"Soul Jazz Records release Secondo's first album of super-funky micro cut-up disco and electronic music. Secondo is Italian/Serbian producer Radovan Scasascia. Born in Zurich in 1975, his super-funky minimal discofied electronic dance music has been appearing sporadically on Soul Jazz Records since 2003 alongside Rekid (AKA Radio Slave and one half of Quiet Village), Kode9, Subway, DJ Rupture and other similarly like-minded electronic pioneers.
Secondo's love of disco and minimal European electronic music produces a unique funky-electronic cut up style that shows his close links with the micro-house sound of Germany's Kompakt label as much as that of the New York Disco labels of the late 70s and early 80s. This led to earlier releases such as his celebrated Tom Tom Club cut-up a few years back.
Secondo's music features thousands of micro-samples and on "A Matter of Scale", his first album on Soul Jazz Records, the music successfully reflects his aim of reconstructing these minute sonic fragments into new compositions that somehow maintain the atmosphere of the originals as well as creating new worlds. As much at home with his own material as other peoples, his remixes have appeared on a diverse set of European and American electronic artists � Felix da Housecat, Richie Hawtin, Harrison Crump, James Din A4, Kammerflimmer Kollektief and many more."
Amid the constant, welcome flood of reissued Sun Ra treasures, this is certainly an oddity (and that's saying something). Apparently Sun Ra (who plays Hammond B-3 on here), Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and other Arkestra greats decided to cash in on
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Awesome mix, as we would expect from firsthand experience, when he DJ'd in the store!
Nina Simone's vast and varied back catalog never ceases to thrill and amaze us. As we dig and dig into the deep vaults of her recorded material we keep running into records that demand full attention and grab us by our vitals and throw us right into the world she was inhabiting at that moment. This 1973 album, now reissued on vinyl, found Nina full of a crazy kind of energy, empowerment, rage, urgency and intensity. As the Vietnam War continued to linger, Emergency Ward! was Nina Simone's most pointed protest against the war, as well as one of her most fiery and commanding records, period. With arrangements by the great Weldon Irvine and a church junior choir from South Jamaica, New York backing her up, a strong foundation was laid for Nina to take those elements and bring them to life as only she could. Recorded live in a few different locations the record finds Simone at her most epic and emotionally charged. The first side is one long track that merges an adaptation of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with "Today Is A Killer", a poem by David Nelson, that Nina Simone transforms into an unforgettable gospel burner! The second side starts off with an irresistible version of "Poppies" and then the grand finale is an eleven minute emotionally poignant take on another George Harrison song, "Isn't It A Pity", that rings with so much truth and timeliness all these years later. Nina Simone fans, you must have this! Totally engaging and essential!
We've long been advocates of the importance and reward of spending time with Nina Simone's proper albums. We're really glad there have been so many reissues of her records from the '60s and '70s, but truth be told she was one of those rare incredible artists who stayed true to her vision and made powerful music in all five decades that she shared her magical voice and musical wisdom with the world.
Recorded in Paris in 1982, Fodder On My Wings was an album not many of us were familiar with so we were thrilled Sunnyside brought it to our attention, as it's one smoking and satisfying record, with Nina on piano, harpsichord shaker, and tambourine backed by an awesome band with instrumentation that included congas, woodblock, timpani, etc. Unlike many of her earlier albums, Nina wrote and composed all but one track on this record. Singing in both French and English, her songs range from bittersweet, to empowering, to effervescent. Filled with rich grooves, entrancing piano, and that unmistakably wise and magical voice. A must have for any Nina Simone fan!
It can sometimes be daunting with some legendary artists, especially with ones who have left us so much great music, to figure out where to start in terms of really exploring their music. Truth be told, any time or any way you get to hear a Nina Simone song it's pretty damn special. Whether it's on a mix someone made you, or one of the many best-of collections, or even any of the great live recordings. But lately we've really wanted to spend some quality time with her albums, as they were created so meticulously and flow so amazingly, with perfect emotional peaks and valleys that take you on a spiritual sonic journey from start to finish.
We easily could list a handful of essential albums from Nina Simone (we reviewed the great Silk & Soul a couple years back and it's become a staple of the AQ soundsytem), but this time around, we'll focus on one of her true masterpieces, High Priestess Of Soul, recorded in 1966. With lush and tasteful arrangements by Hal Mooney, this is a record that definitely demonstrates Simones's dynamic range and magical touch. From sad and sultry to empowered and resilient, her songs have this magical way of cutting right to the truth. From the rich gospel of "Take Me To The Water/I'm Going Back Home" to one of the most amazing and minimal deep groove songs of all time!!! "Come Ye" and the strong and proud anthem "Don't You Pay Them No Mind", High Priestess of Soul is filled with songs that that are like mirrors that reflect all that is true and real.
One of our all time favorite records, and an album that if you don't already own, we know you will want to start spending some serious time with, as it will become one of those special records you turn to when you need the real deal to hit your soul just right!
Time for us to gush about another one of our favorite Nina Simone albums. It's becoming a little aQ list tradition, and one we love to indulge in, especially because Nina Simone's albums are such rewarding treats from start to finish. Let It All Out falls right in the midst of our favorite era of her albums, released in 1966 it followed possibly our favorite album of hers, High Priestess Of Soul.
On Let It All Out, Simone takes songs by Duke Ellington, Van Mccoy, Billie Holiday, Irving Berlin and Bob Dylan and makes them all her own. While recent years have seen a resurgence of popular singers doing 'covers' albums, you are always aware that they are performing a version of someone else's song, but with Simone, her amazing arrangements, impeccable piano playing and truly fantastic voice, she made all of these songs her own. The acappella version of a poem celebrating black beauty called "Images" is one of her most stunning recorded moments. Like the best of her albums, this really has it all. From dizzying piano playing ("Love Me Or Leave Me"), shattering heartache ("Don't Explain"), and blistering raw truth ("The Ballad Of Hollis Brown"). Another stunning achievement in an amazing back catalog.
This is not newly reissued, it's just an old fave that gets played like crazy in the store but has never gotten reviewed, until NOW!
It's still astonishing to listen to records Nina Simone made over forty years ago and hear the kind of experimentation in song structure and delivery she used while transforming songs into creatures that became totally her own, all the while infusing so much soul and emotion into each note.
Pastel Blues came out in 1965 and fits so nicely into that mid to late '60s era of Nina that we are so in love with. The same era that produced High Priestess Of Soul, Let It All Out, Silk & Soul and Wild In The Wind. Bookend with two of her greatest musical moments, the leadoff track "Be My Husband" which has become a staple cover of Antony & The Johnsons and the ten minute closer "Sinnerman" which finds her at her most fiery, frantic and riveting. In between are so many more beautiful and sad sounds filled with her soft piano and distinctive vocals, a sound rich with such universal feelings of loss and sadness, yet burning with life and hope and passion.
We've said it before but we will keep saying it, this is an artist that demands a serious and deep relationship by music lovers of all varieties, 'best of' recordings are great but Simone's albums, especially in this era are so strong and carefully constructed from start to finish that they reward so richly, repeat listens. Without Nina so many of our modern day AQ favorites like Antony, Cat Power, White Magic, Devendra Banhart, etc. wouldn't exist as we know and love them. Another essential Nina Simone album!
It's been about three years now since Nina Simone passed away, we miss her madly but it's nice that reissues of her back catalog will keep her voice alive for years to come. This is one of her nicest soul centered albums with totally lush arrangements and of course her voice at it's most seductive and silky. While retrospectives and best of collections can be nice, when it comes to amazing artists like Nina Simone it's so important to get to hear how well crafted her albums were, how she was so conscious of the flow and the journey from start to finish. We think you'll be hard pressed to find a more perfect sounding Sunday morning album. This buried treasure from 1967 is sounding pretty perfect and timeless to our ears almost 40 years later.
Most rare groove fiends fell in love with The Sisters Love after hearing the 80's extended remix of their song "Give Me Your Love" which had disco aficionados like Larry Levan and Nicky Siano in seventh heaven. What's amazing is that the track was actually recorded in 1973, predating disco and demonstrating that if one dug a little deeper, one might discover that not only were The Sisters Love way ahead of their time but were also not merely a one hit wonder. Thankfully, as they have so many times in the past, Soul Jazz have come to the rescue putting together a totally stunning collection of the SL's deep hitting soul/funk recorded between 1969-1973. A vocal delivery with that perfect gospel influence that cuts right to the heart of the matter, and the sort of perfect production and orchestration that keeps the songs moving and practically begs to be sampled by the entire Stones Throw roster. Always such a pleasure to get a full helping of a group we only had heard in dribs and drabs before. After listening to this over and over we can safely say The Sisters Love have won a special place in our soul collection, alongside the likes of early Betty Wright, Ike & Tina and Candi Staton. Highly recommended!
Who are the Skull Snaps, you say? Well, if you have been paying attention to hip-hop of the last eighteen years, you will instantly recognize the opening drum break of "It's A New Day" sampled by The Pharcyde, Gang Starr, Lords of The Underground as well as dozens of others who have sampled that riff and tons of others from this obscure New York soul group. Recorded in 1973, The Skull Snaps, a trio of guitar, bass and drums with killer vocal harmonies, had a more popular following overseas in the Northern Soul scene for such tracks, as "I'm Your Pimp" and "My Hang-up Is You" than they did in the US. Chock full of hooks and breaks, The Skull Snaps lone album is an amazing lost soul document that is finally getting its due. Plus it gets points for being one of the best album covers ever! Hip-hop legacy aside, this is a soul record right up there with Baby Huey, Curtis Mayfield and The Chi-Lites. Features 2 bonus tracks not on the original album. So Cool!
**SALE **SALE* *SALE**
What a find! We had no idea who Verdelle Smith was, but it only took one listen to this latest Omni Recording Corporation release, a compilation of her complete recordings to be, well, completely hooked. She only recorded music for two short years before disappearing from the music world altogether. But in a just universe, Verdelle Smith would have been as huge as Dionne Warwick and her producers and songwriters, Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, more famous than Burt Bacharach and Hal David (though to their credit, they were already pretty big due to a novelty hit "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star", but we digress...). Verdelle Smith's songs were no mere novelty. Originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Smith grew up singing gospel, but had big musical ambitions, so she moved to Manhattan where she auditioned for Vance and Pockriss who were looking for a specific type of singer for a Shangri-la's style song called "Juanito", a song about overcoming the social stigma of an inter-racial relationship. With high production values, lush orchestration, hook-laden arrangements and Smith's big voice, she fit the part perfectly and the duo recorded one lp and several singles, one of which "Tar & Cement" made it to No. 1 in Australia (which is probably why Omni is reissuing this.). That song and its B side, "Piece of The Sky" are both big pop laments to urban sprawl, and the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. It's rare to see such social issues being addressed in soul-pop fashion, and probably why they received little notice in the states. But Smith's drop-dead voice and the fabulous production give these songs such a deep, knife-sharp edge. "If You Can't Say Anything Nice" could easily have been a lost Bacharach / David hit. But it was the song, "(Alone) In My Room", that was quickly covered by both Nancy Sinatra (on the Boots record, no less) and The Walker Brothers, that seemed to secure her the most fame, fleeting as it was. Smith's delivery throughout her brief career shares the same dramatic largesse as Scott Walker on his first four solo records. So if you're as much of a fan of them, Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazlewood, early Dionne Warwick or Burt Bacharach as we are, then Verdelle Smith will be right up your alley.
So what happened to her? Well, she wanted to make gospel records but her producers weren't into it, so she gave up the music business to become more involved with her church and social activism, which according to the liner notes she still actively pursues to this day under her real name. So there you go. Thank you Omni for digging this up. Fantastic!
Our newest discovery, thanks to KMEL keeping us company as we tool around town, imagining that our crappy little tape deck is actually a 'boomin' system'. Sole manages to out-nasty even Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Wicked stuttering Timbaland style beats and streams of nasty sex style vitriol.
Madlib strikes again! This might be the best record to merge hip-hop production and aesthetics with funk and soul. Like the Yesterdays New Quintet records he has made with jazz lineups playing great instrumental versions of early Stevie Wonder songs. With this Sound Directions record Madlib has taken his love of obscure early 70's funk and soul to new heights. A production team which also includes Peanut Butter Wolf and instrumentation that includes kalimba, electric muffle, trumpet and a whole lot more. Interpretations of David Axelrod and Cliff Nobles and even more obscure '60s/'70s gems. A breezy undertone accents the entire record. The kind of record you want to play when you have some folks over for food drinks and a good time. Madlib's touch can be felt in the overall vibe of the recording. Smooth but not polished, a tad lo-fi but still infectious. True soul lives on.
Yes! The Sound of Feeling were a short lived but influential avant jazz-pop vocal group who recorded one full length album called Spleen in 1969 and a split LP with Oliver Nelson in 1968. Along with a handful of unreleased bonus tracks from the early seventies, Up into Silence collects their complete recordings. Comprised of pianist / arranger / singer Gary David, the counterpoint microtonal vocal talents of twin sisters Alice Rhae and Rhae Alice Andrece and rounded out musically with 2 bassists and a drummer, The Sound of Feeling updated the jazz-scat vocal style made popular by Lambert Hendricks and Ross and The Singers Unlimited by channeling John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk instead of Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. But at times also referencing 16th-century madrigals, Bartok, the poetry of Paul Verlaine, as well as Simon and Garfunkel and Donovan amongst their many touchstones. Beginning with their take on Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things", the first five tracks are from the split LP with Oliver Nelson. The four others are all originals including "Circe Revisited" which features the unusual instrumentation of Marxaphone, an autoharp type instrument with strings tuned to a microtonal scale. But it's their full length album, Spleen, where the group gets the most interesting. Opening with a bass and piano hook that has been sampled many times, the group's take on Donovan's "Hurdy-Gurdy Man" is one of the strangest and beautiful versions we've heard, taking the song through so many peaks and valleys (and even out on a few limbs) that never materialized in the original. With tracks like "Hex" and "Along Came Sam", it seems they left the jazz world altogether, and entered a lysergic avant chamber pop territory, with the basses, piano, vibes and drums alternating between killer breaks and restrained near-silent passages amongst the oddly tuned vocal acrobatics. The final 5 tracks were previously unreleased as the group were attempting to expand into hipper territories in the early seventies. The best of them, "Born Amongst The Eagles", continues with the amazing drum fills and some very strange vocal effects. Predicting the vocalese fusion style of Ursula Dudziak and Flora Purim, The Sound of Feeling were like a strange cocktail of Patty Water's Out vocals and the cool groove of Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog. Their recognition is long overdue!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
We won't say much about this since we only have like 3 copies and it's apparently already out of print... When we first heard this, we were a bit perplexed. The tracks were equally divided between hard funk instrumentals that would fit in any number of blaxploitation flicks, and soulful ballads and anthems sung by a group of young women, with only a couple tracks combining the two styles. We thought perhaps the band was actually a session band for hire that only put a record out as a kind of musical business card of sorts, as we could see some of the tracks being deep cuts for soul and funk DJs, and featured on rare soundtracks or something. But the real story is much stranger. The 1976 sole release by the Bronx based Sounds of The City Experience is a rare example of the 'tax shelter' record. Originally issued on Tiger Lily, a subsidiary of the mob-run Roulette label, Tiger Lily used demo recordings as a way to find artists who would agree to have a record released only to have it deliberately fail, so the label would be able to write off the loss! The band would get a one-off fee and some records to distribute on their own, but nothing more would come out of the relationship. Over 70 such records were released on this label before it folded after a year. This reissue gives us the human story behind this particular band and their ambitions to have a record released no matter what the cost. The band itself is tight, hard-hitting and the vocal range incredible and there are some great tracks here to discover. Showing what a weird thing the music industry can be.
Remember Spaceheads? Kind of a '90s sensation, 'round these parts anyway (they played Terrastock SF), this underground experimental "abstract dance" duo from the UK made a super groovy, spacey brand of "live electronica" with trumpet, drums, and various electronics n' effects. Well, now they're back, not that they ever really went away. Trip To The Moon is a new ep from 'em, with both Andy Diagram (trumpet/loops/FX harmonizers) and Richard Harrison (drums/percussion) up to their old tricks - which could be taken to mean, they still sound very "nineties". When we first heard this, we were like, huh, kinda reminds us of LTJ Bukem!
Features four groovy instrumental tracks, sixteen and a half minutes full of funky beats, nicely melodic trumpet licks (looped), and some fat synth-y bass blurps (which must also be the trumpet, somehow). There are uptempo frenzies of skittering percussion, and also much more mellow jazzical moods too.
And yes, the first track "Cosmic Freight Train" is quite aptly titled, with its driving choo-choo-choo rhythm. All aboard!
It goes without saying that Phil Spector really stands (or stood) at the pinnacle of pop music and what it means to be a producer. His 'wall of sound' has influenced generations of amazing bands from the Beach Boys to Jesus & Mary Chain to Spiritualized to the Vivian Girls and beyond. It was actually hard to get so many of his great recordings on cd, unless you snagged the box set that came out years ago, so we're so psyched for this new release of some of his most memorable moments. Working with groups like The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Ike & Tina, and more, this collection shows off Spector's uncanny ability to create pop nuggets that have proven to be timeless and so endlessly addictive. While many of us who like to hang out in the fringes and more obscure realms of the music world, Phil Spector is a reminder of how amazing more mainstream pop music can be when in the hands of a musical genius.
While much of his personal life is depressing and distressing, he seems to be a part of a long tradition of deeply troubled music producers who were able to use music to channel the beauty inside of them that they had such a hard time doing in all other aspects of their life. With so many bands of the moment like Dum Dum Girls, The Raveonettes, Shannon & The Clams, and The Sandwitches taking so much from Spector's sound, it's perfect timing for these songs to be made available again.�
A tolerably well mixed 74 minutes of hip hop, soul, electronica, etc from the likes of Nightmares on Wax, Tek9, Terranova, Les Nubians, Runaways UK, 4Hero, etc. As with most of Spinna's releases, there's a second disc of the unmixed original tracks by
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
A three cd collection of classic old soul, disco and r'n'b gems. The first disc is a continuous mix by DJ Spinna, whose skills aren't all there but somehow his clunkiness adds a charm to the whole thing. The two remaining discs are the originals of each of the records he used in his set, and this is such a treasure trove of good music, 27 tracks in all, well worth the price. With Minnie Riperton, Bohannon, Marvin Gaye, Donald Byrd, Sugarhill Gang, Foxy, Johnny Bristol, Roy Ayers, and many more.
Long before the group's most well-known hits, "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There", The Staple Singers were one of the country's most self-made gospel singing family groups. Mississippi Records and Yeti Magazine have done us all a great service by reissuing the groups first three gospel albums from the late fifties and early sixties and they're all quite incredible. Led by Roebuck "Pops" Staples who wrote nearly all of their material and played guitar, and featuring his son Purvis, and daughters, Yvonne, Cleotha, and Mavis, whose incredible vocal range from deep lows to ecstatic highs made her the star of the group, the family began performing in 1948 in Chicago churches, the first performance at the request of Roebuck's brother Charles who just started a church and heard his brother's family harmonizing together on their front porch. They began in an acoustic folk-gospel style, harmonizing around Roebuck's twangy blues. He soon changed it up to electric guitar, and the tremoloed riffs as well as Roebuck's incredible song-writing skills gave the family's take on spirituals an incredible energy and feeling that was atmospheric, passionate and groovy. It's these early albums, more so than their mainstream funk and soul success of the seventies, that propelled the family into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Embedded in their tight-knit harmonies, their cool soulful delivery and their infectious riffs, are the roots of rock and soul music. Uncloudy Day from 1959 is a collection of their early recordings at their most stripped down and their very first release. Will The Circle Be Unbroken from 1960 and Swing Low from 1961 are the group's first two studio albums augmented only by occasional bass and drums. All are absolutely essential!
Long before the group's most well-known hits, "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There", The Staple Singers were one of the country's most self-made gospel singing family groups. Mississippi Records and Yeti Magazine have done us all a great service by reissuing the groups first three gospel albums from the late fifties and early sixties and they're all quite incredible. Led by Roebuck "Pops" Staples who wrote nearly all of their material and played guitar, and featuring his son Purvis, and daughters, Yvonne, Cleotha, and Mavis, whose incredible vocal range from deep lows to ecstatic highs made her the star of the group, the family began performing in 1948 in Chicago churches, the first performance at the request of Roebuck's brother Charles who just started a church and heard his brother's family harmonizing together on their front porch. They began in an acoustic folk-gospel style, harmonizing around Roebuck's twangy blues. He soon changed it up to electric guitar, and the tremoloed riffs as well as Roebuck's incredible song-writing skills gave the family's take on spirituals an incredible energy and feeling that was atmospheric, passionate and groovy. It's these early albums, more so than their mainstream funk and soul success of the seventies, that propelled the family into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Embedded in their tight-knit harmonies, their cool soulful delivery and their infectious riffs, are the roots of rock and soul music. Uncloudy Day from 1959 is a collection of their early recordings at their most stripped down and their very first release. Will The Circle Be Unbroken from 1960 and Swing Low from 1961 are the group's first two studio albums augmented only by occasional bass and drums. All are absolutely essential!
Long before the group's most well-known hits, "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There", The Staple Singers were one of the country's most self-made gospel singing family groups. Mississippi Records and Yeti Magazine have done us all a great service by reissuing the groups first three gospel albums from the late fifties and early sixties and they're all quite incredible. Led by Roebuck "Pops" Staples who wrote nearly all of their material and played guitar, and featuring his son Purvis, and daughters, Yvonne, Cleotha, and Mavis, whose incredible vocal range from deep lows to ecstatic highs made her the star of the group, the family began performing in 1948 in Chicago churches, the first performance at the request of Roebuck's brother Charles who just started a church and heard his brother's family harmonizing together on their front porch. They began in an acoustic folk-gospel style, harmonizing around Roebuck's twangy blues. He soon changed it up to electric guitar, and the tremoloed riffs as well as Roebuck's incredible song-writing skills gave the family's take on spirituals an incredible energy and feeling that was atmospheric, passionate and groovy. It's these early albums, more so than their mainstream funk and soul success of the seventies, that propelled the family into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Embedded in their tight-knit harmonies, their cool soulful delivery and their infectious riffs, are the roots of rock and soul music. Uncloudy Day from 1959 is a collection of their early recordings at their most stripped down and their very first release. Will The Circle Be Unbroken from 1960 and Swing Low from 1961 are the group's first two studio albums augmented only by occasional bass and drums. All are absolutely essential!
Mavis Staples is not only a living legend due to her work with the almighty Staple Singers, but she continues to be such a force and guiding light of spiritual, deep hitting gospel-soul. On her new album she's joined forces with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy who produced the album as well as writing two tracks. While sometimes people scoff when big names and indie rock icons take on projects with folks from different eras and genres, we actually think it's super rad. If it turns on a bunch of kids who love Wilco and don't know much about the legacy of Mavis Staples then that in itself is already worth it, but also Tweedy is so respectful of the voice and importance of Mavis Staples, so he hasn't tried to make this some sort of hip indie rock gospel record. Instead he just helped give a strong and steady backdrop as rich and bold as Staples' commanding voice. She covers a wide range of folks like Allen Toussaint, Randy Newman, Reverend Gary Davis, and John Fogerty. The songs are filled with the kind of gospel, blues and soul energy that has been a part of her musical trajectory from the beginning.
Often times legendary soul and gospel singers in their later years are marred with overslick and processed production, but You Are Not Alone shows that if you keep it to the basics with the nitty gritty perfection of a top notch band, recorded with much warmth, then that wise voice is really allowed to soar to the forefront with everlasting impact.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
A few years ago Honest Jon's/Capitol released a collection of Candi Staton's classic southern soul sounds from her prime, 1969-1973. It was a collection that for many of us was an introduction to a Candi Station we never knew. Best known later on as a disco diva, these songs were a totally different and much more rewarding affair then her glitzy disco years. Such rich and right on soul packed with emotion and flare. This, her brand new album is a nod back to that past. It's really nice to see how her influence has begun to finally fall on new ears. On their recent visit to San Francisco, The Gossip couldn't stop drooling over their love of Candi during their guest DJ set at KUSF. Lambchop's Mark Nevers was such a big fan that he found a way to become the producer of this new record, which also boasts lyrics from Will Oldham on the powerful title track which he wrote specifically for Candi. With Cat Power recently releasing her take on Southern soul, it's so nice to hear from one of the originators of that sound/style. His Hands is a collection of tales of love gone so wrong. If you've recently had your heart hurt bad, then listening to this, alongside Edith Frost's latest heartbroken outing, could just be the good cry you need. It's done the trick for some of us who's hearts have been broken around here lately. Staton's ability to carry so much pain and power in her voice is what always keeps you coming back for more.
We first got hip to the airy and sensual soulful voice of Sylvia Striplin through the Eighties Ladies group she was a part of, masterminded by Roy Ayers. That great disco album was reissued earlier this year on Universal Sound (an offshoot of Soul Jazz) and now they hit us with her one solo outing, also arranged and produced by Roy Ayers. The album is a slab of rare groove lovers delights, as both Ayers' seamless touch at bringing a lush vibe to disco and boogie grooves and Striplin's free flowing infectious voice, make for songs that transport you into a wind in your hair, arms in the air, sultry and wholly satisfying smooth groove.
"You Can't Turn Me Away" will excite all Erykah Badu fans as Badu lifts/samples/covers the original on her latest album, a track that's also been sampled by hip-hop artists like Notorious B.I.G. And damn it's a song ahead of its time, while still totally being in its own time and magical place. Every time we get to that song we literally repeat it at least three times in a row before we move on, it's that damn good! Luckily that's not the only gem here, tracks like "Look Towards The Sky", "Give Me Your Love", and "Searchin'" will give any soulful disco lover so much to dig. Somewhere between the sassy nature of Gwen Guthrie and the soulful vibrations of Minnie Ripperton, this is an album that deserves this new fresh moment in time. So hot!
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
A 180 gram vinyl colection of greatest hits from two groups that brought hip-hop from the streets of New York to global hit status. These guys took rap to a multi-billion dollar business forever changing the concept of popular music. Remember when MTV finally started showing hip-hop videos? Remember Yo! MTV Raps with Fab Five Freddie and Ed Lover? These guys paved the way for hip-hop to break ground into popular consumption. And here they are, a show-down between the two bands. Great hip-hop! Not the first of the time, but the biggest! And some of the best! Hells yes.
With the big revival that disco has enjoyed the last couple years we thought no time better than now then to dip into the vaults for some true vintage disco classics. The meeting of worlds between German producer Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer really was the blueprint for much of the cosmic disco that would follow and be revived and reinvented in recent years by labels like Italians Do It Better (Glass Candy, Chromatics, Farah, etc.) as well as folks like Escort, Lindstrom, Prins Thomas and mega pop-stars like Madonna and Beyonce. But hard as they try, none of them can match the true ecstasy of cosmic dancefloor delight that Moroder and Donna Summer created together in their golden years of collaboration circa 1975-1979.
Bad Girls came at the tail end of their collaboration, as the '80s and on would find a much less coked-out Donna Summer creating way less memorable material after this golden era. While our all time favorite and pretty much totally perfect Donna Summer records are probably Love To Love You Baby, and Four Seasons Of Love, Bad Girls contains some of our favorite Donna Summer tracks!
While not every one of the fifteen tracks on Bad Girls is a classic, the majority are so smoking and fun! Recorded in 1979, Moroder and Summer were aware that the heyday of disco was waning a bit so there are healthy hints of new wave, pop and even a few ballads in the mix, but the strength of Bad Girls is all about its bright uptempo thrillers that will always stand the test of time.
Amid the constant, welcome flood of reissued Sun Ra treasures, this is certainly an oddity (and that's saying something). Apparently Sun Ra (who plays Hammond B-3 on here), Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and other Arkestra greats decided to cash in on
Bootsy!! Also, who doesn't love this movie??
