J Bogart
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jonathanbogart.net
J Bogart
@jonathanbogart.net
760 followers 210 following 1.8K posts
Library worker, researcher and writer about culture from the first third of the 20th century, depressive. https://jonathanbogart.net
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I'll be participating in this challenge for the next 50 days, mute or follow the hashtag according to your preference. For now my writeups will live only on Bluesky, accompanied by a screenshot of the title card from the music video (or just a regular screenshot if there isn't a title card). Enjoy!
#TheTwen2ie5 Day 1

50. Yailin La Mas Viral, “Bing Bong”
(Dominican Republic, Nov 6 2024)
prod. Puyalo Pantera & Yailin La Mas Viral

youtu.be/YpoUzo-CflQ
immediate vote for the Afro-Latin roots conjunto on the bassis of that hissy ride, although the two hyphenated Brit offerings are compelling. but some much better zydeco records than MTT were in the qualifying window -- if i hadn't chosen an all-african/latin/caribn slate, i might have nommed one
i'm biased here (Brenda is my nom, and still leads the pack for me), but my bonus is hovering between Francky's repurposing of George Clinton and Frankie/Jamie's masc-diva repurposing of Gary Numan
titanic struggle between the Congolese and Ghanaian bandleaders for me, I think Mr. Frimpong edges it on the basis of that popping funk bass
the Isleys adapted to the 80s ten times better than their contemporary JB, but the PPP massive already missed their chance to advance the superior "Between the Sheets," so I'm going with the futurist Doug E. and (more importantly) S. Rick
Clarence & Jackson attempt a higher-energy Ebony & Ivory to even cornier results, MJG solid but with kind of bland hooks, Taffy with some low-nutrition italo disco bliss, and Whitney's imperishable classic, a triumph of brilliant performance over shallow, vacuous material
it goes against the grain to vote for the only song I already knew from the group, but DeBarge takes it: the calypso rhythms trump Diane Warren's platitudes and gearshift key change
Brenda (Fassie) & the Big Dudes are my final nom. Not fancying their chances here, as I chose a sentimental favorite song instead of optimizing for thrill power, but SA township bubblegum is worth digging into
#TheTwen2ie5 Day 19

31. Sarafina the Great, “Showtime (Décalé Dokafèlè)”
(USA [Côte d’Ivoire], Jan 10 2025)
prod. DJ Sara

youtu.be/bjE5k_M2zZI
as someone who thinks way too much about decades, being represented by noel is the cruelest truth
Reposted by J Bogart
was going to say oh but Petty only makes sense in the context of Bruce, and then i realized, no your Bruce (quite obviously) was Strummer
always thought weller was your bruce
#TheTwen2ie5 Day 18

32. Créol x Anis Lou, “Tchoubou Tchoubou”
(Gabon, Aug 19 2023)
prod. Edgar Yonkeu

youtu.be/fv-R4nX5ezY
#TheTwen2ie5 Day 17

33. Chelsea Dinorath, “Fall”
(Angola, Dec 8 2023)
prod. Xixi Beats

youtu.be/7p8R-2T4pUc
Reposted by J Bogart
the comments on this video about being grateful for Dilla introducing them to this weird old band are a good reminder that one of the core aspects of hip-hop was (and still is) the selector, and the best selectors turn you on to something you haven't heard before
on a 45-minute walk this afternoon i passed three different groups doing some filming, one with a tripod and camera, one with a phone as they skated, one with an old-fashioned handheld camcorder. guess it’s student film season
got my vote! although my bonus also went to this group, it's just too stacked
i listen to too much rap ivorienne nowadays to not throw a vote to one of the first continental African hip-hop crews, i'll trust that Mantronix doesn't need my help
had to listen to the Street Mix of Mind Games in order to appreciate the brilliance of the Underground Mix, so apologies to the third Australian indigenous rock group in a row i've ignored, you would have taken it on first impressions alone
everything except Half Pint is overlong, even Katie bringing 80s album sprawl to a tune that begs to have been a 45 on Specialty in 1958, but she brought the biggest smile to my face so she takes it
and i'm ending up giving my vote to Diana's Supremes cosplay over Alexander's fogged-up window or either of the "we have American R&B at home" chancers
finished the playlist by listening to the Marsalis brothers intentionally for the first time last night, and the mention of President Eisenhower in Branford's "Scenes from the City" really gives away just how much they're historical reenactors, trumped in relevance by elders like Miles and Dizzy
the Diana video in the youtube playlist appears to be region-locked, so i wonder if this one works on the other side of the Atlantic:

youtu.be/lspNn8ZBAsI
Diana Ross - Chain Reaction (Official Video)
YouTube video by DianaRossVEVO
youtu.be
this could have gone any one of three ways for me (sorry, Jermaine), but learning (or re-learning, it's been a bit) that FYC had a Madness phase before they broke America with their Prince phase just ekes it out on charm points