Grand Analog's 'Electric City' is now available on iTunes.

I got the title for Electric City from two sources...

ONE: The most enduring and memorable Dub Toaster (toasting came before rapping in the early 70s in Jamaica) on the mic was U-Roy. His mumbo jumbo over drums and bass were so catchy it's no wonder it turned into a cultural phenomenon. U-Roy used to crash the dancehall, grab the mic and holler little toasts like: "Yeah Yeah Daddy-O, I Tell Yaaa... I'll Shock Ya Like Electric!!!"

He was great. Roots Manuva, for example, is well known for taking some of U-Roy's mic style. U-Roy is probably the most sampled reggae artist to date - other than Sister Nancy's legendary 'Bam Bam' single of course.

TWO: One of my favourite poets, Michael Harper, is the king of short, sweet and heart felt pros. I practically have his ode to John Coltrane memorized. The peice is appropriately titled 'Dear John Dear Coltrane'... in it he reads, "You Plot Into The Electric City, Your Song Now Crystal In The Blues". I dig Michael Harper and his intense love for American Jazz.

speaking of poems... I just recently found the poem that started me on a writing path at a very young age... my grade 4 teacher insisted I get into poetry despite what my trouble making friends thought... so I had to write on the sly... when I found this poem (at age 10), it was the beginning for me:

Word Poem (Perhaps Worth Considering)
as things be / come
let's destroy
then we can destroy
what we be / come
let's build
what we become
when we dream

by Nikki Giovanni

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On a sexy note (for Canadians with CityTV). Two Grand Analog songs will be featured on 'Inside Fashion' this coming weekend. Electric City will be used in the New York Fashion Week segment highlighting the Pink Tartan and Miss Sixty runway shows. The other song used is a new groove called Her Daddy (Don't Like Me).

We're shooting the video for Her Daddy (Don't Like Me) soooon.

Her Daddy (Don't Like Me) will be available on iTunes May 5/ 2009.

(until the next b l o g)
Odario

METROPOLIS IS BURNING
~ Available May 26 / 2009 ~

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