Release of the Month: November 2007 - ALBINO LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO

An explosive live set from the West coast's premiere Afrobeat act; their brand of West African funk oozes with hypnotic percussion, an enormous horn section, churning guitars, and rousing protest messages in the tradition of Fela Kuti.

The SF Music Award-winning ALBINO! is a 12-piece Afrobeat ensemble that honors the fiery legacy of Nigerian musical revolutionary Fela Kuti.

ALBINO's high-energy grooves and explosive stage show thick with hypnotic percussion, a heavy horn section, African dance, outrageous costumes, and infectious group choreography have firmly established the band as the West Coast's premier Afrobeat act.Live in San Francisco was recorded in July of 2006 during ALBINO’s performance at the Second Annual Afrofunk Festival. “We were amazed by how well the ecstatic energy of ALBINO’s live set was captured in this recording so we knew we had to release it as soon as we heard it,” says the band’s co-founder and tenor saxophonist Nathan Endsley .According to the SF Weekly "ALBINO's inspiriting percussive engine comes from a rhythm section of local all-stars; together, they form rhythms based in the West African tradition which holds at its heart the inseparable union of drumming and dance. Atop the band's rhythmic maelstrom ride tightly figured five-part horn lines. The section's 'heavy heavy' bottom end features a snarling dual baritone-sax yawp. This is world music that lives up to the name." In keeping with the revolutionary message central to Fela’s Afrobeat legacy, the majority of songs on Live in San Francisco offer scathing sociopolitical commentary and urgent calls to civic action. For example, “Deconstruction of the Transitional Movement” confronts the erosion of American civil liberties in the name of national security. “Are We Safe Yet?” questions our current administration’s misdirected military aggression in Iraq and its perpetuation of a culture of fear in the name of counter-terrorism. Furthermore, “No Go Sell Me” is a tirade against consumer culture and the advertising industry’s pollution of the media. Finally, “Puppet Boy” skewers a certain incompetent, fraudulently elected Chief Executive by pulling back the curtain to expose the ominous forces Roving behind this figurehead.

Danceable music that reverberates from your ears through your heart to your bones ... five tracks of unequaled funk & jazz. For more information check http://www.albinoband.com/

Release of the Month: October 2007 - PIRATE RADIO USA

If you've searched for Pirate Radio related documentaries on film, you'll know that less than a handful exist- if you can unearth them. They don't exactly atract lucritive distribution deals and glowing reviews from the mainstream press. Just in time to save us from the tedious monotony of this year's films, B-Side has released Pirate Radio USA on DVD.

DJ Him and DJ Her take bring the viewer on a live tour of the underground world of unlicensed broadcasting in America. Radio Davids battle Media Goliaths and find out the real price of freedom. This film immediately connects with the audience - the hosts are friendly, have a retro sense of humor, and know their subject intimately - they have been pirate radio operators for many years. Pirate Radio USA covers almost a decade from the 1996 Broadcast Act which spawned unprecidented media consolidation into the hands of a few mega corporations. DJ Him and Her narrate their personal quest to connect with other pirate radio stations, document the micro-radio coverage of the World trade Organization protests in Seattle, and educate us on the finer points of why free radio is so important to communites. This film is far from fair & balanced - but then, corporate media and the National Association of Broadcasters have million dollar lobbyists & countless media platforms from which to shout their stories.

I have a simple formula for whether a documentary is worth my time. Does the film hold my attention? Does it stimulate learning? Pirate Radio USA achieves both, proving that you don't need a budget to present an entertaining film on topics ignored by mainstream media.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.