TOP 10 CD 2015

A yearly coverage of Caffenation's best tunes, albums, music!!
 For the Antwerp department it is getting bit by bit more difficult for me to filter the most funky notes and keep track of what plays most in the player.
But Amsterdam is still rocking and rolling and Bert did provide me his most remarkable 5 musical highlights of last year. Yes people, this is espresso bar music. Enjoy

CAFFENATION AMSTERDAM :
 1. Coxsone’s music: the first recordings of sir Coxcone the downbeat 1960-63 2015 Souljazzrecords LISTEN HERE
2. Condor Gruppe (BE Antwerp!!) Latituds del cavall 2014
ON YOU TUBE
3. Black devil disco club (reissue uit 1978) 2015
MORE INFO IN THIS LINK
4. Patrick Cowley Muscle up 2015
5. Ata Kak Obaa Sima 2015 Awesome tapes from Africa

CAFFENATION ANTWERP :
1. The Mattson 2 : Feeling Hands
CLIP ON YOU TUBE
2. Rod Stewart : Every picture Tells a story
TO HAVE AN IMPRESSION : CLICK HERE
3. John Mayal with Eric Clapton : Bluesbreakers
4. The Tallest Man On Earth : Dark Bird is home
5. La Priest : Inji (with Oino)
SONG OF THE YEAR CLIP 

Hope i have been inspiring you this way, to lighten up the bar with something EXTRA.

CD 2014 Top 10

Honestly, i like writing this post more then the TOP 10 Coffee list.

2014 was a remarkable year on the music front. I felt like we made a 180 degrees turn at the bar.
Where Bert and I were always driving forces behind the cd and ipod players, we saw Emiel, Joke And Yannick take over the steering wheels.
Where i'm still stuck with my feet in the late 60's-early 70's mud, these youngsters focus more on contemporary stuff.

And this you can already see in the Top 10.
And; always we had real CD's in the list, but that changed with the number 1; only played fully digitally, from download on.

1) The War on Drugs :  Lost in the dream. This CD won dozens of prices this year, and with reason. It reminds us at the young Springsteen and a bit of Pink Floyd and goes on where Muchacho left us with Phosphorecense in 2013.
Addictive rhythms, mysterious voices, brilliant composing, good lyrics. Lost in the Dream had it all.

Here a link to the album

2) Disco not Disco : Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986 on Strut.
Strut albums cover these charts every year. This year with Disco not Disco compilation that should be on every espresso bars' playlist!
"Can i lick the crunch of your biscuit?"
Hypnotic and funny, and vibes that bring me back to my youth when i liked this kind of 'white boy punk/funk/disco'.

Listen yourself.

3) Black Sabbath : Sanctuary : Greatest Hits :
I know this band my whole life but never went any further then their Paranoid chapter. This CD is totally different from the other metal bands from the past.
Or as i read it in their biography :
The group took the blues-rock sound of late '60s acts like Cream, Blue Cheer, and Vanilla Fudge to its logical conclusion, slowing the tempo, accentuating the bass, and emphasizing screaming guitar solos and howled vocals full of lyrics expressing mental anguish and macabre fantasies. If their predecessors clearly came out of an electrified blues tradition.

For €5 you have a CD in your bar that can be played daily. A must buy.
Check

4) Kavinsky : Drive original Movie Soundtrack.
Dark & Wicked.

5) Bombino : Nomad
Desert guitar punk boom.

6) Funky Chicken : Belgian Grooves from the 70's
Two Belgian CD's in 1 list!!! As funky as it goes. Brilliant.

7) Intergalactic Lovers : Little Heavy Burdens
What a voice.

8) Coeur de Pirat : Coeur de Pirat
Subtle French stuff for the morning cups.

9) The Pioneers : Long Shot.
Bring on the good mood.

10) Jack White : Lazaretto
Head Banging Psycho shit for the dark evenings.

CD TOP 10 2013

Not a lot of blogging in 2103.
Some kind of a writers block i guess.

But still no problem to make me a TOP 10 of my best new CD's. We don't buy that many new music any more, although enough stuff to make your ears buzz.
Attention every music loving Barista (are there any other?) : Here we go :

1) Sixto Rodriguez : Searching for Sugar Man (Soundtrack '71).
I took a while to hit me. The first time i thought it was 'so-so'. Then i saw the positive reviews on amazon, tried it again and liked some of the songs. I decided to order the CD. Now it's my number 1.
Rodriguez sounds like Bob Dylan meets Henri Manchini meets Neil Diamond meets Johnny Cash. The lyrics are incredible, his voice as sweet as honey, the music poetic, exotic, minimal, vulnarable and very addictive.
To get into it I can recommand to watch this award winning documentary, from which this CD is the soundtrack and sort of a best of.
Check this link for a teaser and more info. Enjoy!

2) Bob Marley : Soul Revolution part 2. ('72)
When i thought I heard everything from Bob Marley it seemed like i missed this CD. And now it became my favourite Marley record.
Lee Perry gave it a pure and timeless production when Bob sounded still fresh and vibrant. His voice is pure and melodic. The songs feel all very natural and never bores you. Totally essential brilliantly remastered stuff.
Listen for yourself.

3) Muchacho : Phosphorescent ('13)
The only new CD in the list.
Intelligent recording. Good songs. Sometimes he sounds like Springsteen, sometimes Sly Fox, sometimes Ry Cooder. He keeps on surprising time after time.
Maybe not the ideal music for everyday in your bar, but sure thing this CD is gonna last.
The 'Song for Zula' clip here. (sorry for the stupid clip, but what a song!)

4) JJ Cale : The very Best of JJ Cale
5) Dub Collosus : Road To Addis
6) Serge Gainsbourg : L'ettonant
7) Muddy Waters : Electric Mud
8) AC/DC : High Voltage
9) George Duke : A Brazilian love Affair
10) Blow : The Soundtrack

CD Top 10 of 2012

All righty.
Best wishes for the new year and here we are again with the lists.

Not so fanatic any more on the music front. Mostly because I'm not doing a lot of bar work, but also because the music station is a bit far away from the shop part, where I spend the most of time when i'm hanging around.
Still a lot of great music last year though and even a recent album on number 1.

1) JACK WHITE : BLUNDERBUSS, on Third man/Colombia
This genius sounds like a Jimmy Page/Robert Plant kind of hybrid and back at full force with this epic album.
It's funky, soulfull, bluesy, romantic and agressive at the same time. It's melodic and funny, very acoustic, femenin and with touches of country and garage rock. Yes, a magic disc indeed.
Click here for one of my favourite parts.  (crazy shit!)

2) HERBIE HANCOCK: BLOW UP (SOUNDTRACK) on MGM Records 1966.
I remember buying this vinyl almost 20 years ago (in Hasselt) and rediscovering it now on CD.
The movie is a classic, but the music is even better.
What a band Herbie collected; My favourite trumpetist Freddie Hubbard was there that day, but also Jimmy White, Jim Hall, Jack deJohnette, Phil Woods and Ron Carter.
And then I didn't even mention Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page with their Yardbirds rocking and rolling for 2 minutes and 49 seconds!
Enjoy this epic 60's moment in this 3 minute clip.

3) PLASTIC BERTRAND : AN 1 on amc records in 1978.
I didn't even know he ever did more than dancing in this absurd 'Ca Plane Pour Moi' video. And the full album those days just stopped climbing in the charts at number 42, but I love it.
It's funny punk rock from Belgium from a decade long ago. It reminds me of Jacques Dutronc, but even less serious.
You wanne have fun in your bar : turn it on and play it loud!
And for those who don't understand a word of French : this is a brief translation of one of the 'couplets' :

what a vibration!
to be sent on the door mat
filed, ruined, drained, filled
You are the King of the divan!
she says to me in passing
Oooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!
I am the King of the divan
CA PLANE POUR MOI

4) Johny Cash & June Carter : The collection.
5) Gary Numan : The Pleasure Principle
6) Sly And Robbie : Taxi
7) Stanleys Clarke : School Days
8) Archie Shepp: For Losers/Kwanza
9) Airto : Fingers
10) The Legendary Shack Shakers : Swampblood.

You want to enjoy all of this and much more : drop on by at Caffenation; from now on we'll be open every day till Christmas.

Top 10 CD's 2011

Here we are again with the sound of the Nation : this is a Flash Back.

Flashing back on this year's best CD's. (not published, but bought by your royal highness, huk hum)

1) I remember myself, long ago, collecting rare Jazz. And one of the wickiest labels was 'Cadet Mainstream'. This year I was really impressed by a best of Mainstream CD, called THE MESSAGE.
Wicked Jazz Funky fat bass groovy horns kinky keys. I totally dig this one.
Listen why by clicking this link.

2) TRUE BLOOD Compilation. Never saw a minute of the TV show-series, but the Grammy Nominated CD's are really rockin. Volume 1 as hard as Volume 2. And the 3rd one is coming. A must have for every espresso bar!!!
Check out the first compilation.

3) BATTLES : GLOSS DROP (on Warp Records Japan).
New Wicked shit and good to theme with a double ristretto.
See their funky Clip.
Want more? Click this.

and rest of the best
4) Soul & Funk : Bill Withers, Still Bill (from 72 on Sbme Special Mkts)
5) French : Wizz, Volume 2 (on Born Bad Records)
6) Jazz : Freddie Hubbard, Groovy
7) Guitar : Gypsy Hotel, Volume 1 (on Gypsyhotelrecords)
8) Reggae : Tighten Up : Trojan Reggae Classics 1968-74
9) Film : Movie Themes go Disco (on Jazzclub/moods)
10) French bis : Camille, Ilo Veyou (on EMI/Virgin)

Hope you all are going to be inspired and pump up da espresso bar vibe will you?!

Top 10 CD's 2010

A yearly overview of our newest and best CD's.

For a couple of years Ethiopian music animated the charts, this year Nigeria takes over.

Fela Kuti is probably the Grandmaster of African Music and since day one at Caffenation we pump it through the speakers.
This year's Compilation Boxes are probably the deal of the year. I bought Fela Box Set 1, or 13 albums on 9 CD's and I only paid € 37. A steal!!!

1) Fela Kuti : Box Set 1 on Wrasse Records. Favourite track : Alagbon Close. Listen.

2) Big Boss Man : Humanize (from 2001 - but it does sound like the 60's! - on Blow Up records). Here they are live.

3) Bollywood Funk Experience from Jonny Trunk and Joel Martin (on Nascente Records). Listen to this wicked shit. The CD is packed with crazy tunes and so are all Experience Compilation CD's by Nascente. Buy em all if you have an espresso bar. If not : Buy em all as well.

4) Curtis Mayfield : Theres no place like America today (1975 on Curtom Records).
5) Charlotte Gainsbourg : Irm (on Because Music). Best release in 2010 if you ask me.
6) Lalo Shifrin : Compilation Cd (on Verve).
7) Blue Note Trip Maestro
8) Ahmad Jamal : Four Classic Albums comp (on Real Gone Records)
9) The Best of Burlesque : 50 club classics (on Music Club Deluxe)
10) Carolegians : Pum Pum Hotel (on Hotel-Grover Records)

Almost top 10 and recommanded for espresso bar owners/visitors : Massive Attack, Afro Tropical Soundz vol 1, Two Barrel Reggae, Saturday Night Fever and Happy Days.

If you have suggestions for the new year : drop a comment.

Top 10 CD's 2009

First of all a very happy new year.
With lots of good coffee and funky music.

Best music at Caffenation last year :

After an invasion of French music in our 2008 top 10, 2009 was more of an African year with some fantastic new cd's from the crazy Strut label. On 1 and 4.
And of course, once again, the best Jazz, P Funk, the new Air and a little bit of Jamaican shit.

1) Mulatu Astatke/The Heliocentrics : Inspiration Information (2009 on Strut)
Ethio Jazz Hybrid, Hypnotic beats, wicked breaks and a touch of Addis Ghetto funk. Buy this!

2) Alan Hawkshaw : Mo'Hawk; The Essential Vibes & Grooves 1967-1975 (RPM Records).
Nobody seems to know much about this English Library music maker. He was half performer, half composer and never had his own band.
The CD is a must have, and a mixture of TV themes and free work, and as the title explains : it's old and packed with Vibes & Grooves.

3) Good Fellas Soundtrack (Atlantic Records)
The most popular new music trend in 09 at Caffenation was our devotion for crooners and 50's music. On this CD you find a lot of this kind of music.
Also bought and recommendable are the Mobster Soundtracks from American Gangster and Casino (with Louis Prima, Ramsey Lewis and Dinah Washington on 1 CD!). Ideal stuff for your espresso bar.

4) Nigeria 70 : Lagos Jump (2008 on Strut)
Different from Ethiopiques but almost as good. Very authentic and groovy.

5) The Meters : The Meters Remastered (1969 Rhino Records)
Very fat bas lines, disturbed scats and unstoppable rhythms, very well remastered.

6) Horace Silver : Serenade to a Soulsister (1968 Blue Note)
7) Lee Perry The Upsetter : Essential Madness from the Scratch files (Metro)
8) Ramsey Lewis Trio : In Chicago + Stretching out (1960 Jazz Beat)
9) Lee Morgan : The Finest In Jazz Compilation (Blue Note)
10) Air : Love 2 (2009 Virgin)

11) Lots of compilations from the German Jazz Club Records-Universal. All very refreshing and recommendable. Spice up your espresso bar with Electric Jazz Lounge, Jazz meets Pop, The coolest Rhythm 'n Blues, and many others.

CD TOP 10 2008

Normally only coffee articles on this blog.
Time for an exception, or is music from an espresso bar related anyhow?

1966 must have been a wonderful musical year. Last year it was jazz singer crooner Lou Rawls who scored best new CD with a '66 production, this year it was a French 1966 record that gave us a lot of pleasure.

1) Jacques Dutronc, Jacques Dutronc (at Disques Vogues, 1966)
2) Ethiopiques Hypnotic Grooves, The very best off
3) The Horace Silver Quintet, Doin' the Thing, Live At the Village Gate
4) Sammy Davis Jr/Buddy Rich, The sounds of '66 (again that year!)
5) Bohannon, Greatest Hits
6) Trijntje Oosterhuis, Strange Fruit (and the only 'new' recording)
7) Freddie Hubbard, Hub Cap
8) Donny Hatheway, Come Back Charleston Blues Soundtrack
9) Jimmy Smith, The Sermon
10) Bo Diddley, The Essential

11) French Cd's from Brigit Bardot, Francoise Hardy, France Gall, Serge Gainsbourg, Femmes de Paris et d'autres.....(this was a very French year).