The title definitely gets it right – as this set's certainly a unique Christmas collection – one filled with original tunes in a funk and soul mode, all by artists who normally record for the Unique Records label! There's a nice retro soul vibe running through the set – a vibe that's similar to the recent deep funk direction that Unique has taken, and which makes the collection a great companion to some of the Holiday records from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings! Titles include "Christmas Time Baby" by The Soul Snatchers, "When The Winter Comes" by Palace Fever, "Relax & Love" by Glen Anthony Henry, "These Little Things" by Al Supersonic & The Teenagers, "Blackout" by Impuls, "Beautiful" by The Sweet Vandals, and "Christmas Day With Me" by Laura Vane & The Vipertones. (Holiday Music, Deep Funk) CD

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

The notes on the cover use the term "Latinx Futurist" to refer to the work of Dos Santos – and that may be one of the best ways we've ever heard to describe their really unique blend of modes – served up here with a sound that firmly places the group at the crossroads of some great contemporary currents of music! Instrumentation is a familiar blend of percussion, guitar, and keyboards – but the presentation is nicely unique – as echoes of older Latin styles come into play with more creative elements, all in a small combo mode that's produced to perfection by Elliot Bergman – who did plenty of his own genre-crossing work in the group Nomo over the years. Lead vocals are by Alex Chavez, a really wonderful singer – and titles include "Shot In The Dark", "City Of Mirrors", "Palo Santo", "Jaguar De Rosas", "Lejos De Ti", and "Glorieta". (Latin, Deep Funk) CD

A heavy-duty combo from the Chicago scene – and one who've got some mighty deep roots in the city, which they use to serve up a unique blend of funk, soul, rock, and roots – all topped with lead vocals from soul music journalist James Porter! James has a really striking approach, and really infuses the songs with a lot of power and energy – driven by harmonica, drums, bass, and plenty of electric piano and organ used in lean and powerful ways! Titles include "Chatham Ain't Chatham", "Riverbound", "Blunt", "No Way No How", "Backwards In Time", and "Did You Forget My Name". (Rock, Deep Funk) CD

Excellent work from a group who really live up to their name – as they bring some sweet psychedelic touches to music that's a warm blend of jazz and funk, with slight Latin inflections – often handled with a looseness that allows for some nicely flowing passages on guitar, and with these wonderful sonic qualities that resonate strongly with some of our favorite post-rock material from years back! The set's instrumental, and has some sweet keyboard and organ lines in the mix – and the whole thing has a very unique vibe that really has the group in territory that's all their own! Titles include "Kuma", "Cumbia Mahare", "Manea", "Angizia", "Amma", and "Kelebek". (New Grooves, Deep Funk) CD