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
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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.
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This is some beautiful soul from the Pacific Northwest. The Cinnamon Soulettes were, apparently, from Seattle and recorded this private single sometime during the 1970s, but according to the Bandcamp site, “Unfortunately, most information the estate had was lost in a flood and none of the collectors and music historians from the PNW area we contacted, nor the University of Washington State who inherited a large part of (producer Kearney) Barton’s tape collection knew anything about the band or its mysterious songwriter “L. Leavy.”” With luck, L. Leavy will be found and properly compensated.
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Somalia’s Dur-Dur Band have released fresh material, so if you’re interested in Somali music, Afrobeat, funk or soul, you might want to pick this up quickly. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “The Berlin Session travels far beyond the gems collected from dusty cassettes. It is a bridge between the sorrow of all that has been and the delight of a magic which survived, a shining pearl rescued alive from the Atlantean fate of forever drowning in the Indian Ocean.”
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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.
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As it turns out, Rialto, California-based Brainstory are my neighbors for the time being, seeing as I am working out of Fontana, the next city over. Brainstory are a band steeped in psychedelic soul, though you can hear elements of trip-hop and jazz that would not go out of place on a label like, say, Compost Recordings. Deep groove to relax the mind to.
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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.
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This compilation, released by Acid Jazz Records‘ managing director, Eddie Piller, along with general manager Dean Rudland, is pure joy. The sounds blend a modern 1990s sound with Swingin’ London of the 1960s. From the Acid Jazz Bandcamp site: “Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller and Dean Rudland have put together this compilation of the sort of sounds that we were playing at the time. They are releases on Acid Jazz and other label’s that surrounded the scene and they were mainly made by people we knew from either around the club scene, behind the counters of our favourite record shops, or…
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Legends in Peru, the band Mita y su Adentro were led by Oswaldo “Mita” Delgado, also had a prestigious reputation in the Latin American music world, as he would be invited to perform in the bands of Célia Cruz and Joe Cuba. Sadly, he never recorded another album after this one.
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Inkswel & Colonel Red hail from Australia and the United Kingdom respectively, but have been writing music together for over 10 years. They blend a pretty heady mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and a touch of acid jazz in their stew, and the tracks on this upcoming dish are both enjoyable listening to deep music fans and those looking for more radio-friendly pop hooks. The track Save Ya Self is the jewel of the album, being a timeless percussion-heavy dance track that would get people moving no matter the year. For those of you who need an introduction to both…