The Napster Blog

Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Doin’ the Funky Thing

Walter "Wolfman" Washington releases records sporadically, but on the occasions when he chooses to head into the studio and record his own songs, it's cause for celebration. The New Orleans native's latest album is Doin' the Funky Thing. As the title suggests, The Wolfman was in a funky mood for this collection, and it's one of the strongest sets of his career. Funk, R&B, blues, and jazz spin together in an enticing and energetic musical workout.

Washington, who turned 65 last December, sounds in prime form throughout. His voice is deep and soulful, and his guitar licks, though perhaps a bit slower than they used to be, are spot-on. Dr. John makes a guest appearance and plays some great Hammond Organ. Washington wrote all but one track on the album (bassist Jack Cruz wrote "Just Like That" and co-wrote four of the others). There's really not a bad song here. Highly recommended.

Napster Playlist Challenge: Round Three Ending Soon!

Hi again. This weekend is the last opportunity to submit a playlist for round three of the Napster Playlist Challenge, so if you'd like to possibly have your playlist featured on Napster, this is your chance. This round's theme is Classic Pop Covers, and all entries must be submitted by 3 a.m. EST on March 2, 2009. Happy playlist-making, and good luck!

For more information on how to submit a playlist for consideration, please see Round Three Instructions.

Lila Downs, Curumin, Lucky Dube: World Music Today: Winter 2009

If you're like most people, you probably can't afford an around-the-world trip—especially these days. If you want to spice up your staycation, here's the next best thing to jet-setting (besides following the exploits of international food guru Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel in HD): Napster's "World Music Today: Winter 2009" playlist.

Your journey begins in Peru, where Afro-Peruvian collective Novalima weaves together traditional sounds with electronic beats ("Libertá"). Then you're whisked off to Mexico and Lila Downs' unique pop-meets-indigenous Central American sensibility ("Ojo de Culebra"). Next, defy the laws of physics and stop in India and Ireland simultaneously for an intoxifying taste of Delhi 2 Dublin's Celtic-flavored bhangra ("Apples"). Need a chill break? Jamaica welcomes you with open arms and the sweet voice of reggae crooner Beres Hammond ("No Good Bye"). And no self-respecting globetrotter would be satisfied without visiting Brazil, where multi-ethnic musician Curumin lays down some seriously funky beats ("Dançando No Escuro" featuring Mark Ribas). All these stops and many more are here at your fingertips—and you don't even have to board your pooch in a doggy Four Seasons.

Louie Bellson, Sacred and Soulful

On Valentine's day this year, the jazz world's heart was heavy with news of the passing of Louie Bellson, one of the few drummers to whom the terms "genius," "wizard," "virtuoso," and any superlative you can think of applied without question. Holy smokes! The things he could do on a set of drums, from the subtlest brushwork to the most furious machine gunnery—all while appearing cool as a cucumber and happy as a clam (in contrast to Buddy Rich's flying-sweat exertions). Amazing. By all accounts, Bellson was a joy to know, one of the nicest men you'd ever meet, and a man of deep interests, evidenced by his lifelong dedication to composing as well as playing. In 2000, he followed the example set by his former boss, Duke Ellington, in writing and recording a suite of sacred music, which he then released on an album together with "The Jazz Ballet," his musical interpretation of love and marriage. The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson and The Jazz Ballet includes a choir and strings supplementing a small jazz ensemble, all generating moving music that moves gracefully through both swinging and more formal passages.

And while we're remembering Bellson's artistry and the apparent joy he took in music of all kinds, another of his lesser-known but no less wonderful recordings is James Brown's late-1969 foray into jazz, Soul on Top. Recorded with Bellson's band under the direction of saxophonist Oliver Nelson, the album sets up Brown with a new kind of groove and, appropriately enough, includes a take on "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." While different in many ways from the original, "Bag" here remains surprisingly faithful to the original feel, and allows Bellson to put his remarkable versatility on display—he was as funky as he wanted to be. Brown, knowing from funky drummers, made an inspired choice.

Faron Young, The Complete Capitol Hits Of Faron Young

The Complete Capitol Hits of Faron Young is a great album for any fan of Faron Young, honky-tonk music, and/or classic country. It's a fine (and sizable) collection of tracks from the "Hillbilly Heartthrob's" golden era, when he was recording for Capitol Records. Weighing in at an impressive 41 tracks (and all but a few of them are currently streamable on Napster), this album provides an excellent overview of Young's earliest hits. To be sure, he chocked up some great records in subsequent years of his career, but relatively few of them measure up to the vibrant energy present during his Capitol years.

Young's live performances began attracting favorable attention in the very early '50s, and his record sales began to accelerate. But in the mid-'50s, demand for his music really exploded. He doubtlessly would have been extremely successful in any event, but his brand of honky-tonk helped fill the very large void left by the passing of Hank Williams on Jan. 1, 1953. From 1955 to 1962, Young notched at least 15 Top 20 singles. And he's owed some additional gratitude for seeking out and recording the songs of fresh new songwriters, because by doing so, he helped to establish the careers of such then-unknowns as Willie Nelson, Don Gibson and Kris Kristofferson.

The Japanese Popstars, We Just Are

If you’re not ready for an accelerated heart rate and possible hearing loss due to high levels of frequency saturation, you might as well move on. The Japanese Popstars aren’t using two-finger peace signs and vocal abilities to inflict said symptoms. In fact, they don’t do pop at all; they’re the speaker-wrecking Irish trio (Declan McLaughlin, Gareth Donoghue, and Gary Curran) behind the album, We Just Are. They made an appearance on Napster’s "Discover Electronica, Vol. 2" playlist last June on the strength of their single “Delboy’s Revenge.” Re-released now for digital consumption in the U.S., this album is hard to pass up.

Pylon, Gyrate Plus

Randy Bewley, guitarist for the seminal Athens, Georgia band Pylon, died yesterday after suffering a heart attack earlier this week. Pylon were late '70s contemporaries of the B-52's, paving the way for the massive success of R.E.M., who have neer been shy about acknowledging Pylon's influence. The band's percussive guitars and locked rhythm section echoed a number of U.K. post punk groups, including Gang of Four, The Au Pairs, and Joy Division, but their southern college-town roots manifested in a groove that was far less dour and more directly aimed at getting the house party started. DFA, home to LCD Soundsystem and the early efforts of The Rapture, re-released the 1980 album Gyrate last year with bonus tracks, and the band began to tour again, most recently headlining the Part Time Punks Festival in Los Angeles before an adoring audience.

Laura Story, Great God Who Saves

Formerly a bassist, Laura Story awakened her inner singer/songwriter and has since pursued a successful path as a solo artist. After honing her craft in her 20s, she wrote the song “Indescribable,” recorded by Chris Tomlin on his 2004 album, Arriving. Laura debuted with her own album, Great God Who Saves, in 2008, sneaking into the Top 10 with the single “Mighty to Save.” She has since become one of the Christian artists most searched for on Napster.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

This is one helluva record. It's only the second solo outing for the former Drive-By Trucker, but there's a cohesion and consistency to the songwriting that belie Jason Isbell's relative youth. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is so named for his backup band, with whom he made the record (along with producer-drummer Matt Pence) rather than enlist a litter of studio cats. From opener "Seven-Mile Island" through the glorious outro of "The Last Song I Will Write," it's a joyous bummer, especially "Cigarettes and Wine," a little less than halfway through the album: "She smelled like cigarettes and wine / She kept me happy all the time / I know that ain't much of a line / But it's the God's own truth." 'Nuff said.

Sonically, the album has plenty of Americana-sounding warmth—it was, in fact, recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in equally legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama—but the overall effect is more immediate than other records of its ilk, as if wrenching songs of troubles, struggles, and misty memories need not be entirely shrouded in a fog of overtly "vintage" tones and reverb. The result is entirely pleasant throughout, whether the tempo's up or down, and it gives that rare impression that the music and the recording itself have met the material exactly where it lives.

Goldie, Timeless

Joseph Price, a.k.a. Goldie, has a rich history as a UK celebrity: First, his Metalheadz label, formed in 1994, quickly became a leading example of how to do a start-up label right, releasing some of the best cuts from some of the best-known DJ/producers in Drum and Bass. Then, in 1995, Goldie released Timeless, and as it shot up the European charts it became the absolute hallmark of the genre. If ever I could recommend a click on the “Buy Album” button, it would be for this. Without a doubt, most electronic music aficionados would consider ranking this album in their top 10 of all time. A true piece of history.