Our friends at Wewantsounds have dug deep for this one, and of course, they have found gold. This album, available from the label as a vinyl-only release, sits in a strange apex of electronic music, soul, pop, jazz and the avant-garde, which is the first genre I would have associated with Steve Beresford. This is an album you can don your smoking jacket for. Swanky, well-produced and an elegant listen. You can purchase the album here.
Timmion Records is on a roll! This funky gem comes to us from a band very new to me, Helsinki, Finland’s very own Bronze, Silver & Brass. Worthy!
I had no idea who Mancunian soul singer Bô’vel was until our esteemed friends over at Athens Of The North released this album of long-forgotten tracks recently. Bô’vel was a darling of pirate radio during the mid-1990s, and judging by how soulful and funky these tracks are, she deserved a lot more exposure and due than what she received. Kudos to AOTN for continually unearthing little gems like this. For a deeper look at her story, consider going to the AOTN Bandcamp release site.
Is there a better song for today than James Brown’s classic?
I have to say that I know next to nothing about vaporwave and the history of the scene. Most of what I’ve heard is, to put it mildly, awful. However, Groove Paradise, a Spanish artist, left me with a more positive view of the genre. The music sounds like something you would hear on 1980’s mainstream radio, with AOR, funk and soul influences, only underwater. I was a teenager during the 80’s, so hearing the music left me with a very pleasant sense of nostalgia. If this is truly representative of vaporwave, then then album is done well.
We have here a slab of R&B and modern soul courtesy of Akshin Alizadeh, the wunderkind originally from Azerbaijan who records for Cold Busted Records out of Oregon. It’s strangely radio-friendly, but the funk is pleasant on this single
The Finns are noted for not only being great musicians, but are masters at cultural adaptation. They make tango even more melancholy than their Argentine friends do, and now, I guess I have to admit that they’re more than holding their own in soul and R&B if this latest album by guitarist Bobby Oroza is anything to go by. The sounds are pure, sweet, deep soul with production that would make Smokey Robinson and many a Motown band smile. Damn near perfect, this one.
The Sextones are a neo-soul band out of Reno, Nevada who are signed to the Italian label Record Kicks. The sound is a nice blend of 60’s garage rock blended with elements of Motown soul, especially if you are into the music of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.
Les Imprimés are a Norwegian band who offer up deep neo-soul music. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Morten Martens has a voice that would have sounded perfect for 60’s AM radio, and the production is about as authentic as it gets for the time period.
Though these tracks are from 2014, this scorcher by Vadou Game, one of Togo’s funkiest bands, features two tracks that will appeal to funk aficionados, especially the title track. Also, James Brown fans, take note. You’re going to love the grooves on this tune.