PLAYLIST/Dominic Valvona
Let me first wish everyone, new and old readers/followers alike, a happy new year. And thanks for all your continued support in what are the most tumultuous and anxious of times. For my part, with what little comfort I can give, I’ll still bring you all the best, experimental, and diverse sounds during 2022: through reviews, columns, playlists and the like.
The Monolith Cocktail Social is one of two long-running playlist series on the blog. Running in tandem with the Monthly Revue, which represents all the new music both I and the MC team have been listening to and writing about during the month, the Social is a cross-generational, eclectic imaginary radio show, where anything goes: featuring tracks from the last 50 or more years.
It’s also my chance to show off my own tastes, records from my collection, and to both celebrate those albums reaching anniversary milestones and pay tribute to recent artists and figures we’ve lost during that month.
The first playlist, volume #62, of the year features 50th anniversary treats from Archie Shepp (the title-track from his 1972 album Attica Blues), Cymande (the much sampled ‘The Message’ from their self-titled ‘72 special), Paul Simon (‘Armistice Day’ from the self-titled ‘72 album), Aretha Franklin (a beautified cover of ‘The Long And Winding Road’ from the soul deity’s Young, Gifted And Black album), Cluster (‘Für Die Katz’ from the Kosmische travellers ’72 album Cluster II), Neu! (‘Hero’ from the self-titled ’72 album), Popol Vuh (the venerable ‘Kyrie’ taken from the divine stylers ’72 album Hosianna Mantra), and Annette Peacock (a idiosyncratic version of ‘Love Me Tender’ from her ’72 I’m The One album).
There’s also recent(ish) tracks from Fake Fruit, Large Plants, Jeff Parker, Family Portrait dotted amongst goodies from Kaleidoscope, The Gods, Caetano Veloso, Eddie Hodges and Biff Rose: 35 tracks in all.
Listen how you like, but when compiling these playlists I do work out a particular order: a journey for the listener.
Those tracks are full are:
Archie Shepp ‘Attica Blues’
Kaleidoscope ‘Chocolate Whale’
Quella Vecchia Locanda ‘Dialogo’
Muito Kaballa Power Ensemble ‘Don’t Go Too Far’
100 Proof Aged In Soul ‘Backtrack’
Fake Fruit ‘No Mutuals’
Large Plants ‘La Isla Bonita’
Cymande ‘The Message’
Innovations ‘Put A Little Away’
Los Dangers ‘No Te Quiero Más’
Sophie Knapp & Dungen ‘Desert Moon’
The Gods ‘Eight O’clock In The Morning’
Jeff Parker & The New Breed Ft. Ruby Parker ‘Soul Love’
Paul Simon ‘Armistice Day’
Hamilton Leithauser & Kevin Morby ‘Virginia Beach’
Family Portrait Ft. Julian Lynch ‘What Does It Take’
Aretha Franklin ‘The Long And Winding Road’
Annette Peacock ‘Love Me Tender’
Caetano Veloso ‘Lost In The Paradise’
Parasites Of The Western World ‘You Must Be Joe King’
Between ‘Tape’
Steauna De Mare ‘Ork Style’
Cluster ‘Für Die Katz’
The Holydrug Couple ‘Arcatina’
Tibetan Miracle Seeds ‘Nectarine Dreams’
Gianfranco Plenizio ‘Afyon’
Slag Boom Van Loon ‘Poppy Seed’
Neu! ‘Hero’
Phantom Payn Days ‘Screen Idol From France’
Branko Mataja ‘Tamo Daleko’
Popol Vuh ‘Kyrie’ Eddie Hodges ‘Shadows And Reflections’
Biff Rose ‘Take Care of My Brother’
Marina Allen ‘Sleeper Train’
Female Species ‘Tale Of My Lost Love’
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 Monthly Playlist: November 2021
November 30, 2021
PLAYLIST SUMMARY OF THE LAST MONTH
Dominic Valvona/Matt Oliver/Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea
A showcase, summary, encapsulation of the music the Monolith Cocktail team has either reviewed or listened to during the last month, November’s edition includes the usual unusual selection of eclectic tastes from around the world. No demarcation, labels, as hip-hop sits with ambient flights of fantasy, pop slides up against edgy explorations, and bombastic dream wave shares a platform with more ominous augurs.
This month kicks off with the tastemaker’s favourite (and ours) Circe, whose coquettish plaintive pop emerges from the shadows, and another rising talent Gabrielle Ornate. After that it’s a rambunctious ride through tracks by Dear Liaka, The Soundcarriers, Madlib, Nukuluk, Ash The Author, Etran de L’Aïr, Batila, Park Jiha, FUTURE KULT, Pave The Jungle and around 50 other sublime, stunning, enriching tracks. We finish off though with a Christmas card treat from The Mining Co. : ‘Last Stop For Tired Reindeer’.
FULL TRACKLIST:-
Circe ‘Mess With Your Head’
JAGUWAR ‘Battles’
Gabrielle Ornate ‘Rewrite The Rules’
Gaïsha ‘Ghalat’
Apollo Brown w/Stalley Ft. Skyzoo ‘Love Me, Love Me Not’
Dr. Syntax w/Tom Caruana ‘Basic Biscuits’
Die Zimmermänner ‘Paderborn’
Tallies ‘No Dreams Of Fayres’
Dear Laika ‘Black Moon, Lilith’
Color Dolor ‘Underwater’
Beach House ‘Through Me’
Oliver Earnest ‘Cancel Threapy’
Charlotte Greve w/ Wood River & Cantus Domus ‘Sediments We Move Pt. 2’
Spring ’68 ‘High On Happiness’
HighSchool ‘Forever At Last’
Swansea Sound ‘CORPORATE INDIE BAND’
The Soundcarriers ‘Waves’
Nick Frater ‘What’s With Your Heavy Heart?’
Foam Giant w/Flavour Crystals ‘Quality Of Life’
Blush Club ‘A Hill To Die On’
Legless Trials ‘Toll’
MED w/Blu, Madlib Ft. MF Doom ‘Knock Knock’
Nukuluk ‘Disaster Pop Song’
Joell Oritz ‘Uncle Chris Car’
Faust ‘Morning Land’
Koma Saxo ‘Self Koma’
Black Josh ‘THE BIRDS’
Lee Scott w/Sly Moon ‘Exobase’
Elcamino Ft. Meyhem Lauren ‘Championship Match’
Tristate ‘Sauvignon Blanc’
Cephas Teom ‘Tomorrow’s World’
DJ Abilities ‘The Badman’
Ash The Author w/DJ Drinks Ft. Mr Brown ‘Phantoms’
Sam Krats w/Da Beatminerz Ft. Craig Gee, Gee Bag, MysDiggi, Phoenix Da Icefire, Jazz T and Ramson Badbonez ‘Culture’
Eric The Red w/Tenth Dan ‘Put The Money In The Bag’
The Kahil El’Zabar Quartet ‘Eddie Harris’
Al Doum & The Faryds ‘Universe, Pt. 2’
ElectroBluesSociety w/Boo Boo Davis ‘Bye Baby Bye Bye (Rosé Sunset Remix)’
Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O ‘Senzon seNkosi’
Etran de L’Aïr ‘Adounia’
Toumastine ‘Adja Tarha (No Matter The Struggle In Love)’
Boom.Diwan w/Nduduzo Makhathini ‘Blood In The Wind’
Batila ‘Kindoki’
Alan Strani ‘Vaguement (Haddadi)’
Electric Supply Station ‘The Lander’
Xqui w/Equinox ‘Too Pieces’
Hackedepicciotto ‘Evermore’
Simon McCorry ‘Slow & Measured’
Park Jiha ‘Light Way’
Nicolas Gaunin ‘Upa-Upa’
Smote ‘Hauberk’
Hellenica ‘A Quiet Delirium’
Itchy-O ‘Blood Moon (Live)’
FUTURE CULT ‘Hidalgo’
Pave The Jungle ‘Moirai’
Kosmovoid ‘Lower Levels’
Masai Bey ‘Quiet Riot’
Aesop Rock w/Blockhead ‘Difficult’
Not A Citizen ‘Broke Again’
Dub Chieftain ‘Sonic Duvet’
Jack Ellister ‘Fragestellung’
Meskerem Mees ‘Parking Lot’
The Mining Co. ‘Last Stop For Tired Reindeer’
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.
The Social Playlist #61: Atlas Sound, Bush Tetras, Rob Sonic, The Kinks, Tamar Aphek…
November 11, 2021
PLAYLIST/Dominic Valvona
If you’re reading this than thank you for actually clicking the link through to the latest edition of Dominic Valvona’s eclectic and inter-generational imaginary radio show playlist. With no inane chat, smug aficionado endorsements or petty factiods, it’s the best kind of playlist: Just 2 hours of incredible music to discover, embrace, dance to (if the mood takes you) and wrap your head around. With no themes, other than the inclusion of tracks by those who’ve passed away during the month and a number of anniversary celebrating albums, the Monolith Cocktail Social is one long musical odyssey.
On Volume #61 Sum Pear idolise the sun, Creepy John Thomas skin up, whilst Juicy Lucy turn out a vision of Spirit’s ‘Mr. Skin’; Frank LoCrasto sends us out on a sublime float across the plains, and a fiftieth-anniversary album celebrating Sly & The Family Stone play us out with the epic ‘Africa Talks To You (“The Asphalt Jungle”)’ from their triumphant tumult of an album, There’s A Riot Goin’ On. Talking of anniversaries, this month’s playlist also includes the lead track from The Kinks country-yearned Muswell Hillbillies album (released this month back in ’72), plus tracks from Teenage Fanclub’s breakout album Bandwagonesque (30 years old this month), something from Japan’s Tin Drum (incredibly 40 years old), and a beauty from Bradford Cox’s Deerhunter side hustle Atlas Sound’s Parallax (only a mere ten years old this month). We also pay a special tribute to former New York art-rock, post-punk, avant-garde stalwart drummer Dee Pop of Bush Tetras infamy, and so many other experimental projects, including with friend of the blog Andy Haas.
Track List::
The Kinks ‘Muswell Hillbilly’
Return To Forever ‘Do You Ever’
Juicy Lucy ‘Mr. Skin’
Creepy John Thomas ‘This Is My Baby’
Skinned Teen ‘Pillow Case Kisser’
Times New Viking ‘Pagan Eyes’ Urbano de Castro ‘Giloso’
Balla Te Ses Balladins ‘Yo Te Contres Maria’
Ted Taylor ‘Days Are Dark’
Teenage Fanclub ‘What You Do To Me’
Bush Tetras ‘Too Many Creeps’
T La Rock ‘Ya Pushin It’
Muchos Plus ‘Nassau’s Discos (Short Version)’
Tamar Aphek ‘Russian Winter’
The Beets ‘What Did I Do’
Atlas Sound ‘Angel Is Broken’
Long Fin Killie ‘Homo Erectus’
Los Supersonicos ‘Introduccion’
The Ban ‘Bye Bye’
Sum Pear ‘Hey Sun’
The Pretty Things ‘Love Is Good (Radio 1 Session 1972)’
Manduka ‘Entra y Sale’
Frank LoCrasto ‘Simple Times’
Stone The Crows ‘The Fool On The Hill’
Japan ‘Visions Of China’
Gjennomslag ‘Siste Dans’
Biting Tongues ‘Probate’
Kaira Ben ‘Singa’Jackson Conti ‘Upa Neguinho’
Dundundun ‘Dun In Outer Space’
Hasan Minawi ‘Ana Ma Feieh’
Khmer Jazz Fusion ‘Juno Katah’Rob Sonic ‘Hammer Of Chaos’
Ramson Badbonez/Kashmere/TrueMendous/Micall Parknsun/Joker Starr, Gee Bag/Confucius/Jehst/Phoenix Da Icefire ‘Black Hole Cypher’
Sly & The Family Stone ‘Africa Talks To You (“The Asphalt Jungle”)’
Halloween Part One: The Horrorscope Playlist
October 25, 2021
PLAYLIST SPECIAL: Dominic Valvona
Caught by the ghoulies (that must have hurt), creeping through the haunted vestiges of a civilization: a rotting corpse of despair, yet filled with mischievous howlers. Contacted through séance; invoked by demonic numbskulls. It can only mean one thing: it’s time for the annual Monolith Cocktail Halloween playlist.
Soft souls and those with a nervous disposition look away now; cover thy ears. For 2021 was a most frightening year of plague, war, pestilence and all together real crisis. The Four Horsemen looked to me to be circling, if not resting on the hard shoulder, preparing for a swift Armageddon, whilst those with the zillions fucked off into space to escape this wretched, cursed world– I’m only jealous.
There’s a whole lotta witch-burning going on this year, with all things bewitching from Troyka, Pointed Sticks, Sam Gopal. The Devil in his many guises appears courtesy of The Halo Benders, Drab City, Peace And Love, Raw Material, El Ritual and Last Exit. And we have macabre jazz from Leon Thomas, a funky fresh Dracula from soul force Don; and black magick invocation from Al Lover.
But don’t despair as the Gloria angels have come prepared with ‘Holy Water’ and th1rt3en and Pharoahe Monch have brought along ‘The Exorcist’.
Check out in a few days time our review of the upcoming Itchy-O double album.
Track List:
The Halo Benders ‘Devil City Destiny’
Billy Changer ‘Black Angel’
Walter Daniels, Oblivians & Monsieur Jeffery Evans ‘Rockin’ In The Graveyard’
Pointed Sticks ‘The Witch’
Sam Gopal ‘Season Of The Witch’
Gloria ‘Holy Water’
True West ‘Lucifer Sam’
Al Lover ‘Black Magick Starter Jacket’
th1rt3en & Pharoahe Monch ‘The Exorcist’
Drab City ‘Devil Doll’
Don ‘Soul Dracula’
Peace And Love ‘Against The Devil’
Univeria Zekt ‘Something’s Cast A Spell’
Zior ‘Vampire Night’
El Ritual ‘Satanas’
Maria Monti ‘Il Serpente Innamorato’
Last Exit ‘Devil’s Rain’
The Terminals ‘Psycho Lives’
Mister Modo ‘Dark Ambient Theme 4’
Peter Schickele ‘The Priest Of The Raven Of Dawn’
Sunforest ‘Magician In The Mountain’
Raw Material ‘Race With The Devil’
Xqui X Sound Effects Of Death & Horror ‘Timete’
Between ‘Katakomben’
Leon Thomas ‘Shape Your Mind To Die’
Stefano Torossi ‘Fearing Much’
Dogfeet ‘Armageddon’
Also may like to tackle these grim playlists:
Monolith Cocktail Monthly Playlist: August 2021
August 27, 2021
PLAYLIST SPECIAL/Dominic Valvona/Matt Oliver/Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea
Unapologetic fans of California’s favourite sons, The Beach Boys, this month’s imaginary Monolith Cocktail radio show playlist features a hell of a lot of tracks from the Feel Flows box set, which came out today. Some of which, are choice tracks that have lain dormant for decades.
Joining them is a fine selection of new music from the MC team (that’s me Dominic Valvona, our remote contributor and hip-hop selector Matt Oliver, and the maverick troubadour lo fi rock god turn critic Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea) that includes bloomed pop loveliness from Bloom De Wilde, respectful nods to prog rock icons from Uncommon Nasa, Homeboy Sandman slurping on the dairy, the brand new Fiery Furnaces mellotron bellowed plaint, and some mad dashing mayhem from Girl No. III. Plus plenty of greatness from Pons, SonnyJim, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brandee Younger, Ephat Mujuru and Liz Cooper. 46 tracks to soundtrack your weekend.
Tracks Listing:.
The Beach Boys ‘It’s A New Day’
Gabrielle Ornate ‘Waiting To Be Found’
Bloom De Wilde ‘Garden Of The Sun (Jstar Remix)’
Ester Poly ‘Pressés’
Flowertown ‘The Door The Thief The Light’
SLONK ‘Erstwhile’
Julia Meijer ‘Borta Från Allt’
Seaside Witch Coven ‘A.E.O.’
Liz Cooper ‘Slice Of Life’
The Beach Boys ‘It’s About Time – Live 1971’
Brian Jackson, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad ‘Duality’
Uncommon Nasa ‘Vincent Crane’
Tanya Morgan ft. Rob Cave ‘Tanya In The Sky With Diamonds’
Homeboy Sandman ‘Cow’s Milk’
Creatures Of Habit ‘The Devil’s Hands’
Bronx Slang ‘Clock’s Ticking’
Lore City ‘Once-Returner’
Your Gaze ‘Black Afternoon’
Sølyst ‘Flex’
Ephat Mujuru & The Spirit Of The People ‘Mudande’
Ballaké Sissoko ‘Simbo Salaba’
The Beach Boys ‘4th Of July (2019 Mix)’
Sorrows ‘Rita’
Lisa Mychols & Super 8 ‘Pet Sounds (Story)’
Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang ‘Bye Bye Baby’
Brandee Younger ‘Somewhere Different’
Ryuichi Sakamoto ‘Mountains’
The Beach Boys ‘Forever (2019 A Cappella Mix)’
The Fiery Furnaces ‘The Fortune Teller’s Revenge’
Graham Domain ‘Limbs Of Loneliness’
Corduroy Institute ‘An Interpretation Of Our Own Story’
YOUNGMAN ‘GALACTIC LUV’
Celling Demons Ft. Zarahruth ‘Silver Birch’
Kid Acne Ft. Jaz Kahina and Vandel Savage ‘Transistors’
The Mouse Outfit & ayiTe ‘Don’t Stop’
Girl No. III ‘Wales’Whales’Wails At Weyl’
Pons ‘JOHNNY PERSUASION (HABITAT 67)’
Sebastian Reynolds ‘Crows (L’Étranger Remix)’
CMPND ‘WEAINTPLAYIN’
Lee Scott/Hyroglifics Ft. Black Josh ‘Sacrificial Goat’
Sonnyjim ‘Mr Singh’
Sweaty Palms ‘The Dance’
Weak Signal ‘Barely A Trace’
Xqui X SEODAH ‘Timete’
Giacomelli ‘Phaze II, Pt. 2 (Bonus Track)’
Shreddies ‘(no body)’
PLAYLIST SPECIAL/Dominic Valvona/Matt Oliver/Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea
Already plowing through the summer of Covid Year Two era, the Monolith Cocktail has chosen another eclectic jamboree of choice tracks from the last month: mostly from albums/singles we’ve reviewed, but a few we never got around to featuring on the blog. There’s a heavy Beach Boys presence, what with California’s greatest sons releasing the eagerly anticipated Sunflower and Surf’s Up sessions and goodies box set, Feel Flows, next month. We also have the return of Los Lobos, who cover their fellow Californian neighbours’ ‘Sail On Sailor’ for their new album Native Sons.
We also have Matt Oliver on the rap control, sorting through July’s tsunami of new hip-hop releases. Matt also pays homage to the late idiosyncratic golden age innovator Biz Markie, who died only a few days ago at the age of 57.
Expect the usual unusual, with tracks from the Regressive Left, Xhosa Cole, Pozi, Luaran Hibberd, Project Hilts, The Doppelgangaz, Joe Blow, Ed Scissor & Lamplighter, CIX, Faust, Jason Nazary and more.
Tracks:.
Regressive Left ‘Cream Militia’
Jean-Pierre Djeukam ‘Africa Iyo’
Xhosa Cole ft. Soweto Kinch & Reuben James ‘Untitled Boogaloo’
Biz Markie ‘Pickin’ Boogers’
Native Soul ‘Dead Sangoma’
N’Famady Kouyaté ft. Lisa Jên Brown ‘Aros I fi Yna’
Contento ‘Al Lao del Río’
Pozi ‘Sea Song’
Werewolf Hair ‘Throw Me A Bone’
Lauran Hibberd ‘Bleugh’
Yammerer ‘Tell Me What The Ancient Astronaut Theorists Believe’
Jack Name & Aoife Nessa Frances ‘Watching The Willows Burn’
Los Lobos ‘Sail On, Sailor’
The Beach Boys ‘This Whole World (Alternate Ending)’
The Poppermost ‘Yes It’s True’
Platonica Erotica ‘I Can’t Be Your Everyting’
Project Hilts ‘Dark Side’
Nick Roberts ft. Ash The Author & DJ JabbaTheKut ‘Codebreaker’
The Doppelgangaz ‘Triple D’
Joe Blow & Mr. Substance ft. DJ Jaffe ‘Hypertension’
Roughneck Jihad ‘Handbook’
Swindle ft. Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical & JNR Williams ‘LOST’
Ed Scissor & Lamplighter ‘R U Alone?’
Kety Fusco ‘Ma Gnossienne’
Anton Barbeau ‘I Love It When She Does The Dishes’
Heyme ‘Without A Paddle’
The Telephone Numbers ‘Pictures Of Lee’
Reuban Vaun Smith ‘Flee The Coop’
Devin Gray ft. Ralph Alessi & Angelica Sanchez ‘Melt All The Guns’
Juga-Naut & Giallo Point ‘Smoke Filled Room’
Web Web (Max Herre & Yusef Lateef) ‘Akinuba/The Heart’
CIX ‘Whirl’d In The Pool’
Tekilla ‘Se Eu…’
Saba Alizadeh ft. Andreas Specthl ‘Phasing Shadows’
Belcirque ‘Sumac y Cúrcuma’
Karen Zanes ‘Carnival Mirror’
Wyndow ‘Pulling On A String’
Jason Nazary ft. Grey McMurray ‘Days & Nights, for Em’
Girl No. III ‘An Impressed Imp Rests’
Liliane Chela ‘Charr’
PTČ ft. Vazz ‘PAPAGAJ’
Sandy Chamoun ‘Siret El Ro3eb’
Passepartout Duo ‘Plainness’
Occult Character ‘Cool Kid Mummy’
Faust ‘Fernlicht’
The Beach Boys ‘Surf’s Up (A Cappella)’
Monthly Playlist Revue For June 2021
June 30, 2021
PLAYLIST SPECIAL/DOMINIC VALVONA/MATT OLIVER/BRIAN ‘BORDELLO’ SHEA
Join us for the most eclectic of musical journeys as the Monolith Cocktail team compiles another monthly playlist of new releases and recent reissues we’ve featured on the site, plus tracks we’ve not had time to write about but have been on our radar. That includes epic Buryat anthems from the Steppes, sulky struts, explorative ambient vistas, summer surf wafts, spindled Korean majesty, lolloping bravado, twisted jazz and many of the current choice hip-hop cuts.
STARRING THE FOLLOWING MONOLITH COCKTAIL ANOINTED ARTISTS AND TRACKS:::
Namgar ‘Green Grass’
Squid ‘G.S.K.’
Andrew Hung ‘Brother’
Pons ‘LELAND (CLUB MIX)’
Heiko Maile ‘Vega Drive (Tape 13)’
The Early Mornings ‘Departure From Habit’
Occult Character ‘(I Think I Wanna Have A) Meltdown’
Edna Frau ‘Angry Face Man’
Dwi ‘Freak N Out’
Hectorine ‘Saltwater’
Meggie Lennon ‘Night Shift’
Rhona Stevens ‘Solo’
Seagullmoine ‘Contrails’
Foreign Age ‘Apathy By Proxy’
Mike Gale ‘Awake Awake’
The Beach Boys ‘Big Sur’
Simon Waldram ‘Don’t Worry’
Shannon And The Clams ‘Year Of The Spider’
Paragon Cause ‘Disconnected’
RULES ‘Say It Ain’t So’
Violet Nox ‘Cosmic Bits (J. Bagist Remix)’
Evidence ‘Talking To The Audience’
DJ JS-1 (Ft. Rahzel, Mr. Cheeks and Craig G) ‘Open Up The Door’
Tyler The Creator ‘LUMBERJACK’
Tanya Morgan (Ft. Jack Davey) ‘A Whole Mood’
Juga-Naut & Jazz T ‘Marble & Granite’
Skyzoo ‘I Was Supposed To Be A Trap Rapper’
Sone Institute ‘Dead Ahead’
Brian Jackson, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad ‘Mars Walk’
Jaubi (Ft. Tenderlonious and Latarnik) ‘Satanic Nafs’
Hassan Wargui ‘Azmz’
Clamb ‘Eggs In The Mainstream’
Hailu Mergia and The Walias ‘Mestriawi Debdabe’
Goodparley ‘Dissected Frequencies’
Sara Oswald & Feldemelder ‘Fishes In Histogram Waterfalls’
Marco Woolf ‘Modus Operandi’
Amaro Freitas ‘Batucada’
Space Afrika (Ft. Blackhaine) ‘B£E’
Apathy (Ft. Brevi) ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’
Masai Bay (Ft. EI-P) ‘Paper Mache’
Abir Patwary ‘Avalon’ Petter Eldh (Ft. Richard Spaven) ‘Goods Yard’
Kid Kin ‘Under A Cloud Fret’
The Liminanas ‘Stoker The Smoker’
Night Sky Pulse ‘Missing’
dal:um ‘TAL’
Alice Coltrane ‘Krishna Krishna’
Provincials ‘Feels Like Falling’
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.
Playlist/Dominic Valvona
An intergenerational, eclectic playlist vision, the Monolith Cocktail Social is the blog’s imaginary radio show; a smattering of music from my personal collection, my DJ sets and a lot of music I just wish I owned. Devoid of themes, restraints, or trends, expect to hear anything and everything; including some tributes to album that celebrate their 50th, 30th and 10th anniversaries: A very out-there, Mogadon slipped, version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Happening Brother’, plus tracks from Grace Jones’ infamous aloof cyber noir Nightclubbing (and a Jamaican lit track that never made it to that album), McCartney’s Ram, and Nice And Smooth’s Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed. There’s a nod also to the recent passing of Digital Underground’s chief instigator and maverick genius Shock G.
Amongst that lot you will hear Kenny Knight, Joan Of Arc, Kazumichi Komatsu, Krown Rulers, Reymour, Shelagh McDonald, The Freeborne, Cassie and much more.
Tracks:
Shelagh McDonald ‘Waiting For The Wind To Rise’
Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney ‘Too Many People’
Pantherman ‘Panther Walk’
Ford Theatre ‘I’ve Got The Fever’
Kevin Vivalvi ‘Another Day, Another Time’
The Freeborne ‘Images’
Billy Changer ‘Black Angel’
Chris Stamey ‘When We’re Alone’
Cassie ‘The Light Shines On’
Reymour ‘De Ma Tour’
Grace Jones ‘Art Groupie’
Poor Righteous Teachers ‘Easy Star’
Digital Underground ‘No Nose Job’
Joe Farrell ‘Seven Seas’
Nice & Smooth ‘Pump It Up’
Krown Rulers ‘Paper Chase’
Wreckx-N-Effect ‘New Jack Swing II (Hard Version)’
Carlos Garnet ‘Good Shepherd’
James Brooker ‘Feel So Bad’
A.B. Crentsil ‘Juliana’
Embryo ‘Wajang Woman’
Grace Jones ‘If You Wanna Be My Lover’
Daddy Lumba ‘Nom Nsuo Twen Ope’
Kenny Knight ‘Carry Me Down’
Joan Of Arc ‘I Love A Woman (Who Loves Me)’
The Aggregation ‘The Lady At The Gate’
Moonkyte ‘It’s The Same Thing’
Walter Smetak ‘Uibitus e Beija-Flores Etc.’
Kazumichi Komatsu ‘U+2657’
Poets Of Elan ‘What’s Happening Brother’
Laurie Spiegal ‘Three Sonic Spaces II’
Laurent Thibault ‘Aquadingen’
Between ‘Kalenda Maya’
Puccio Roelens ‘Lillian’
Johnny Pearson ‘Baubles, Bangles, And Beads’
Margie Day ‘Wine In The Wind’
Paul Siebel ‘Jack-Knife Gypsy’
Tartit ‘Holiyane Holiyana’
Monthly Playlist Revue: March 2021
March 31, 2021
PLAYLIST SPECIAL/Dominic Valvona/Brian ‘Bordello’ Shea/Matt Oliver
The Monthly Playlist Revue is partly our imaginary radio show, partly a chance to catch up and showcase the last month’s worth of features, recommendations and reviews on the Monolith Cocktail. An eclectic spread, journey as ever March’s edition includes an emphatic cosmological birthed release from Andrew Hung; a mugging off flow over the theme music of 80s favourite Minder by a rum lot of UK hip-hop talent (Satrumentalz/Big Toast/The Stranger Neighbour/Gee Bag/OliverSudden/Downstroke); a suite from the unheralded surprise diaphanous flotation opus from the congruous and glorious partnership of Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders; another dream partnership, Olivier Rocabois & John Howard; and the unusual usual mix of post-punk, ambient, industrial, avant-garde, pop, hip-hop and whatever genre you can think off.
Osayomore Joseph & The Creative Seven ‘Africa Is My Root’
Sakili ‘La Ri Latine’
Electric Jalaba ‘Briando’
Blak-Ram ‘Trauma Waters’
BROCKHAMPTON (Ft. Danny Brown) ‘BUZZCUT’
Xiu Xiu & Liars ‘Rumpus Room’
Andrew Hung ‘Space’
U.S. Girls ‘junkyard’
Chinese American Bear ‘Dumpling’
Camino Al Desvan ‘La Contorsion De Pollo’
Alewya & Moses Boyd ‘The Code’
Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders ‘Movement 5’
Masayoshi Fujita ‘Thunder’
Mecanica Clasica ‘Ak Deniz’
Mosquitoes ‘Strobeluck’
A Certain Ratio ‘Wonderland’
Timo Lassy & Teppo Makynen ‘Calling James (Live)’
U68 ‘Uncommon Nasa’
L’Orange & Namir Blade ‘Corner Store Scandel’
M-Dot/DZ The Unknown/Mayhem Of EMS ‘Schizoid’
Satrumentalz/Big Toast/The stranger Neighbour/Gee Bag/Oliver Sudden/Downstroke ‘Fuck Off London’
Tom Caruna (Ft. Scorzayzee, Jabbathakut) ‘You Look Nice’
Gloria ‘Global Warning’
Jane Inc. ‘Dirt And The Earth’
A Minor Place ‘When Silvia Leaves’
Opus Kink ‘Wild Bill’
Chris Church ‘Praise’
Ex Norwegian & Rhys Marsh ‘Half Baked’
Shaun McLachlan ‘When We Dance’
Olivier Rocabois & John Howard ‘Tonight I Need’
The Bordellos ‘Shattered Pop Kiss’
Witch Camp (Ghana) ‘When I Was Ill, You Didn’t Come Visit’
Fernando Anuang’a & Maasai Vocals ‘Enkisesei’
Rafiki Jazz ‘Omkoth Ma’ai’
Daughters Of The Desert ‘Whispering Dunes’
Vukovar ‘When Rome Falls (7” Brutalist Edit)’
Provincials ‘Terms & Conditions’
Petrolio ‘Y Nadie Queria Saber’
Abacaxi ‘Catfish’ Cementation Anxiety ‘The Locks Are Not Enough’
Alder Ego ‘I Saw It In A Dream’
PLAYLIST/DOMINIC VALVONA
For those of you unfamiliar with the long-running Monolith Cocktail Social Playlist, this is Dominic Valvona’s eclectic and cross-generational imaginary and dream version of the blog’s radio show. It’s also a chance to show off his record collection, and the sort of music he’d play when DJing over the past thirty years. Expect the unexpected, as the oddities and the sublime rub up against each other on a curated playlist with no limits, no borders, and no one to please other than ourselves: we just hope you enjoy and share some of our tastes, or get switched and turned on to what we rave about.
Volume #53 includes the mad, bad and dangerous to know alongside turns from the post-pink, pub rock, jazz, Krautrock, psychedlic, garage, transient, soundtrack genres. Dominic also raises a glass to both the 50th anniversary of Amon Duul II’s Dance Of The Lemmings and the 30th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Out Of Time albums.
The Full Track List Is As Follows:
The Count Bishops ‘Down In The Bottom’
Viv And The Sect. ‘Blues Days’
Poison Girls ‘Underbitch’
Oblivians ‘Motorcycle Leather Boy’
Bailey’s Nervous Kats ‘Surf Express’
Avavikko ‘Alas Volgaa’
Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski ‘Sweet Beat’
Ihre Kinder ‘Wrote’
Message ‘THOUGHTS’
Afous ‘Malha’
Ernie Hawks ‘Cold Turkey Time’
Phill Most Chill ‘This Is What It Is’
Lejuan Love ‘My Hardcore Rhymes’
Marley Marl & Craig G ‘Droppin’ Science’
Falle Nioke ‘Barke’
Exuma ‘Empty Barrels’
The Cutlass Dance Band ‘Odofo Na Aden’
Comadre Florzinha ‘Arauna’
Maria Monti ‘Il Pavone’
Freur ‘Matters Of The Heart’
The Sixth Great Lake ‘Ballad Of A Sometimes Traveller’
The Field Mice ‘End Of An Affair’
R.E.M. ‘Country Feedback (Live)’
Supreme Dicks. ‘In A Sweet Song’
Elysian Spring ‘2 & 2’
Dennis Farnon ‘The Trackers’
Compton & Batteau ‘Honeysuckle’
Bill Jerpe ‘Mrs. Frost’
Michael Bundt ‘Midnight Orange Juice’
Alphataurus ‘Croma’
Ruth Copeland ‘Your Love Been So Good To Me’
Peace and Love ‘Until’
Remigio Ducros ‘Fabbrica Vuota’
Amon Duul II ‘Chamsin: Toxicological Whispering’
Eroc ‘Abendmeer’
Monolith Cocktail Blog 