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

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

A much-needed vinyl release of music from this wonderful band – one we've been loving for the past 15 years, through a slew of Japanese-only CD releases! Indigo Jam Unit have a wicked style that goes way beyond the "jam" in their name – as they're tightly jazzy, but with a very stripped-down quality – one that tends to focus on the funkiest moments in their tunes – even though their music isn't exactly funk! The group's a quartet, led by some monstrous lines on acoustic bass – warm, full, and flowing – set fire further by hard, heavy acoustic piano, plus drums, extra drums, and sometimes percussion – all used in these spare, chunky ways that are totally great! This set brings together some of their best cuts from a variety of albums – and titles include "Descarga", "La Tomatina", "Danza Eterna", "Matador", "Time", "Raindance", "4 Caminos", and "Rush". LP, Vinyl record album

The music of Misha Panfilov just gets deeper and deeper with each new release – and here, he's light years away from the funk of his earlier sets, and much more in the realm of spiritual jazz! The set's got a vibe that's almost in the Carlos Nino side of the spectrum, but which also resonates strongly with Misha's amazing sense of sound – served up by a group that features Misha on guitars, keyboards, organs, harpsichord, ngoni, and a whole host of other elements – joined by the trumpet of Rafael Andrade, tenor of Francisco Aguilar, bass of Ricardo Dias, and drums of Francisco Coelho. Tunes are long and carry elements of Brazilian and other global styles – but often in a way that evokes cinematic modes too, although things are much deeper than any sort of easy soundtrack reference to such styles. The whole album's a masterpiece of beauty that we never would have expected from Panfilov a few years back – and titles include "Vertical", "Alegria Em Movimento", "Caleidoscpopio", "Domingo Magico" and "Para O Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A killer trio with a really wonderful sound – one that's equal parts jazz and funk, but which also maybe has a strong inspiration from 70s electric modes – not in a way that's too spacey or trippy, but which really uses the right sense of space between the notes to open up the groove! The lineup features drums, keyboards, and guitar – all beautifully combined without too much hype or fanfare, but definitely in a way that's less familiar than other combinations of the instruments – and which has plenty of sweet electric funk appeal throughout! This CD-only release combines the group's Mosaic EP and their Murmurations album – for a total of nine tracks that include "Cannonball", "Pocket 5", "Breakthrough", "Miles Away", "Dragonfly", "Mariposa", "Ivory Mountain", and "Transcoso". (Jazz, Deep Funk) CD

A warm batch of funky jazz groovers from longstanding master stylists the Greyboy Allstars – their first studio set of the 2000s! Given the scarcity of new releases from the group, What Happened To Television might have just as easily been titles What Happened To The Allstars – but rest assured, their trademark blend of 70s style jazz funk and sound library style sounds are still groovy and masterfully played – with DJ Greyboy himself in the production booth! Some of the tunes are on a sly, laidback tip, with funky flute & sax, vamping guitars and keys, and a thumping bottom end of bass, drums & percussion. Welcome back! Titles include "V Neck Sweater", "Deck Shoes", "Left Coast Boogaloo", "What Happened To TV?", "Still Waiting", "How Glad I Am", "Back In The Game", "Old School Cylons", "Knowledge Room" and "Give The Drummer Some More". CD

Quite possibly our favorite installment so far in the Madlib Medicine Show series – as the set's a treasure trove of rare work from the many-faceted Yesterday's New Quintet combo – that genius funky jazz ensemble headed by Madlib! According to the notes, some of these cuts are from rare small-batch releases (although we're not even sure those exist) – and others are previously unreleased numbers that are finally seeing the light of day – all together a brilliant illustration of the sorts of sounds that Madlib's pulled up from the American underground of the 60s and 70s – weird space jazz, offbeat funk, modal moments, and more – played with completely amazing rhythms, and production that really lives up to the spirit of the inspirations! There's plenty of great keyboards, and all tracks are instrumentals – with titles that include "High Jazz" by The Kenny Cook Octet, "Pretty Eyes" by Jahari Massamba Unit, "Electronic Dimensions" by Generation Match, "Funky Butt (part 1)" by Poyser Riggins & Jackson, "Space & Time" by RMC, "Conquistador" by Yesterday's New Quintet, "Tarzan's Theme" by Big Black Foot Band, and "Kimo" by Joe McDuphrey Experience. (Hip Hop, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

Moodymann takes a far deeper path on this addendum to his Black Mahogani set – introducing a heady soul jazz approach! The big surprise here is the mammoth, 18-minute "When She Follows" – a track that's anchored by the solid bass and stuttering house beats we'd expect from Moodymann – but the groove shoots skyward from there! It's a languorous, hypnotic blend of those primary elements, plus some sweet live drums, vibes and sporadic vocals that recall Sun Ra as much as they do the soulful house groove we were expecting! The soul jazz vibe continues on the flip, which features the far shorter but similarly jazzy groove on "Rectify", plus some bonus beats and a "When She Follows" reprise. The track list can be counted on one hand, but the sound is as spacious and fulfilling as can be – a big step for Moodymann, whom we hope will follow similar terrain on future releases! (New Grooves, Deep Funk) CD

New York is what is funky! This is a killer new release by a small organ jazz combo from the Big Apple – and they are definitely worthy members of the city's great end-of-the century funk scene that includes Medeski Martin & Wood, Sugarman Three, and The Other Side! The band have certainly spent plenty of time getting their chops up – and they have a very tight organ/guitar sound with a totally live feel to it. The overall groove is right up there with the best classic combos on Prestige – with stone cold funky drumming underneath sweetly strident lines on the Hammond, and some very heavy guitar rhythm parts. In a way, the record really evokes the heavy funk sound of Lonnie Smith's fantastic Blue Note sides from the Late 60s – with a very heavy drum sound nicely kicking it live! The CD's their first – and believe us, it will more than break them out of the box. Tracks include "Arruga De Agua", "Doin Something", "Rudy's Way", "Azucar", and "Steppin". Great stuff – and the kind of small-group recording that makes it worth shopping at Dusty Groove! Plus, this is the new remastered version of the CD – featuring 2 bonus cuts that weren't on the original release! LP, Vinyl record album

Nick Waterhouse keeps winning us over again and again with his music – which seems to get better and better with each new release! This album might be Nick's most compelling so far – a nicely gritty set that almost takes us back to that hip London stretch in the 60s, when British singers were effortlessly blending together American styles from soul, jazz, and blues – into a hip-stepping mode that was completely outta sight! Not that Nick's a retro artist trying for an old-styled sound – just that he's one of the few in decades who can get such a clear, focused groove out of all the right elements – and all without making it sound forced at all. A record you can easily file next to classics by Bobby Scott, George Fame, and Zoot Money – with titles that include "Stanyan Street", "The Old Place", "Katchi", "Tracy", "LA Turnaround", "It's Time", and "I Had Some Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous return to form for the great Brian Jackson – an artist that most folks know for his legendary 70s work with Gil Scott-Heron, but one who's kept on making great music for years after Gil departed our planet! Here, Jackson's the lead talent on Fender Rhodes, flute, and other instruments – working alongside core funky backdrops from Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – in a mode that follows up the spirit of their other releases in the Jazz Is Dead series, but with a vibe that's darker and moodier overall! There's a great edge going on here – and the bassline are especially heavy at times, which seems to make Jackson push even stronger than he might – filling up all the spaces with beautiful sounds that show the musician at his jazziest. Titles include "Mars Walk", "Nancy Wilson", "Young Muhammad", "Guality", "Bain De Minuit", "Ethiopian Sunshower", and "Under The Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily the best collection so far in the Let's Boogaloo series – and one that's overflowing with great older work from the 60s and 70s! We've liked the other Let's Boogaloo sets plenty, but this one's even more deep funk oriented than before – and not only features some great rare funky 45 material, but also a few great sound library rarities – mixed in alongside the newer cuts that Record Kicks always champions, done in a mix of funky and mod styles overall! Previously unreleased titles include "Funky Skunk" by Pete Thomas, "Beatcoma" by Alan Moorehouse, "Jazz Cat" and "Latin Soul Strut" by D Glover & G Crockett, and "Miss Augusta" by Minivip – and other cuts include "Hot Pants Party" by Guy Morris, "Look What You Can Get" by Funky Nassau, "Don't Let This Happen" by Fred Hughes, "Say Yeah Yeah" by Yvonne Fair, "Getting Down" by Brand New Rhythm, "Ain't Gonna Tell No More" by Stoned Soul Picnic, and "Oh My" by The Dansettes. 12 tracks in all! (Funky Compilations, Deep Funk) CD

The long-awaited third volume Original Raw Soul – a set that pulls together rare funky soul singles by the revolving roster of players led by the Whitefield Brothers – singles that ultimately became just as rare as the obscure funk 45s that inspired them! Nowadays, The Whitefield Brothers, their Poets Of Rhythm and associated acts can be credited for spurring the funk & raw soul revival of the 00s onward. At the time, some of the singles would appear and be hyped as reissues of regional rarities from back in the day – and they're so damn authentic, it was pretty easy to believe! Straight up raw funk instros, some jazzier gems with flute and female vox, organ-drenched jams and more credited to New Process, Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Bajka, Whitefield Brothers, Polyversal Souls and more! Includes "Bus People Theme" and "Freedom" by New Process, "Summer Days (Instrumental)" and "Flight To St Vincent" by Poets Of Rhythm, ""Will Power" and "Money For Born, Money For Die" by Transgressors (both previously unreleased), "A Vision" and "The Only Religion That I Believe" by Bajka, "$600 Song" by Mercy Sluts, "Muswell Hill Run" by Polyversal Souls, "The Bastard" by Whitefield Brothers and more. (Funky Compilations, Deep Funk) CD