An incredible leap forward for Antibalas – a record filled with bolder sounds and deeper grooves than ever before – and one that even tops the already-great sound of their previous albums! The mix of modes here is really amazing – some of the group's familiar Afro-Funk at the core, but also a much wider range of influences too – bits of dub, choppy Latin guitar, Sun Ra-like organ lines, and gamelon-styled metal bits – all wrapped together in a groove that has some particularly hypnotic undertones! The set was produced by John McIntire, who's no doubt a big influence on the sound here – and the record really shatters any expectations you might have from the group – proof that they're way more than just another Afro Funk combo. Titles include "Beaten Metal", "Filibuster X", "Sanctuary", "Hilo", "War Hero", "ICE", and "Age". (Global Grooves, Deep Funk) CD

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! (Global Grooves, Deep Funk) CD

Excellent work from one of the funkiest steel bands around – a totally hip combo who just seem to be getting better and better with each new release! This time around, they've stepped up the beats even more than before – mixing their 70s funk and steel drum work with just a slight current from hip hop production – all of which almost makes you feel like Wu-Tang made a trip to the Caribbean, then came back with these tapes as a result! There's also some additionally cool touches in the horns – used with maybe some slight Ethio jazz inflections at points – alongside other elements that really help move the Bacao aesthetic forward in a mighty nice way. Titles include "Hotline Bling", "Grilled", "How We Do", "Hazy Memories", "In The Crosshairs", "The Champion's Walk", and a very cool take on the "Stranger Things Theme"! (Global Grooves, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's certainly more fuzz than before – yet always balanced with the forward-moving rhythms that the group does so well, plus plenty of that soaring brass work that graces their name – horn lines that are in a fantastic tradition that includes both styles from New Orleans and Nigeria! Titles include "The Pit", "But At What Cost", "Aethervision", "Little Ghosts", "Hox C", "Echo AD", "A Web A Knot A Tangle", and "Doom Country". (Global Grooves, Deep Funk) CD

A set that's got all the classic soul vibe you might guess from the title and the cover, but one that's also got some more contemporary elements too – as Bella Brown and the group weave together strands of soulful influences from many decades – all with the feeling as if a 60s act on Atlantic Records were brought forward in time to hear a bit of Afro Funk from the 70s, Brand New Heavies from the late 80s, and other sweet bits which they then brought back to influence their sound! Bella's a very strong singer in the lead, able to shift things into her own mode way past standard retro soul approaches – and titles include "Bang Bang Bang", "Lady Time", "What Will You Leave Behind", "Soul Clap", "There Is Love", and "Fast As Lighting". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the deepest, heaviest work we've ever heard from the Budos Band – as you might guess from the album's dark title and cover! There's a bit of a heavy metal look to the package, but the sounds within are still the righteous funk we've always loved from Budos – yet are also inflected with a very slight bit of trippy elements this time around – a touch of fuzz on the guitar, or cosmic echoes on the keyboards – which really balance out strongly with the group's bold horns and razor-sharp drums! The slight changes make for a more sinister sound than before, and show that these guys continue to be one of the most forward-thinking funk bands around – never content to just rest on the laurels of their great musicianship, but always leaping ahead with new ideas. Titles include "Shattered Winds", "Black Hills", "Magus Mountain", "Into The Fog", "The Sticks", "Burnt Offering", and "Turn & Burn". CD

Really fantastic sounds from Butcher Brown – a group who just seem to leap forward more and more with each new release – and who've really hit their groove with this well-recorded performance! The album was recorded live to disc in London – with a superb sound that only further emphasizes the sharp instrumentation that make these guys way more than just another funky combo – the fluid blend of heavy drums, warm keyboards, rich bass, and great interplay between guitar, trumpet, and occasional tenor – handled with the dexterity of a 70s jazz funk supergroup, but with all the lean energy of a funky 45! The tunes are all originals, all nice and long, and wonderfully soulful – and titles include "918", "Camden Square", "Street Pharmacy", and "Fiat". CD

The group's no ensemble, but they're definitely analog – as the one-man combo Charif Megarbane handles a whole host of cool electric sources for the music – a mix of mellotron, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Farfisa, Moog, and other keys – mixed with an electric koto, flute, vibes, theremin, and field recordings too! There's also key use of acoustic guitar, which warms up and humanizes the sound wonderfully – as do the French vocals, which appear from time to time, and make the whole thing sparkle like some underground Parisian project from years back – almost building a bridge from the 70s Saravah scene forward to the music of Stereolab and Laetitia Sadier. The album's every bit as great as those two references would imply – and titles include "The Patterns Of A Hand", "Ainsi Souffle Le Vent", "Sens Dessus Dessous", "Passe Compose", "Les Orpailleurs", and "Octopolis". (New Grooves, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

The True Tones provide soul singer Michelle David with some great backings here – a romping sort of groove on most tracks, and one that bristles with plenty of old school instrumental touches that seem to really spur the vocalist forward! Michelle's got a dynamic style that owes a lot to late 60s funk diva styles – a power and focus that really provides some great energy at the top of the group, and a vocal range that really crackles over the top when she lets loose! Titles include "Let Me Tell It", "Karma", "Peace", "Cold Cold World", "Little Girl", "That Is You", "Brothers & Sisters", "If You Don't Try", "More Grace", and "PUSH". LP, Vinyl record album

The Funk Ark floats mighty high on this sweet little set – charting a course on the sea of grooves with strong currents of African and Latin rhythms in the mix! The group are a funk combo at the core, but they've got a great ear for all sounds global – complex rhythms, unusual instrumental inflections, and a forward-moving groove that's able to pull in plenty of different strands, and keep things funky throughout! Funk Ark work here with sweet production from Adrian Quesada, who helps them find just the right sort of vibe in the studio – with the crisp crackle of some of his own work – and titles include "Road To Coba", "High Noon", "Riconcito", "Wayward Bill", "El Rancho Motel", and "Green Tree Yellow Sky". CD

A hell of a live set from Sonny Knight & The Lakers – a record that's twice as long as the group's studio session, and maybe twice as smoking as well! Sonny's an older soul singer from years back, but he's never sounded better than working here with funky backings from The Lakers – a combo who've fused a style with the singer that few other groups can match – one of those rare cases where an older artist can find a really fresh breath of life while still moving forward, and where the younger talents seem to really hit a level of mature focus in the presence of the older artist. The recording quality is great – very sharp and on point – at a level that captures all the spontaneous energy of the group as they really stretch out and do their thing! Some tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Juicy Lucy", "Get Up And Dance", "Through With You", "Sonny's Boogaloo", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", "Day Tripper", "Baby Baby Baby", "It's You For Me", "Sock A Poo Poo", "When You're Gone", "Cave Man", "I'm Still Here" (parts 1 & 2), "Sugar Man", and "Hey Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic album from Mourning A BLKstar – even more powerful than their set dedicated to Eric Garner, and a batch of material that really gets at the righteous energy of this Cleveland combo! The group see themselves as part of the James Baldwin tradition of the artist bearing witness – and their genre-bending, gender non-confirming style really pushes forward the energy of underground soul music – as they worked together in an empty storefront in Cleveland to craft this beautiful cycle of songs initial sketches they all fleshed out together – in a mix of shifting vocal leads, heavy drums, dark guitar lines, and proud horn parts. Titles include "Sense Of An Ending", "Something JD Said", "Been Around", "Devil Get Behind Me", "Whom The Bell Tolls", "The Wants", "Deluze (Solange say rmx)", "So Young So", "The Box", and "4 Days". (Neo Soul, Deep Funk) CD

Guitarist Eddie Roberts is a legend in contemporary funk – famous first for his work in the New Mastersounds, then for some great records on his own – now working here as a key part of The Lucky Strokes – a group who open up a whole new chapter in Eddie's career! The group's a lean quartet, and features vocals from Shelby Kemp – a raspy-voiced singer who's clearly versed in the more soulful sides of the blue-eyed rock spectrum – working here in modes that evoke The Face and some hipper currents of southern rock – but all delivered with the lean funky style you'd expect from Roberts! The rest of the lineup just features bass and drums – which makes for a mighty spare, guitar-forward album – with titles that include "Whiskey Makes Me Stronger", "Holy Fire", "Grits Ain't Groceries", "Rambler", "Gonna Get In My Way", "Home Sweet Home", and "Gonna Get In My Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". (Neo Soul, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". (Neo Soul, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on sweet soul sounds from the past – served up here by a mighty hip group who mix slow funky modes with some mighty nice vocals! The record's got a mix of deep funk production and some of the warmer qualities of east coast group soul from the New Jersey scene at the start of the 70s – almost an All-Platinum/Stang sort of record from the hands of George Kerr and Sylvia Robinson, but with some fuller, more forward-moving cuts that also echo the Record Kicks label too! There's light strings that really help the record soar – and the lead vocals of Mark Sexton are mighty nice throughout, especially when he gets support from a few backup singers too. Titles include "Better Late Than Never", "The Other Side", "Trouble On My Mind", "Love Can't Be Borrowed", "Beck & Call", "This Could Last Forever", and "Daydreaming". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's got all the classic soul vibe you might guess from the title and the cover, but one that's also got some more contemporary elements too – as Bella Brown and the group weave together strands of soulful influences from many decades – all with the feeling as if a 60s act on Atlantic Records were brought forward in time to hear a bit of Afro Funk from the 70s, Brand New Heavies from the late 80s, and other sweet bits which they then brought back to influence their sound! Bella's a very strong singer in the lead, able to shift things into her own mode way past standard retro soul approaches – and titles include "Bang Bang Bang", "Lady Time", "What Will You Leave Behind", "Soul Clap", "There Is Love", and "Fast As Lighting". CD features a bonus radio edit of "Soul Clap". CD

The True Tones provide soul singer Michelle David with some great backings here – a romping sort of groove on most tracks, and one that bristles with plenty of old school instrumental touches that seem to really spur the vocalist forward! Michelle's got a dynamic style that owes a lot to late 60s funk diva styles – a power and focus that really provides some great energy at the top of the group, and a vocal range that really crackles over the top when she lets loose! Titles include "Let Me Tell It", "Karma", "Peace", "Cold Cold World", "Little Girl", "That Is You", "Brothers & Sisters", "If You Don't Try", "More Grace", and "PUSH". CD

Guitarist Eddie Roberts is a legend in contemporary funk – famous first for his work in the New Mastersounds, then for some great records on his own – now working here as a key part of The Lucky Strokes – a group who open up a whole new chapter in Eddie's career! The group's a lean quartet, and features vocals from Shelby Kemp – a raspy-voiced singer who's clearly versed in the more soulful sides of the blue-eyed rock spectrum – working here in modes that evoke The Face and some hipper currents of southern rock – but all delivered with the lean funky style you'd expect from Roberts! The rest of the lineup just features bass and drums – which makes for a mighty spare, guitar-forward album – with titles that include "Whiskey Makes Me Stronger", "Holy Fire", "Grits Ain't Groceries", "Rambler", "Gonna Get In My Way", "Home Sweet Home", and "Gonna Get In My Way". CD

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, we'd kinda forgot how great she is – an error that's corrected strongly by this well-crafted album, which is also a set that may well catapult Russell into the world of superstardom! Titles include "Agreement", "Gravity", "Square", "I Am", "Things", "Sinner", "Light", "I See You", and "Rain". (Neo Soul, Deep Funk) CD