Monolith Cocktail Social Playlist: Vol. XLIX: Kamuran Akkor, Zoot, Awate, Dead Moon, Cut Worms…
September 23, 2020
PLAYLIST
Dominic Valvona
For all our friends and followers alike in the shadow of a second coronavirus lockdown, let the Monolith Cocktail ease some of the doldrums and boredoms of a partial restricted winter with another Social Playlist (the 49th edition in fact). The blog’s imaginary radio show (or podcast if you prefer) brings together tracks from across time, genres and the globe to take the listener on a musical odyssey of discovery; with a few recent reissues and even newish tracks thrown in. Expect to anything or everything between Turkish sirens, troubled troubadours that failed to break through, preposterous hard rawk and kitsch beat band cover versions, diaphanous voices from North Africa, the sounds of liberation, concept prog, moseying cowboy blues and good ol’ gospel veneration.
For those of you without access to Spotify, we’ve chosen a random smattering of tracks from Youtube below the track list.
TRACK LIST FOR VOLUME XLIX:
Kamuran Akkor ‘Yorgun Gozler’
Gina X Performance ‘Strip Tease’
Ilous & Decuyper ‘Beruk !!!’
Jon English ‘Laughing At The Guru’
Selda Bagcan ‘Yaz Gazeteci Yaz’
Peter Ives ‘In Pursuit Of Treasure’
Zoot ‘Eleanor Rigby’
Iron Claw ‘Gonna Be Free’
Guadalcanal Diary ‘Michael Rockefeller’
The Toms ‘It’s Needless’
Charanjit Singh ‘Hey Mujhe Dil De’
Orchestre Regional De Mopti ‘Boro’
Sounds Of Liberation ‘Billie One’
Kool Blues ‘Can We Try Love Again’
Los Teddy’s ‘Soy Jack Flash’
Kim Tolliver ‘I Gotta Find A Way’
Derrick Morgan ‘Never Stop Loving You’
Awate (Ft. Turkish Dcypha) ‘Austerity’
Haiku D’ Etat ‘Slower Traffic To The Right’
Nice & Smooth ‘How To Flow’
Maryn E. Coote ‘Emotion’
James Reese & The Progressions ‘You Can Make It If You Try/Love Ain’t Easy’
These Trails ‘Sowed A Seed’
Nahawa Doumbia ‘Blonde Yirini’
Emerald Web ‘Openings’
Good Doom ‘Multi Level Lounge’
Cut Worms ‘Every Once In A While’
Front Page Review ‘FEELS LIKE LOVE’
Julian’s Treatment ‘Fourth From The Sun’
Blackfeather ‘Seasons Of Change Pt. 1’
Deux Filles ‘Shalama’
Rufus Zuphall ‘Knights Of The 3rd Degree’
Speed, Glue & Shinki ‘Mr. Walking Drugstore Man’
Cowboy ‘Use Your Situation’
Washington Phillips ‘Take Your Burden To The Lord And Leave It There’
Dead Moon ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’
And those Youtube versions:
Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last ten years I’ve featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to buy us a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail to say cheers for spreading the word, then that would be much appreciated.
Monolith Cocktail Social: Playlist XXXIX: Sarolta Zalatnay, YZ, The Cry, Popera Cosmic, Richard Pinhas…
October 3, 2019
Playlist
Dominic Valvona
Graphics: Gianluigi Marsibilio
Cool shit that the Monolith Cocktail founder and instigator Dominic Valvona has pulled together, the Social playlist is a themeless selection of eclectic tracks from across the globe and ages. Representing not only his tastes but the blogs, these regular playlists can be viewed as an imaginary radio show, a taste of Dominic’s DJ sets over 25 plus years. Placed in a way as to ape a listening journey, though feel free to listen to it as you wish, each playlist bridges a myriad of musical treasures to enjoy and also explore – and of course, to dance away the hours to.
Starting off on a romantic note (via the Hungarian siren Sarolta Zalatnay and Kentucky troubadour Jim Ford)Volume XXXIX in this fine series traverses mechanical new wave (Populare Mechanik), experimental mambo (Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban), space age chanson (Popera Cosmic), bouncy jazz (Mouse Bonati Sextet) and hip-hop (YZ, WC And The Maad Circle, Kanck Free Media). You can expect to also hear various peregrinations, the odd, the diaphanous and energetic dotted in between.
Monolith Cocktail Social #XXXV: Roger Bunn, Yasuaki Shimizu, Don Muro, Black Savage…
February 28, 2019
Playlist: Dominic Valvona Selects
I haven’t put together one of these selections in a while; in fact this, Volume XXXV, is the first Social of 2019. But in danger of repeating myself, for newcomers to the site here’s the premise of my playlist selections:
The Monolith Cocktail Social playlist is the blog’s imaginary eclectic radioshow, or DJ set, selection of throwbacks, missives, golden oldies and just cool shit; from across genres, timelines and borders. Previously only ever shared via our Facebook profile and on Spotify our regular Monolith Cocktail Social playlists will also be posted here on the blog itself.
Enjoy…
Tracks:
Don Muro ‘Camel Ride’
Toncho Pilatos ‘Wait’
Lula Côrtes e Zé Ramalho ‘Maracas de Fogo’
Keni Okulolo ‘You Can Only Live But Once’
Willie Dixon ‘Bring It On Home’
Otis Redding ‘Shout Bamalama’
Black Savage ‘Rita’
Little Mell ‘Ain’t That Funky Monkey Fonky’
Vijay Benedict ‘Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki’
Beat Connection ‘Silver Screen’
Les Garçons ‘Les Deux Amants’
The Nerves ‘Sex Education’
The Goats ‘Do The Digs Dug? (Todd Terry Mix)’
FU-Schnickens ‘True Fuschnick’
Farm ‘Sunshine In My Window’
Maya ‘Distant Visions’
Los Dug Dug’s ‘Lost In My World’
Assagai ‘Telephone Girl’
Black Zenith ‘Shango Oba Onina’
Fear Itself ‘The Letter’
Hand ‘The Load’
Bix Medard ‘Tabi’
Bullion ‘The Age Of Self’
Yasuaki Shimizu ‘Mari-Chan’
Sensations Fix ‘Barnhaus Effect No.3’
Peace And Love ‘We Got The Power’
Bongos Ikwue ‘One United Nigeria’
Society Inc. ‘Disc Jockey Jam’
Bossa Jazz 3 ‘Outra Vez’
Bola Johnson And His Easy Life Top Band ‘Jeka Dubu’
Luli ‘Ballero’
Marconi Notaro ‘Fidelidade’
Peter Schickele & Joan Baez ‘Silent Running’
Chuck & Mary Perrin ‘You Knew All Along’
J. Jasmine ‘Broke And Blue’
Anthony Moore ‘Stitch In Time’
Roger Bunn ‘Gido The Magician’
The Kinks ‘Time Song’
Monolith Cocktail Social Playlist XXXIV
July 31, 2018
Playlist Selection From Dominic Valvona
Our imaginary radio show, a taste of our DJ sets, the Monolith Cocktail Social is a playlist selection that spans genres and eras to create the most eclectic of soundtracks. Placed in a way as to ape a listening journey, though feel free to listen to it as you wish, each playlist bridges a myriad of musical treasures to enjoy and also explore – and of course, to dance away the hours to.
Volume XXXIV of this intrepid voyage begins with a musical traverse of the Sudanese and Ghanaian Highlife and funk scenes, with short intermissions from the all-too forgotten Psychedelic R&B and bluesters on the 6os West Coast, Electric Flag, and jazz explorations from the Invisible Astro Healing Rhythm Quartet. After that we’re off into calypso, kosmische, prog, golden era hip-hop, gangly post-punk love songs and alternative American rock music from the 90s, via Laba Sosseh, Thee American Revolution, Adam’s Castle, Novalis, Frick And Frack, Asher D, Archers Of Loaf, Ludus, Dunkelziffer, Grace Jones and many more. Plenty more genres pop up, with a few surprises from artists we feel have been neglected. The full track list can be viewed below.
Tracklist:-
Kamal Keila ‘African Unity’
Sweet Talks ‘Akampanye’
Pasteur Lappe ‘Dora’
The Electric Flag ‘See To Your Neighbour’
Invisible Astro Healing Rhythm Quartet ‘Praise One’
Vis a Vis ‘Obi Agye Me Dofo’
Pratt & Moody feat. Cold Diamond & Mink ‘Words Words Words’
Laba Sosseh ‘Maria Elena’
Marvin Pontiac ‘Small Car’
Lionlimb ‘Turnstile’
Les Variations ‘Silver Girl’
Thee American Revolution ‘Electric Flame’
Adam’s Castle ‘Dark Party’
Novalis ‘Dronz’
Ihre Kinder ‘Stunden’
Just-Ice feat KRS-One ‘Going Way Back’
Frick And Frack ‘Go Southside’
She Rockers ‘Give It A Rest’
Special Ed ‘Think About It’
Boogie Down Productions ‘Stop The Violence’
Asher D ‘Brutality’
Daddy Freddy feat Tenor Fly ‘Go Freddy Go’
The Cutlass Dance Band ‘Hwehwe Mu Yi Mpena’
N’Ghare Hi Power Band ‘Campus Rock’
Clive Zanda ‘Chip Down’
Tapes ‘n Tapes ‘Just Drums’
These Animal Men ‘You’re Always Right’
Subcircus ‘Shelly’s On The Telephone’
Archers Of Loaf ‘Wrong’
Exploded View ‘Summer Came Early’
Family Fodder ‘Deja Déjà Vu’
Ludus ‘Let Me Go Where My Pictures Go’
Josef K ‘Sorry For Laughing’
Dunkelziffer ‘Give Me Your Soul’
Ray Brown And The Whispers ‘Go To Him’
Joanne Grauer ‘Who I Am’
Grace Jones ‘I’ll Find My Way To You’
Michael Nesmith & The Second National Band ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’
Graham De Wilde ‘Stratus’
Dominic Valvona
The Monolith Cocktail Social: Playlist #XXXIII
May 3, 2018
DOMINIC VALVONA’S PLAYLIST
In danger of repeating myself forever, but for newcomers to the site here’s the premise of my playlist selections. Previously only ever shared via our Facebook profile and on Spotify our regular Monolith Cocktail Social playlists will also be posted here on the blog itself.
With no themes or demarcated reasoning Dominic Valvona picks songs from across a wide spectrum of genres, and from all eras; Selection #33 being no different, with it’s venerated and Tarot card reader divine styler Kosmische intro from Walter Wegmuller and Popol Vuh and musical journey through Ethiopian spiritual paeans (Berthe Raza), Swedish jazz fusion (Solar Plexus), sublime drifting electronic heartache (Left Of Manila), French new wave electronic agit punk (Kas Product), Arabic fuzzed-up R&B (Sharhabeel Ahmed) and 32 other just as wonderful excursions through time and place.
Tracks:
The Monolith Cocktail Social: Playlist #XXXII
February 12, 2018
DOMINIC VALVONA’S PLAYLIST
In danger of repeating myself forever, but for newcomers to the site here’s the premise of my playlist selections. Previously only ever shared via our Facebook profile and on Spotify our regular Monolith Cocktail Social playlists will also be posted here on the blog itself.
With no themes or demarcated reasoning we pick songs from across a wide spectrum of genres, and from all eras. Selection #32, chosen as always by me, Dominic Valvona, includes a couple of tributes to those we’ve lost over the last month (Mark E Smith, Hugh Masekela) plus no wave New York sazz from Konk, Kosmische Baroque synth dreamy classicism from Rick van der Linden, troubadour diaphanous from Catherine Howe, plus the usual ‘unusual’ voyages in jazz, Turkish electronic music, Britpop dreamers, psych, Afrobeat, soul and progressive rock.
Tracks:
Gökçen Kayatan ‘Doganin Ötesi’
Basil Kirchin ‘Silicon Chip’
Konk ‘Elephant’
Medium Medium ‘Hungry, So Angry’
Mr. Oizo ‘Jo’
MF DOOM ‘Bells Of DOOM’
Arawak ‘Accadde a Harlem’
Heavy Cluster ‘Gotta Get Away’
The Fall ‘Rollin’ Dany’
The Spyrals ‘Save Yourself’
Maxayn ‘Gimme Shelter’
Moses Boyd ‘Drum Dance’
The Jazz Epistles, Hugh Masekela, Dollar Brand ‘Uka-Jonga Phambili’
Binker And Moses ‘The Valley Of The Ultra Blacks’
Sundays & Cybele ‘Saint Song’
East Of Eden ‘Song For No One’
Curtiss Maldoon ‘Man From Afghanistan’
Sory Bamba ‘Kanaga 78’
Mor Thiam ‘Kele Mumbana’
Horseface ‘No Niin, Jääkausi’
Zazou Bikaye ‘Dju Ya Feza’
Jah Wobble ‘Long Long Way’
Embryo ‘Sango’
The Olivia Tremor Control ‘A New Day’
Octopus ‘Your Smile’
Margo Guryan ‘Something’s Wrong With The Morning’
Dean & Britta ‘Night Nurse’
Vanishing Twin ‘Telescope’
Dwight Sykes ‘Mystical Lady’
Terry Callier ‘Baby Take Your Time’
Living Voices ‘Eve Of Destruction’
Catherine Howe ‘Up North’
Rick van der Linden ‘Clouds’
Playlist: The Monolith Cocktail Social #29
July 21, 2017
A PLAYLIST FROM OUR IMAGINARY RADIO SHOW OR ‘SOCIAL’
Chosen by Dominic Valvona
In danger of repeating myself, but for newcomers to the site here’s the premise of my playlist selections. Previously only ever shared via our Facebook profile and on Spotify our regular Monolith Cocktail Social playlists will also be posted here on the blog itself.
With no themes or demarcated reasoning we pick songs from across a wide spectrum of genres, and from all eras. Reaching edition #29 and still as eclectic as ever, this latest playlist chosen by me, Dominic Valvona, features Canadian Hollywood tipping rock glory from Neil Merryweather, the funk, the whole funk and nothin’ but the funk from Bernie Worrell, Afrobeat garage from Wells Fargo, beautiful flighty jazz transmogrifications of The Beatles via Ramsey Lewis, and experimental peregrinations of fantasy from Nicole Mitchell. There’s also tracks from Monomono, Gurumanix, The Stepkids, Trane, Leland, Sensations Fix (a regular at the Monolith over the years), Syrinx and many more (see full tracklist below).
Tracklist:-
Neil Merryweather ‘Hollywood Blvd.’
Birth Control ‘Hope (Single Version)’
Sensations Fix ‘Substance Of U’
Bernie Worrell ‘Woo Together’
Soul Explosives ‘Tryin To Get Down’
Rim Kwaku Obeng, The Believers, KASA ‘I’m A Song Writer’
Tee Mac ‘Nepa Oh Nepa’
Shintaro Sakamoto ‘死者よ’
Tommy Mcgee ‘Come On’
Peace ‘I Don’t Know’
John Holt ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’
Buckley ‘My, My, My’
The Beach Boys ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’
Peter Giger ft. Trilok Gurtu, Family Of Percussion, Archie Shepp, Wolfgang Dauner and Albert Mangelsdorff ‘Trans Tanz’
Goran Kajfes Subtropic Arkestra ‘Dokuz Seki/Esmerim’
Marco Di Marco ‘Le Mors Aux Dents’
The Last Poets ‘It’s A Trip’
Wells Fargo ‘Love Of My Life’
Monomono ‘Get Yourself Together’
Jesse Davis ft. Eric Clapton ‘Washita Love Child’
Gurumaniax ‘Voodoo Touch’
Min Bul ‘Champagne Of Course (Instrumental)’
Ramsey Lewis ‘Black Bird’
Ahmed Malek ‘Les Vacances De L’inspecteur Tahar’
Joe Maneri ‘Paniots Nine’
Shirley Nanette ‘All Of Your Life’
Eduardo Araujo and Silvinha ‘Sou Filho Deste Chão’
The Stepkids ‘Sweet Salvation’
Autumn ‘Goblin’s Gamble’
Pretty ‘Mustache In Your Face’
Trane ‘Still Burning Bright’
Hard Stuff ‘Jay Time’
Leland ‘I’ve Got Some Happiness’
Boots For Dancing ‘Salt In The Ocean’
Family Fodder ‘Savoir Faire (Single Version)’
Gabor Szabo ‘Song Of Injured Love’
Nicole Mitchell ‘Dance Of Many Hands’
Syrinx ‘Syren’
