell by Spoon
"Black List (ft. MF DOOM & Aesop Rock)" from Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives by Prefuse 73
"To Wild Homes" from Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers
"Captain Easychord" from Sound-Dust by Stereolab
"The Sublimation Hour" from Streethawk: A Seduction by Destroyer
Here are a few of the other lists I compiled while revisiting ALL of the old stuff + the stuff I missed.
I remember my general feeling at the time was that Hip-Hop was struggling coming out of the Diddy & Hype Williams excess and with a dearth of good stuff in the underground. There was so much I obviously missed at the time, but lots of my (seemingly snap) opinions held from youth stood up to re-evaluation. Still not sold of some of the records from the year held up as classics, but obviously embarrassed to still snap my neck to cLOUDDEAD.
Oh my god I listened to so much indie rock during this year in my life. Rather than crystalizing as my classic rock & put up on a pedestal, it has calcified as the fossil an irrelevant period filled with self-absorption and mewling. To me, at least.
My under-the-radar list is mostly made up of college radio or PNW bands, and I think this list is a pretty great indicator of what I championed hard back in college.
This list is vintage 2001, from my college radio show at the end of that year. I counted 'er down from #40 to #1 over four excruciating hours of guitar noodling and general head nodding.
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DJ MR. MOM EDITS
I made my first DJ edit/blend in service of this mix, something I try live with mixed results. Goddamn, I LOVE Aaliyah's "We Need A Resolution" with absolutely visionary production from Timbaland, who also contributed a dogshit verse for the feature and proved to me forever that he belongs behind the boards, not in the booth. I like to play a 12" version of the cut that removes his verse and then use other rappers acapellas to make something passable. I recently came across a copy of Jadakiss' "Put Ya Hands Up" and loved the results. Made a DJ edit for me to use, and hell you too if you want.
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PHOTOS
My fam, at Thanksgiving. Had not seen my grandmother since Nov 2019, so we were thrilled to gather with her this year.
Ronda got me the bitchin'est christmas gift (since the surfboard five years ago). Apologies to Tube/DJ Evil One.
Two dope boys
Jos has got the Lewis & Clark pose down COLD. Now we're gonna have to talk to her about colonizer energy and how those dipshits didn't "discover" a goddamned thing.
Oh it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you.
They should call you Sugar, you're so sweet to me.
Coming soon to a DJ flyer near you (I'm sure). Good lord Ronda's new iPhone 13 takes good pics.
If any of y'all want to see a crazy good Hip-Hop show with me in June w/ Zack Fox & Freddie Gibbs, I'm going.
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LINKS
Ronda sent me a fascinating article about a prisoner-run radio station in Texas. I am still in awe every time I consider the awesome power of radio.
R.I.P. Drakeo the Ruler. Just like when Nipsey was murdered, it's difficult to explain why this fills me with despair. This piece on his death by Jeff Weiss is absolutely gutting.
Thanks to CRACK Magazine for continuing to feed my obsession with Pink Siifu
Craig Jenkins' year-end list from Vulture is top notch.
Douglas Martini for KEXP on Mach-Hommy's Pray for Haiti. If you knew me when we lived in Seattle from 2002-2009, you knew I was NOT a fan of KEXP in the post-KCMU era. I have to give MUCH respect to the path they've taken since George Floyd's murder in 2020--namely, to expand airtime for a number of their Black & POC DJs, such as Larry Mizell, Jr., Gabriel Teodros, & Vitamin D. I've been paying attention to radio, as always, and I'm constantly struck by its whiteness. The blandness, the preponderance of white male voices in most genres. KEXP really walked the walk when they promoted their talent and expanded their programming, and Douglas Martini's voice is a welcome addition.
One of my favorite new forms is subscription-based journalism, and no one does Hip-Hop finer than Gary Suarez a.k.a. Cabbages. Here's his year-end list. Here's a piece he wrote on the return of Kurious, one of my favorite MCs from the '90s.
Marcus J. Moore wrote beautifully about Melanie Charles & her new album Y'all Don't (Really) Care About Black Women. He also had an incisive profile on Earl Sweatshirt for EW.
More great profiles of Earl from Highsnobriety and The Ringer.
ALWAYS my favorite journalism is the site Passion of the Weiss, edited & maintained by Jeff Weiss. Their list of Best Rap Songs & Best Albums of 2021 is essential. Also want to mention this piece by Donald Morrison that came out earlier this year, about the mystery behind Mac Dre's murder.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha [I don't like this picture because I'm in it].
Also, please remember:
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Take care,
DJ MR. MOM
01/22/2021