#15 // Stones Throw Artist Showcase #2: DAM-FUNK

Say kin folk?
This week at Grown Folk Shit we are proudly presenting the 2nd installment of our Stones Throw Artist Showcase series, featuring LA's Dãm-Funk.
Evidently this brethren has been putting in work on the keyboards around LA for sometime, but now dude is set to really really do it this year with the release of his debut album "Toeachizown". The album will be released this fall on Stones Throw as a 5 LP set! That's two and a half hours of music! C'mon now... by no stretch of the imagination, is dude playing games.


(photo by Shaun Bloodworth from his recent photo essay "LA Dope")

Dãm-Funk is at least two beasts in one -
First of all, your man is putting out the craziest, most focused music. Peep his output over the last year (it's all available at the Stones Throw online store) and you'll get the sense that this is an artist who is so bout what he's doing that it would be a just wrong for him to be doing anything other than what he's doing. Following a series of 12"s and remixes (including most recently his remix of 'Summertime Clothes' by Animal Collective) Dãm has just released the first two volumes of recordings that will comprise his debut LP. The first volume is titled "LAtrik" and features just about the coldest cover art you could ever imagine.


Dãm on the sound of this volume:
“LAtrik is more of my 'electric style' (hence the title of this volume)..."


The just released second volume is titled "Fly" and has yet, colder cover art.


"They're joints that U can roll 2. Let your hair down 2. Vibe with a lady 2 (or vice-versa), + stay 'fly' 2. I know there's still some fly ladies & gentlemen out there... 4 U. - D-F "

There's a free download of the song "10 West" from this volume over on the stonesthrow.com newsfeed. Here's a bootleg youtube vid for the song, that we personally love...


Yo it's mad bootleg, but it's so nice... Those slick ass long exposure postcard-from-LA shots of the 10 freeway headed into downtown... It's like a trailer for lost Bret Easton Ellis film adaptation staring Prince instead of Andrew McCarthy.

Okay, so as a recording artist, Dãm-Funk seems to be really striving for something uncommon and earnest. Big up yourself for that duke.
Then, you have Dãm-Funk the DJ and record collector, at which both disciplines he appears to have super game. Ol' boy is getting his dj sets reviewed in the New York Times... He's got radio shows and mixes coming out all over the world, from places like the BBC and stussy.com... He currently has the most butteryest show up on the Stones Throw Podcast... Plus he holds down a regular LA party called "Funkmosphere".
Man, if everybody's party promo was this fly...



Possibly my favorite part about this brother is evidenced, in part, in the video below. "... my mission is to give homage and respect to the elders that brought funk down to us... you can't forget about this magical music... It's the people's music..." Yo, money has like the best attitude ever demonstrated by a musician, and I fully trust that dude is speaking from the heart. And to top everything off... A synth metal project?!?! So cold!



Special dedication to the entire Stones Throw camp (Jamie I see you!) for supporting forward cats like this and for making this Thursday's party possible.

xoxoxo,
GFM


Thursday August 6th, 2009
Grown Folk Shit / Stones Throw Artist Showcase #2:
w/ Dam-Funk

$5 at the door

Doors open at 9pm

#14 // Stones Throw Artist Showcase #1: Mayer Hawthorne & The County

Bonjour kin folk.
We're super dumb mad excited to launch our Stones Throw Artist Showcase Summer Series this Thursday. The first artist we are presenting in this series is Ann Arbor, Michigan native, Los Angeles transplant soul/doo wop singing sensation Mayer Hawthorne and his full band The County.



Gilles Peterson has called Mayer's 'Just Aint Gonna Work Out' "One of the biggest records of 2009!". Regarding the same record, Mark Ronson is quoted saying "I have no idea what this is, old or new, but it's fucking good!!!". If that isn't enough juice, try this effing awkward blog post on for size... It's Justin Timberlake calling 'Just Aint Gonna Work Out' "the perfect tune".



Alright, so ol' boy has JT, Gilles Peterson and Mark Ronson on his nuts...
He was also charted in May as one of Urb Magazines "Next 100".


(peep the entire article here)

... Not so bad for a dj from Ann Arbor. Kid done good.

The debut Mayer Hawthorn full length 'A Strange Arrangement' is due out this fall on Stones Throw Records, after which we fully expect dude to blast into the outer regions of fame and shinedom.



Before that happens, though, we are proud to offer you the chance to catch this rising star live amidst the warm and cuddly comforts of Grown Folk Shit this Thursday July 23rd. The evening's host will be resident grown ass joc Ikah Love, who will also be performing with The Grown Folk House Band and guest vocalist Latanya Lockett.

Tickets will be $12 at the door starting at 9pm

There are a limited supply of $10 pre-sale tickets available now at:

5 & A Dime
701 8th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 236-0364

Access Music
1537 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 270-3987

El Dorado
1030 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 237-0550

Merci beaucoup!
Xoxoxo,
GFM



Post Script - If you remember what the Pete Rock show was like, you already know you're gonna want to get to the spot EARLY this night. No joke business.

#12 // Music Man Miles of Breakestra

Before we get started here, I have to say WOW and thank you to everybody who came out for the Michael Jackson tribute this past Thursday... shit was fantastical! Merci beaucoup.
Also, I need to dedicate this one to the comrade Charlie Rock. Big up yourself for all the support duke!



So this week's guest folk Miles Tackett is an extremely talented musician, songwriter, producer, joc and probably all other sorts of things that we aint even knowin about. He lists 'Bad News Bears' among his favorite films and Howard Zinn's 'A People's History Of The United States' as a fave book on his myspace page, so you know he's official.
I first got to know Miles' name from his production work on the expatriate rapper T-Love's 'Return Of The B-Girl' EP in 1998. Shortly after that I caught a 7" from a group called Breakestra on the then still new Stones Throw record label. The record was pressed with with a single fiery funk tune stretched over two sides ('Getcho Soul Togetha' parts 1 & 2) and sounded like it could have been recorded in 1966. It also had dude's name on it as songwriter and producer. Trust, I was interested...



Miles also runs sound at a couple of proper funk/soul/live music parties in LA -
The Root Down has been running for 10 years and has been a breeding/meeting ground for talent in a manner comparable to the storied Good Life Cafe (for more info on the GLC check our previous post with DJ Nu-Mark).
Funky Sole has been going strong for 7 years with Miles and Egon of Stones Throw as resident selectors.


Root Down Sound Radio
on Scion Radio



Doors open @ 9pm
Free before 10pm
$5 after


**********************

Be Tee Dub -
There are a limited supply of specially priced $10 pre-sale tickets for the July 23rd Stones Throw Artist Showcase with Mayer Hawthorne and The County available now at the following locations:


701 8th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101


1537 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109


1030 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101

#11.5 // Hearts Still Bleeding

AWWWW MAN........ Did we ever get the short end of that stick!

Like, can't we please re-negotiate this deal?! I'll trade 100 Bill Bellamys and at least 2 Janets to get back just 1 Biggie or Mike. Geez...

Check this Michael Jackson tribute video mix recorded live from the mixer during Stones Throw label boss Peanut Butter Wolf's vj set at at the Echoplex in L.A. this past Thursday just hours after the news of Michael's death broke:



You can rsvp now to:
GROWNFOLK.RSVP@GMAIL.COM
to get on the list for this Thursday's Grown Folk Shit Michael Jackson Tribute Night celebration




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In semi-related news, we're getting ready over here at Grown Folk Shit HQs to launch our Stones Throw Artist Showcase Summer Series. 1st up on July 23rd we have Ann Arbor Michigan native, Los Angeles transplant, multi-instrumentalist, doo wop/soul singing sensation Mayer Hawthorne along with his full band The County.





Next, on August 6th we will be hosting L.A.'s 'Ambassador Of Boogie' and recent Animal Collective remixer Dam-Funk. Peep a NY Times article covering a recent Dam set at APT here.

>



Merci beaucoup.
Xoxoxo,
GFM