It’s always good to see some music,
that was a little bit ahead of its time,
get its just due later on.
Such is the case w/ Maryland producer,
DJ RODDYROD (of the group Maspyke & the Low Budget Crew)
& his much underrated & still largely unheard
instrumental opus, Oakwood Grain.
Originally released in 2005 through Jazzy Sport -
the album was only released in Japan
& never officially distributed much outside of the country,
but it still remains one of the best offerings
in the instrumental hip-hop genre
that came out before the current “post-Donuts” beat CD craze.

And now, six years later -
not only is the album seeing a proper US release
thanks to Nature Sounds,
but its also coming packaged along with an all new follow-up album,
simply titled Oakwood Grain II.
Although the double CD is not due for to drop until February 28th of 2012,
RODDY decided to release it digitally this week for the fans,
as he explained:

“Everyone’s been hitting me up, asking when it’s coming… [so] I wanted to give them something for the holidays.”

The digital version, dubbed the Solid English Oak Edition,
contains 10 mostly new & unheard joints,
as well as a few unreleased classics, i.e. the instrumental to
Maspyke’s “Lightly Anxious” from their underappreciated Static 2005 album.
The album also one features one new vocal track,
which Rod had given FRSH SLCTS an exclusive free download.

“Keep Transit” features three guest talents,
all of which we’ve heard from all too rarely this year -
the seldom heard & often missed Detroit veteran Finale returns to the raps,
while both Muhsinah and Bilal Salaam share vocal duties -
all coming together to bring us that classic Midwest hip-hop meets DMV soul sound
that we’ve all missed this past few years.

Also, included below, as a bonus video
is Roddy’s interview/behind-the-scenes clip for the The Ghostface Beat Tape -
an upcoming beat compilation from Digital Hustle/Digital Fresh TV
that featuring some of the DMV’s best producers
paying tribute to the production tastes of the Wallabee Champ himself.
In the clip, you get to see Rod live in his studio
chopping up some tracks from both Buju Banton and D’Angelo
(as he did on the Vudu.For.U EP),
& also discussing his favorite Ghostface tracks
& talks of a possible Maspyke reunion + other upcoming projects.

You can check that,
stream the whole digital version of OWGII
+ watch an exclusive clip of RODDY digging in South Africa
w/ his buddy J-Live -
all before getting your free single of “Free Transit”
or copping the album below.

Myself & my trusted resident DJ, Doc Adam,
have collaborated w/ Los Angeles-based clothing line, Twelve Bar
to bring you a special two-part Fresh Selects Retrospective mix.

This first installment of The Porch Sessions,
is meant to be a time capsule of sorts –
an audible freeze frame of the first 12 months of music posted on Fresh Selects.
I wanted to compile everything from the site’s first year
just to kind of sum it all up,
put a period at the end of the sentence,
& cement the foundation for us to build on for the next steps.
It can also serve as a starter kit
for anyone who found out about the site after the fact,
as well as a thank you to everyone that’s been down since day one.

I went through all of the posts from the site’s first year
& selected some of my personal favorite tracks,
plus all of the ones that garnered the most response.
Almost all of the songs included in the mix were exclusives
released or premiered thru the site
& they all played a part in shaping the sound & style that I had been going for.
To convey the full progression as it unfolded,
I wanted to put them all in one mix
(which actually ended up being two separate, hour-long mixes
because there was just too much music)
& let them play in chronological order.

Since mixing songs in order of release,
& not by BPM/tempo/mood, etc.
basically goes against all the most basic rules of making a mixtape -
I knew I had to get the very best to make it happen right.
Enter Doc Adam (no pause).
Plus his apartment has The Porch, so it was a no-brainer.

Included are some kind words from the even kinder people @ Twelve Bar,
who presented the mix & co-premiered it on their site today as well,
+ the tracklisting w/ links to all the original posts
so you can get the full versions & back stories on all of the songs.
I’m still in the process of updating some of the older posts
from the first version of the site,
so if you find any dead links just leave a comment & I’ll fix it.

Free download of the one-track, hour-long mix can be found below,
& be on the look out for Part 2 of The Porch Sessions RTRSPCTV coming soon.

There is a lot we could say about FRSH SLCTS – the Portland-based digital label and multimedia platform that has been providing you with the best in hip-hop, soul and cutting-edge music since 2008. All of it would be good. But the main thrust is right there in their name, albeit without the vowels as is their style. Seemingly everything they do is fresh. Freshly presented, freshly considered, freshly packaged, and freshly curated. And that is the second part right there. Because the “selects” element of the name is also key, as they hand-pick artists and songs with the educated touch of a musical magician, never failing to bring out the very best available. And so when the chance came to bring you the exclusive FRSH SLCTS Retrospective mix, an anthology of some of their favorite songs from their early years, we jumped at it.

1. devonwho – Dungeonraps (2088 Archives)
2. DaveNotti – Notti Break #5 (Notti Breaks 2008)
3. PPP feat. J Dilla – Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix) (single)
4. TaRaach & Konphlict feat. Big Tone & Kawshus – Socialize (single)
5. TaRaach & Konphlict – 10 Feet High (Giraffe Pussy) (single)
6. Miguel – Overload (Mischief: The Mixtape)
7. Little Dragon – Twice (live) (FRSH KPT SCRT)
8. M64 – Rhythm Of The Drum (single)
9. M64 – Helium (single)
10. Invincible & Finale – Don’t Sleep (single)
11. PPP feat. Coultrain – Angel (Waajeed Remix) (single)
12. Coultrain – The Wanderer (single)
13. SA-RA feat. Bilal – Master Teacher (demo #1) (“Master Teacher” EP)
14. SA-RA feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Master Teacher (demo #2) (“Master Teacher” EP)
15. SA-RA – Master Teazer (KenBts.’ Revenge Edit) (“Master Teacher” EP)
16. Hi-Res – Thisworld (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
17. devonwho – Hold Up Zelda (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
18. Finale – Ice (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
19. Knxwledge – Relief. (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
20. Fatima – Wildchild (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
21. Noni Limar – Monogamy (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
22. Super Smoky Soul feat. Guilty Simpson – Knockout Kings (New Worlds PRVW)
23. Karma Stewart – Withdrawal (The Karma EP)
24. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Synchronicity (Abundance Mixtape)
25. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Can’t You Feel It (Abundance Mixtape)
26. Fatima – Do I Know You? (FRSH KPT SCRT)
27. Ab & Daru feat. T3 – Dirty Soul (A Work In Progress PRVW)
28. Blu – Say Say (FSR #1)
29. SA-RA Creative Partners – High Moon Lust (FSR #1)
30. Cubic Zirconia – I Wanna Freebase You (FSR #1)
31. Johnson&Jonson feat. Miguel – Stadium (FSR #1)
32. Suzi Analogue – SageBurns (World. Excerpts 1-9)

Selected by KNNY FRSH
Edited by Doc Adam
Presented by Twelve Bar
Artwork by Twelve Bar & Dennis de Groot
Hosted by ♎ & ♐ for Team 1984

Here’s the official premiere of the brand new mixtape from the DMV’s finest – the Low Budget crew. If you’re really up on your Twitter game (twame?), you might’ve caught the leak of an early, rougher mix yesterday – but this is the official, tracked-out and finished version with artwork by LB’s own, DJ RODDYROD, who also mixed the “tape” along with fellow Low Budgeteer, DJ Marshall Law.

This first installment of the Budget Is Low mixtapes debuts a handful of new tracks from upcoming projects including the official release of Kev Brown‘s Random Joints, as well as his concept-collabo with Kaimbr, The Al Green Project, RODDYROD’s Cuba After Market 1.5, Blunt Park Sessions re-release, and more. Also thrown in are some older tracks in case you missed em – plus some never-before-released rarities from the crew thrown in as well.

I’ve also included some footage from Low Budget’s 4th annual DC Loves Dilla fundraiser event this year. Included are performances from RODDYROD, Kev Brown, Grap Luva, Kaimbr, Kenn Starr and Alison Carney – all performing original songs over covers of classic Dilla beats by JLaine and his band. You can peep the tracklisting below, download the mix and then catch the live videos “after the jump.”