Laurel is a super talented young woman from London who I got to get to meet during The Northside Festival this year. She is self produced and writes her tunes as well. Quite the lyricist and musician I must say!! Of course she’s comes fully equipped with mad talent, nice manners, and the classic self-effacing brit sense of humor . Here is our interview and live session on my Amazing Radio show. Check her out.
Have u seen Park Ave?? Thanks to a chance encounter while getting darshan at Amma, I met the most awesome Kelly Cutrone. She turned me on to this movie. Here it is in its entirety, or you can stream it on Netflix. Let’s just say (sadly of course) it just reaffirms that my lyrics to my new single Workingman are right on the money.
Enjoy and spread the word – Majik
It’s like 1970 all over again! It’s high time for a groovy empowering rock and roll anthem with a bit of fuzz guitar and a wailing soul queen. Just wait till you hear Kennedy who I discovered at The Lesson parties in NYC on the chorus. Slammin’.
America has changed. The age of open source has revealed the black heart of greed and corruption and imperialist aggression. We are wearing China made from head to toe, being fed toxic GMOs. Our emails are read and our clicks are sold to corporate behemoths propped up by over inflated Wall St. valuations. The middle class has all but disappeared and the media keeps you pumped with entertainment news and gratuitous sex.
People have the power to organize and make a difference, Revolutions are happening all over the world. Things can change and it starts from the bottom. The tech savvy have the technology chops to work for change and innovation that really makes our world a better place, not just a better app.
This is my anthem. Give it a spin. Hope it inspires ya.
The second single to be released from the “Lights On” LP. The lovely and massively talented Melanie Charles joins the mildly debauched, mostly lovestuck Majik trippin’ on a funky soul wave.
Cover collage: ceherb
Yo people!!! My new track is here. If ya dig it, please share it!!
“Lights On” is the debut single from NYC producer Strange Majik. After attending several of the freestyle hip-hop soul parties called The Lesson in NYC, Majik tapped the raw talents of Bronx rap powerhouse Phase One and Brooklyn soul/jazz vocalist Melanie Charles to join him. Recorded at Flow NY in March 2014.
From the upcoming album “Lights On” coming summer 2014.
One night last month I was leaving the studio after working on a mix of Sheryl Crow and I stumbled onto a goldmine. On my way home I saw an unlikely multi-cultural crowd hanging outside of Arlene’s Grocery. It struck me so I walked in. What I found was one of the most engaging musical experiences I have come across in a while.
I step in the door, the place is jammed packed. My first thought – its a hip hop party….not my usual hang…. but I wait and listen. The MC is talking about love and positive energy and elevating your soul. Whaaaaat???? I’m intrigued. Then the drummer and bass player hit this insane groove….I’m hooked. The vibes at this thing are incredible. The crowd is jammed in like sardines but smiling and in no way annoyed I’m shuffling through their personal space. Not the usual lower east side music or crowd. I had been to so many well rehearsed hipster drenched indie rock shows in the last few weeks, I’m blown away at how much more visceral this is than anything I had heard from the cool kids. These guys are free-styling and making up the jams along the way. My first thought is I gotta play this band on my Amazing Radio show, but there were no recordings. It’s a live thing.
The stars of The Lesson are a band called Gentei Kaijo. It’s made up of Lenny The Ox Reece on drums, Phaseone as the main MC, David Cutler on bass, Jordan Peters on guitar, Christian Almiron and Nick Semrad on keys, as well as Kennedy and Melanie Charles on vocals. There is a revolving cadre of players every night including MCs, guitar players, horn sections and singers. The vibe will elevate your soul and the musical talent will blow your mind. It is so refreshing to hear MCs come up and freestyle about the important things in life rather than the typical self-aggrandizing hype of most rappers laden in bling. Phaseone sets the tone of the night like a workingman’s bearded sage. His evolved sense of self lays out rhyme with a philosophy like an urban self help guru. Check the ego at the door, stay in the moment and feel the love coming down. I could go on for days about the mad talent onstage, the killer grooves, and the amazing vocalists but let me just say this is not to be missed.
Apparently this party has been going on for some time and on March 25 they are celebrating a 2 year anniversary with special guests Talib Kweli, Res and more. Come join me and the talented cats of the Lesson at Le Poisson Rouge. Here is the poster for the event. Click on it and you can grab a ticket. See you Tuesday.
I became a vegan about 3 years ago and have never looked back. Its truly amazing how the body responds to habit. I mean we all know we are creatures of habit but I never thought my appetite was too! Once I got off meat and dairy and went about 2 weeks I literally had no craving for either. Once in a while I would think I would love a burger or cheese and then once I tried a bite I was turned off. Once your taste buds make the change your mind does too. Its pretty wild.
My inspiration like this couple above was the movie Forks Over Knives. Check out the link and if you haven’t seen the movie give it a go. I hope you will find it as compelling as this couple did. Let’s get off the meds and eat right. It will do wonders for the planet as well.
dp
What exactly is the motivation of the opposition in Ukraine? I am not an expert but I have gleaned some very interesting information from this video, particularly in the US role in the regime change. This raises many questions and concerns with me about why the US would back the leader of Svoboda, a political group well documented with neo-nazi leanings. Take a look and see what you think.
Are we headed for the end? A polar shit? A new ice age?? A climate change induce methane infused global suffocation and virtual extinction of the population??
When I was a freshman at Franklin Pierce College way back in the day, I was concerned about our country’s waste, flagrant disrespect for our natural resources, and the declining interest of a progressively more and more apathetic consumer culture. I wrote a paper comparing the social, behavioral and economic trends of the US to Rome before the fall. Of course I can’t say that I saved a copy but I wish I had. Today I just found this article posted in The Guardian from NASA research that basically confirms my concerns from years ago:
By investigating the human-nature dynamics of these past cases of collapse, the project identifies the most salient interrelated factors which explain civilisational decline, and which may help determine the risk of collapse today: namely, Population, Climate, Water, Agriculture, and Energy.
These factors can lead to collapse when they converge to generate two crucial social features: “the stretching of resources due to the strain placed on the ecological carrying capacity”; and “the economic stratification of society into Elites [rich] and Masses (or “Commoners”) [poor]” These social phenomena have played “a central role in the character or in the process of the collapse,” in all such cases over “the last five thousand years.”
This article reminds me of the opening scene of Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” where the Linklater pontificates on alternate realities with the cab driver. If you have done any investigation on the quantum theories of wave/particle behavior you will love this piece. Did you know that when a wave or a particle senses it is being observed it will change? Duuuuuuuuuuuuude……. Dig in to this one.
And here’s the Slacker clip….but read the article too!!!
