89.9 KCRW Presents The Decoders at Steady Groovin 8/17

August 3, 2013 at 8:43 am

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In only a couple of years, Los Angeles production trio (Todd M. Simon, Itai Shapira and Adam Berg) have cemented their reputation in the studio and on stage as the premiere production team and live band for artists like Rhye, Kelis, and Hollie Cook.

They have also garnered the attention of great worldwide tastemakers such as KCRW music director Jason Bentley, the legendary Gilles Peterson of the BBC, Jaime Cullum, Okayplayer, Wax Poetics, Bandcamp and many more.
Rarely emerging from behind closed studio doors, The Decoders love combining their specialized brand of “decoded” classics from the 60’s and 70’s soul movement with an excitingly new blend of genres ranging from Lovers Rock to Dub, Brazilian Music to Psychadelic Soul.

Coco O. (of Quadron), Noelle Scaggs (of Fitz & the Tantrums), Leon Ware, Raul Midon and many others have lended their vocal talents to this special project with more to surely come for each new volume.

In alive setting, The Decoders are 10 piece ensemble featuring LA’s top musicians and session players. Thus far, they have released 2 volumes and a dub remix EP, including a few tunes from their upcoming LP, Adventures From Paradise: A Tribute To Minnie Riperton (vol 3), which will be completed in the fall of 2013 and features special guest vocalists and musicians.

“This is not music, its chemistry. Get into the science.” -Okayplayer.com
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**LIMITED PRE-SALE TICKETS!**
Purchase your pre-sale ticket available on Friday, August 2nd at www.steadygroovin.eventbrite.com

**DRINK SPECIALS from 10PM TO 11PM – $4 Draft Beers & $4 Witches Brew**

Steady Groovin’ brings you the best of Soul Jazz|Funk|Latin|Hip Hop|Afro Funk|Neo Soul|Rare Grooves

::CELEBRATE YOUR AUGUST BIRTHDAY WITH US!::
If your birthday is in the month of August, rsvp to celebrate it with us on the 20th! Birthday Special is a FREE BATCH of one of the following HAND CRAFTED DRINKS (your choice!):

Sangria / Witches Brew / Whiskey Mule / Rye Buck / Rum Dark & Stormy / Vodka Moscow Mule
*must have a eight person per party minimum for bday special*

NOLA’S 734 E. 3rd Street, LA 90013
$15 Cover / 21+ / Full Bar / 10pm – 2am / Open Air Smoking Patio

Steady Groovin’ Grand Re-Opening 7/20/13 in DTLA’s Arts District

June 27, 2013 at 11:10 am

We finally found a home that will support live music, which was a huge aspect of our mission: to bring amazing bands to the stage.  We start at our new home, Nola’s in the Arts District, on Saturday, July 20, and every 3rd Saturday of the month.  For our grand re-opening, we will feature Los Angeles super group, Jungle Fire, who have an amazing afro-latin sound that your feet cannot deny!

You can download my promo mix for Steady Groovin here: http://www.mixcrate.com/frankforeal/steady-groovin-promo-253877

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Manny Torres & 2NDWND at Native Sol – June Artwalk LB

June 20, 2012 at 12:58 am

20120701-105738.jpgI was invited to spin records at my friend's shop during the 2nd Saturday Art Walk in Long Beach this past June.  Native Sol is an earth friendly lifestyle store, located in the East Village Arts District.  They offer products that are Organic, hand-made, local, fair-trade, upcycled, and sustainable. 

Native Sol had a guest artist named Manny Torres, who had a table set up with his unique, later etched jewelry under the moniker 2NDWND.  He was selling pieces etched out of old vinyl records.  He gave this cassette piece to me at the end of the night.  Big up!

“I Love Vinyl” Video

May 22, 2012 at 9:06 am

Man, I miss these days…This video sums up a lot about our passion, and obsession, for vinyl.  I Love ViNYl is a new york based party and, damn, I wish we did this in LA!

Frank Gossner at Afro Funke

May 18, 2012 at 8:27 am

20120518-082250.jpgThursday nights are for Afro Funke!  For over 8 years, the team of Cary Sullivan, Rocky Dawuni, Jeremy Sole, and Glenn Red have provided Los Angeles with a quality event, dedicated to african rhythms, from reggae to afrobeat.  Definitely one of LA's shining stars in the music scene, this is a place to come hear music you've never heard before, and to dance to music you've never heard before.  And EVERYONE is dancing.  That's what makes this so special to me.  There's a lot of wallflowers in LA, but not at Afro Funke.  20120518-082523.jpgEveryone is vibing out.  Even if someone is not on the dancefloor, they are moving their feet. When I got the email about Frank Gossner guest DJ'ing at Afro Funke this week, all my other plans got cancelled.  This cat spent quite a bit of time travelling through Africa, sometimes not in the safest of places, in search of the rarest and funkiest of African records.  He documented this journey on his blog, Voodoo Funk.  Lots of photos and music for you to check out.  Frank played some SERIOUS heat, from afro-disco cuts to slow funk burners.   And if you're wondering what kind of records he was playing, they were all original pressings.  No compilations.  I couldn't help but remember what Jeremy Sole said when introducing Frank: "Think of it like this, one of these records can pay for your rent this month!"

Aloha!

April 28, 2012 at 4:37 pm

20120429-103858.jpg Aloha from Honolulu. I’m sitting here on the beach thinking about how crazy this last week has been. It all started on Thursday as we (Trina and I) headed out to the Coachella music festival in Indio. We saw an amazing lineup of artists. Too many, in fact, to see them all (sorry DJ Shadow). There were quite a few people there as well!

 

Outside of the festival, we hung out at the Ace Hotel as well as the Saguaro Hotel, where there was a KCRW pool party on Sunday afternoon. Once we came home from Coachella, we were off to Maui for a couple of days to celebrate my birthday, and then on to Honolulu to go digging and whatnot while Trina worked a conference. More to come…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble in Los Angeles!

January 25, 2012 at 8:00 am

Make no mistake, this one is not to be missed!  Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Venice Dawn, DJ Spinna, and Theo Parrish.  A fresh and unexpected bill that will no doubt be another one for the books.  ArtDontSleep is behind this, who organized the Roy Ayers & Thundercat show back in November, so you can be sure that this is a well thought out, carefully curated event.  Limited early bird tickets are on sale now for $25.  I can’t say I can recall the last time HBB was on the west coast, if at all.  Their name is well earned, with heavy horn harmonies, and cleverly arranged songs.  Their last EP, “Heritage,” features amazing covers of some of your favorite

classics, from Fela to Art of Noise (yes, Art of Noise).  Add DJ Spinna & Theo Parrish to the bill, plus local favorites Sean O, Expo, Rani D, and Anthony Valadez, and you’ve got a great night planned out at one of Downtown LA’s freshest venues, Exchange LA.  Enough gushing, let’s get to the sounds…

FELA! in Los Angeles

December 15, 2011 at 9:48 pm

For whatever reason, the Fela! broadway musical was moved from April 2012 to December 2011 in Los Angeles, and we are not complaining!  I watched this in a HD simulcast from London a few months back at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center, and I was damn near in tears from the first note.  This is an amazing story based in Fela’s “Shrine,” a performance space where his live evening shows would last until the morning.  Sometimes 7 or 8 hours of afrobeat heat.  This production is, without a doubt, my favorite musical of all time.  No questions asked.  The music, the choreography, and the story will reach anyone who connects with afrobeat music.  Fela is running in Los Angeles through January 21st, so you have plenty of time to see it.  Do not sleep on this!  Get your tickets at www.centertheatregroup.org

Michael Kiwanuka Live at Bardot

December 6, 2011 at 8:55 am

I’m on a high from last night.  After standing in the cold (L.A. cold, that is) for about twenty minutes, I was one of the first few people to step through the door at Bardot for “School Night,” a weekly Monday night series curated by Chris Douridas of Los Angeles independent radio station KCRW. Michael Kiwanuka was the opening act, making his U.S. debut, but, for me, he was headlining.  He hit the stage with just him and his guitar, and his friend on bass and backup vocal.  The sound was stripped down compared to what most of us have heard from his “Tell Me A Tale – Isle of Wight Sessions” EP, which is what really embedded his sound into my mind and made me a fan.  But his powerful voice filled the room and hushed the crowd.  I would definitely check him out when and wherever you can.

Michael Kiwanuka closed out his amazing set with a cover of Bill Withers, whom he credited for really making him interested and passionate about being an acoustic guitarist.

The Straight Ahead: November 27th

November 24, 2011 at 7:00 am

We’re back this Sunday at Association in Downtown LA.  Each night we’ve gained new friends and family, and everyone has responded positively about having a jazz night in LA with DJ’s who collect jazz records!  We’d love to see you there…

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