Includes remixes by folks like Kenny Dope, Mad Professor, DJ Spinna, Large Professor, Afrodisiac Soundsystem, and Hank Shocklee – plus a second disc with the original versions by the Budos Band, Daktaris, Sugarman Three, and Sharon Jones! CD

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos of the past few decades! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty, powerful raw soul from Charles Bradley – the full length debut from the 62-year-old Brooklyn singer – backed perfectly by The Menahan Street Band! It's incredible, a record that sounds just as rawly emotional and impeccably soulful in 2011 as it would have in 1971 – much like the work Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, there's no mistaking this for anything but the real deal. Rough hewn in beautifully so – with perfect, funky backing by team Menahan. A timeless treasure! Titles include "In You (I Found A Love)", "I Believe In Your Love", "The Telephone Song", "Golden Rule", "How Long", "Trouble In The Land", "Since Our Last Goodbye", "Heartaches And Pain", "The World" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen. Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include "Strictly Reserved For You", "You Put The Flame On It", "Dusty Blue", "Love Bug Blues", "Hurricane", "Through The Storm", "Confusion", and "Where Do We Go From Here". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest groups going in the deep funk underground – a combo who play way more than just conventional funk – and who manage to embrace a whole host of classic influences at once! Echoes of older Latin, African, and soundtrack-styled grooves sift together beautifully in this second album from The Budos Band – all in an approach that's totally unified, and which borrows the best elements from other modes to create a whole new Budos-styled sound! The album's all instrumental, but it's far more evocative than most vocal funk sessions we can think of – and the group's horns are tighter than ever, with a slightly exotic feel that creates some real otherworldly moments. Titles include "Ride Or Die", "Budos Rising", "Chicago Falcon", "King Cobra", "Origin Of Man", "Deep In The Sand", "My Girl", and "Mas O Menos". CD

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids). LP, Vinyl record album

Heady, fuzzy instrumental psych funk from the mighty Budos Band – recorded live at the Grey Eagle on Halloween night 2015! Killer EP includes "Avalanche", a great centerpiece medley of "Inche Ince/You Keep Me Hanging On" and the blistering "Aynotchesh Yerefu". 12-inch, Vinyl record

You might know Cochemea Gastelum from his work in The Dap-Kings over the years – but this time around, the saxophonist is very much his own man – blowing a version of his instruments that often seems electrified, ala classic Varitone from the late 60s – used in these really new and compelling ways! Cochemea has occasional tribal impulses that belie his look on the cover – but all in this very focused way that never sounds too indulgent, and which instead always steps back to the soulful territory we love from Daptone Records! And yet the record's also maybe something new for the label too – looser, never straight funk or soul – as Cochemea heads up this fantastic ensemble that's very heavy on percussion, which drives the sound with a raw, rootsy vibe – while Victor Axelrod plays keyboards, and the man himself blows on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. A real killer – with titles that include "Maso Ye'Eme", "All My Relations", "Sonora", "Los Muertos", "Mescalero", "Song Of Happiness", and "Mitote". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning return to form by Lee Fields, one of the 70s' lost funky geniuses – heard here in the initial set that would catapult him back in the spotlight for a whole new generation! The record was issued by Desco Records – the key precursor to Daptone, Soul Fire, and other modern funk imprints – and it's got a sound that feels like was lifted from the vaults of James Brown's People label, circa 1972! Unlike other "funk revival" titles of the 90s (especially those by ex-JBs Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker), this one's got a totally perfect sound, and was produced with a loving adherence to the classic 70ss funk sound that made Lee' early records so great – raw vocals, mixed with equally sharp instrumentation – all put together with help from Bosco Mann, Gabriel Roth, and Philippe Lehman – the latter two of whom had been bootlegging older funk records, but were finally ready to try their hand at something of their own. The instrumentation is a tight batch of drum-heavy, bass-heavy, break-heavy grooves – and Lee's voice is incredibly rich and soulful, approaching near-Godfather-like sensibilities! We love this one to death, and it's probably the most perfectly-formed album that Desco ever issued. Titles include "Bad, Bad, Bad", "Let's Get A Groove On", "Watch That Man", "Put It On Me", and "Steam Train". Great great great – and a real smoker! LP, Vinyl record album

The great thing about Lee Fields is that he just keeps on giving – giving us the sort of deep soul music that first caught our ears back when he was recording in near obscurity for a small southern label – and which has finally gotten the attention it deserves in recent decades! Lee's got the ability to sing at the level of an Otis Redding or James Carr, but without sounding like he's trying to copy the classics – and for good reason too, as Lee is the classic – maybe a bit younger than Redding and Carr, but not by much – and more than able to take southern soul strongly into the contemporary generation, with slow-burning genius on titles that include "Ordinary Lives", "Sentimental Fool", "The Door", "Forever", "Two Jobs", "Without A Heart", "Your Face Before My Eyes", and "Extraordinary Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". CD

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold slice of work from the Daptone musical universe – a hip project that features work from members of The Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Budos Band, and Antibalas – all put together with a range of sounds that really show the full spectrum of their styles! The groove's quite unique – even for the ultra-cool Daptone scene – as Menahan Street Band bring in bits of dub, funk, Latin, and Afro-styled sounds to their music – often working with a sense of spareness that seems influenced by 70s Ethiopia, but which comes off with a heavier Wu-inspired sound! There's no vocals at all – just really raw, stark instrumental bits – played on vibes, organ, tenor, flute, piano, trumpet, and some kickass percussion – produced with just the right sort of grit to make all tunes sound great. Titles include "Tired Of Fighting", "Home Again", "Montego Sunset", "The Traitor", "The Contendor", "Birds", "Esma", and "Going The Distance". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary record, but one with a very timeless vibe – music that seems to evoke a vintage Havana, almost in the years before the revolution – as Orquesta Akokan deliver a wicked mix of percussion, basslines, and horns – all topped with fantastic vocals from Kiko Ruiz and a few other singers! Arrangements are by pianist Michael Eckroth, who's got a nicely bold approach – and the group also features tres from producer Jacob Plasse – but it may well be the strong use of tenor and alto saxes that really send things over the top – cutting a nice edge next to the more familiar trumpets and trombones for such a group, and really opening up the jazzy potential in the music! Ruiz is fantastic too – a hell of a singer with a wickedly fluid, musical vibe – and titles include "Pan Con Tibiri", "La Fiera", "Pregonero", "Dona Felipa", "Flor De Mi Campo", "Con Licencia", and "Suave Suave". CD

A contemporary record, but one with a very timeless vibe – music that seems to evoke a vintage Havana, almost in the years before the revolution – as Orquesta Akokan deliver a wicked mix of percussion, basslines, and horns – all topped with fantastic vocals from Kiko Ruiz and a few other singers! Arrangements are by pianist Michael Eckroth, who's got a nicely bold approach – and the group also features tres from producer Jacob Plasse – but it may well be the strong use of tenor and alto saxes that really send things over the top – cutting a nice edge next to the more familiar trumpets and trombones for such a group, and really opening up the jazzy potential in the music! Ruiz is fantastic too – a hell of a singer with a wickedly fluid, musical vibe – and titles include "Pan Con Tibiri", "La Fiera", "Pregonero", "Dona Felipa", "Flor De Mi Campo", "Con Licencia", and "Suave Suave". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet second album from this excellent group – one of a few key acts in the funk underground who are moving things strongly into the sweet soul spectrum – echoing the kind of kicked-back mellow work that made the New Jersey and Philly scenes so great back in the day, with a vibe that also resonates strongly with the legacy of sounds that always played big in the East LA scene too! Josh Lane's the singer, and he's got this nicely tripping sort of sound – recorded with echo, so that he's almost harmonizing with himself – and singing with a great rise in tone that really hits some heartbreaking moments – with spare instrumental support from just the bass of Sal Samano and drums, guitar, and organ of Alex Garcia. Bosco Mann produced, and gives the whole thing a nicely rich sound – making the spare elements rise together beautifully – on cuts that include "Waiting On The Right Time", "Lucid Girl", "Price I'll Pay", "Stuck In The Mud", "My Heart Is Drowning", "I'm So Glad I Found You Baby", and "One & The Same". CD

A sweet second album from this excellent group – one of a few key acts in the funk underground who are moving things strongly into the sweet soul spectrum – echoing the kind of kicked-back mellow work that made the New Jersey and Philly scenes so great back in the day, with a vibe that also resonates strongly with the legacy of sounds that always played big in the East LA scene too! Josh Lane's the singer, and he's got this nicely tripping sort of sound – recorded with echo, so that he's almost harmonizing with himself – and singing with a great rise in tone that really hits some heartbreaking moments – with spare instrumental support from just the bass of Sal Samano and drums, guitar, and organ of Alex Garcia. Bosco Mann produced, and gives the whole thing a nicely rich sound – making the spare elements rise together beautifully – on cuts that include "Waiting On The Right Time", "Lucid Girl", "Price I'll Pay", "Stuck In The Mud", "My Heart Is Drowning", "I'm So Glad I Found You Baby", and "One & The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet second album from this excellent group – one of a few key acts in the funk underground who are moving things strongly into the sweet soul spectrum – echoing the kind of kicked-back mellow work that made the New Jersey and Philly scenes so great back in the day, with a vibe that also resonates strongly with the legacy of sounds that always played big in the East LA scene too! Josh Lane's the singer, and he's got this nicely tripping sort of sound – recorded with echo, so that he's almost harmonizing with himself – and singing with a great rise in tone that really hits some heartbreaking moments – with spare instrumental support from just the bass of Sal Samano and drums, guitar, and organ of Alex Garcia. Bosco Mann produced, and gives the whole thing a nicely rich sound – making the spare elements rise together beautifully – on cuts that include "Waiting On The Right Time", "Lucid Girl", "Price I'll Pay", "Stuck In The Mud", "My Heart Is Drowning", "I'm So Glad I Found You Baby", and "One & The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – a set that took a bit longer to hit the racks than expected, but which really shows a richness that more than makes up for the delay! Sharon's a singer who's always been great – but she steps out strongly here with a sense of maturity that seems to take her vocals even farther than before – and The Dap Kings are more than ready to match her energy with some funky work of their own! Jones has gone through a lot in recent years – both with the band and in her own personal life – and the record's a proud summation of life's challenges and triumphs, served up in the instant-classic style that has made Sharon one of the greatest living soul singers of the past few decades. Bosco Mann knocked things out of the park with his raw production – and also wrote a good number of tracks on the set too – and titles include "Making Up & Breaking Up", "Long Time Wrong Time", "People Don't Get What They Deserve", "Retreat", "Stranger To My Happiness", and "Now I See". CD

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". CD

Joe Bataan is alive and well – and to our ears, the king of Latin Soul is sounding better than he has in decades! This tasty little set really takes us back to Joe's classic work for Fania – but it's also got a slightly different twist – one that shows a new younger appreciation of the funk side of Joe's work that wasn't always able to come to the forefront in earlier years. Joe recorded the album at the Daptone Studios in New York – so the sound of the set is spot-on all the way through – perfectly recorded to bring out the soul in Joe's music, and handled with some great touches that make the instrumentation as wonderful as Joe's classic-styled vocals! And even more than that, there's also a heck of great new songs on the set – tunes that follow very strongly in the spirit of Joe's older classics, but which have a freshness that makes the album a totally essential part of Joe's catalog. Titles include "Chevere Que Chevere", "Keep The Change", "Call My Name", "Chick A Boom", "I'm The Fool (parts 1 & 2)", "Cycles Of You", "Secret Girl My Superfraud", and "Ernestine". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning bit of funky female soul from the first decade of the century – a set that was sometimes overlooked on the global scene, but which easily matches the energy and punch of some of the more famous artists on labels like Daptone and Big Crown! Gizelle Smith is a hell of a singer – actually skilled with a deeply soulful approach, and not just reaching for a retro mode – and the Mighty Mocambos are as funky here as on any of their great funky 45s – a razor-sharp group who give Smith just the right backing to send things over the top! Titles include "Hold Fast", "Magic Time Machine", "Working Woman", "Coffee High", "Free Vibes", "Love Alarm", "Gonna Get You", and "Snake Charmer". 2LP version adds in 11 bonus tracks – some instrumental "part 2" tracks, remixes, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – one that has the beat-heavy Quantic transform into the Quantic Soul Orchestra, for a stunning deep funk performance! The record sounds like nothing Quantic have done in the past – and shares a sound with work from the Soul Fire/Daptone underground, with a tight blend of hard drums, fast-riffing guitar, and all-solid 70s funky grooves. The one element that we would say the record shares with Quantic is a real talent for picking up neat instrumental twists – like the odd flute fill, string wash, or off-kilter drum sound – all of which make for a record that really opens up the genre of deep funk, and makes for one of the freshest releases we've heard of its type in a while! Includes a great deep funk cover of 4 Hero's "Hold It Down", plus the tracks "Terrapin", "Something That's Real", "South Coastin", "Stampede", "Raw Ingredients", "Babarabatiri", and "Take Your Time Change Your Mind". CD

A sampler of great tracks from BBE's Exit Music compilation – featuring radically redone versions of tracks penned by Radiohead! First up on EP #1 is possibly the best track in the project – DJ/producer Mark Ronson's massive funk version of "Just" – featuring hazed out vocals by Alex Greenwald – and funky, funky horns – courtesy of the Daptone horn section! Next up is SA-RA electric groove taken on "In Limbo" – a sparking cut that's anything but in the state described by the title! It's all about the crisp beats, and echoey, tripped out vocals and keys – courtesy of Debi Nova and Stones Throw-signee Georgia Muldrow! Last up is the Randy Watson Experience, aka ?uestlove & friends, turning "Morning Bell" into an elongated, really trippy blends of live drums, keys and atmospheric vocals learned from 70s soul jazz mixed with some tasteful modern programming! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from a time when few folks were thinking of funk in jazz – the second effort by a trio who came years after the glory days of soul jazz and funky 45s, but who also paved the way for the Daptone generation to come! Chris Wood plays bass, Billy Martin plays drums, and John Medeski plays organ and piano – yet these guys sound nothing like a Hammond trio from back in the day – as they have a soaring, almost cosmic approach to music – really letting loose with lines that sometimes soar, sometimes play in the dirt – effortlessly shifting things up in a really great way! The album includes a great version of Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute", plus originals like "Worms", "Sand", "Where's Sly", and "Wiggly's Way". CD

A very well-titled set – given that the Colemine Records label has given us some mighty soulful slabs of wax in recent years! Although a small label, in the hinterland of Ohio, Colemine is fast rising to be one of the coolest funk labels in the world – right up there on a par with older classics like Desco and Soul Fire, and almost able to challenge the supremacy of the Daptone sound! Yet Colemine is also a bit more wide-ranging than some of those other labels, too – as you'll hear in the rich array of sounds within – all pulled from previous funky 45s on the label, many of which are out of print – and presented here in a fantastic full length set. Titles include "Don't Get Caught" by The Droptones, "Yo Todo Tu Yo" by The Rugged Nuggets, "Street Sweeper" by The Grease Traps, "Like Yesterday" by The Monophonics, "Pacified" by Soul Scratch, "Remember When" by Leroi Conroy, "Jesse's Jing" by In Motion Collective, "Next To You" by Gene Washington & The Ironsides, and "Suction" by On The Spot Trio. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from the Colemine label – a company who've given us plenty of great albums over the years, but who seem especially well-tuned to the funky 45! Along with Daptone, Big Crown, and a few others, Colemine is one of the labels who turn out top-shelf 7" singles again and again – most of which are in limited pressings, disappear fast, and are sometimes pretty expensive if you can find them! This set corrects that issue, and brings together 27 nuggets that originally appeared as funky 45s – all stacked together nicely as a massive LP set, with a nice price break from trying to track down the singles. Titles include "Gripsweats Them" by The Gripsweats, "Don't You Know" by Durand Jones & The Indications, "NUSAU" by Jungle Fire, "Supermoon" by Ikebe Shakedown, "What A Shame" by Jr Thomas & The Volcanos, "War Room" by Black Market Brass, "Aragon" by Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, "My God Has A Telephone" by Flying Stars Of Brooklyn, "He's On Time" by Harlem Gospel Travelers, "Happiness" by Wesley Bright & The Honeytones, "It Was Only A Dream" by Thee Sinseers, "America" by Soul Scratch, and "Sure Don't Miss You" by The Dip. LP, Vinyl record album

A very well-titled set – given that the Colemine Records label has given us some mighty soulful slabs of wax in recent years! Although a small label, in the hinterland of Ohio, Colemine is fast rising to be one of the coolest funk labels in the world – right up there on a par with older classics like Desco and Soul Fire, and almost able to challenge the supremacy of the Daptone sound! Yet Colemine is also a bit more wide-ranging than some of those other labels, too – as you'll hear in the rich array of sounds within – all pulled from previous funky 45s on the label, many of which are out of print – and presented here in a fantastic full length set. Titles include "Don't Get Caught" by The Droptones, "Yo Todo T Yo" by The Rugged Nuggets, "Street Sweeper" by The Grease Traps, "Like Yesterday" by The Monophonics, "Pacified" by Soul Scratch, "Remember When" by Leroi Conroy, "Jesse's Jing" by In Motion Collective, "Next To You" by Gene Washington & The Ironsides, and "Suction" by On The Spot Trio. LP, Vinyl record album