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 Continue Reading
Soul
The Sextones – You’re So Fine / Cowboys To Girls
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.
Brainstory – Ripe EP
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 Continue Reading
Vaudou Game – Pas Contente
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.
Eddie Piller & Dean Rudland present... Acid Jazz (Not Jazz)
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 Continue Reading
Mita y su Monte Adentro – Arecibo
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 Continue Reading
Inkswel & Colonel Red – Holders Of The Sun, Vol. 1
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 Continue Reading
Malaaz – Lélé / Malaazé
This 7-inch two-track single is pure funky joy to listen to! Malaaz were a band out of Reunion Island, of all places, and is considered to be a solid funk gem. The backstory of the band is here, at their label, Babani Records’ Bandcamp site: “Malaaz was initiated by Patrick Continue Reading
The Traffic – Fire/Bangarang
The first thing that came into my mind hearing The Traffic was that they have mastered the psych-soul formula to a tee. The first track, Fire, is a Jimi Hendrix cover where the flute takes the place of Hendrix’s legendary guitar playing, and it sounds damn solid. The second track, Continue Reading
Les Dynamites / Radio Trip – Pop Oud #2 / No Oud
This snazzy 7-inch features two Israeli bands, Les Dynamites and Radio Trip, who mix the best of hipster-inflected bellydance music, surf, funk and psych with Greek, North African, Yemenite and Mizrahi styles of music. Worth donning a fez and smoking a hookah pipe for.