[ aquarius records — Soul Funk ]

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Showing results 101 through 150 of 794.

Awesome collection of stuff by this '70s funk master.

Chan Marshall & co. give us -another- batch of cover songs from the Jukebox sessions on this special vinyl-only release. She interprets Otis, Aretha, Credence, Fairport Convention and The Pogues, some ("Fortunate Son") more convincingly than others ("It Ain't Fair"). The further she moves away from the song's original mood, it seems, the stronger the outcome. Those of you who have followed Chan's career to this point know that she has forgone the trappings of indie rock for what this reviewer would call "indie soul." None of these songs have quite the pull of, say, "Satisfaction" on the first covers record, but "Fortunate Son" comes close, due in no small part to Jim White's minimal drumming and the undeniable smoky appeal of Chan's voice.

We don't do this often, but sometimes, the easiest thing is just to link to a YouTube video. Especially 'cause it's what got us interested in tracking down this reissue in the first place! Made us kind of obsessed, actually. You'll see/hear why if you go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgGK4qBTwpw&ob=av2n, and check out the psychedelic video version of this album's title track. (For those who just want a quick idea, take a look at the album cover operating room scene, that's in the vid, complete with people dressed up in disturbing animal masks, a Rolls Royce driving through the desert, naked ladies in the jungle, and, well, just watch it...) So, Jean-Marc Cerrone was/is a French dance music producer and badass drummer (elsewhere on YouTube you can see him live in concert, kicking out the massive drum solos). The more disco-savvy among us here had heard of him, he's up there with Giorgio Moroder in the Euro-Disco pantheon. And Supernature, from 1977, his 3rd album, is the jam. A disco-PROG masterpiece. The title track starts things off, the one that crazy video's for, and dominates, being almost ten minutes long in its album version. An epic. No ordinary club fare here, on the surface maybe, but the disco diva vocals (lyrics by Lene Lovich!) are about some dystopian sci-fi scenario wherein twisted science is turning men into monstrous beasts (which explains - sort of - some of the video's surreal imagery), these mutants rising up against their masters. Hauntingly, she sings lines like "how can I explain, things are different today, darkness all around, and no one makes a sound..." Woah, downer disco. It's pretty dark, and weird, and the thump thump thump of the music gets that way too, with some fat synth bass riffing at about the six minute mark that brings this into imaginary Magma doing disco territory, almost. Cerrone sure puts his state of the art ARP Odyssey Mk III to good use here. The track ends with hint of 2001's "Also Sprach Zarathustra", that's how epic this is. The rest of the side maintains the mood, "Supernature" segueing seamlessly into Cerrone's solo spot "Sweet Drums", his insistent beats heavily effected and spaced out, and that's followed by the more blissfully eerie electronics of "In The Smoke", which could be from a Goblin soundtrack. Side two (tracks 4-6 on this cd), is the brighter side... More typical fusion-funked Euro-Disco anthems, all three songs with "Love" in the title ("Give Me Love", "Love Is Here", "Love Is The Answer"), great stuff though, top-knotch! Lush, lively dancefloor fodder for sure. So, recommended to fans of Zombi, Goblin, Moroder, and the recently departed Donna Summer. This import reish, in one of those rounded-corner "Super Jewel Boxes", comes with extensively detailed liner notes in the cd booklet, illustrated in full color.

MPEG stream: Supernature
MPEG stream: In The Smoke
MPEG stream: Give Me Love

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MPEG stream: Jungle Fever
MPEG stream: Eso Es El Amor

Classic 1967 album from the Chamber Brothers. Here their classic soul shows slight influences from the rock and psychedelic scenes that were blooming all around them. Great stuff!

MPEG stream: All Strung Out Over You
MPEG stream: Time Has Come Today
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Vanity Records don't get much stranger or funkier than this one. We thought it odd that Trunk Records would put this out since it was originally recorded in 1980 in Anaheim, CA, far from Trunk's usual English oddity realm. But we're glad somebody finally released this, as we've been hearing about it for years, namely the unlikely stellar post-disco jam title track,"It's Broken". We say unlikely, because looking at the cover and pictures of Bob Chance singing and recording, it kind of reminds us of our '70s dad having a mid-life crisis moment and living his dream of being a real rock and roll musician, or something like that. And there are moments on this record that TOTALLY sound like that, like the opening blues rocker, "Brown Skinned Girl", but then things get even weirder. What starts out as an anachronistic take on sixties blues-folk pop a la Tim Rose and Tim Hardin, becomes a ten-minute funky slow disco excursion that fans of Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone will most definitely dig. Its long form hypnotic breaks and peaks are executed quite flawlessly. But then what to make of the stalker ode, "The Van Man", which not only makes light of mobile date-rape units, and the creeps who ride in them, but also sounds remarkably like some obscure Bollywood pop production. "I See Her" is a candy coated kaleidescopic folk-ballad, while "Colors" is more of a Herb Alpert cruise ship show tune reminding us of that Michael Farneti album, Good Morning Kisses. The final track, "Jungle-Talk" is a psychedelic instrumental Nino Nardini like Library groover full of exotic bird calls, congos and sultry temperatures. Quite the oddity, and yet totally infectious!

MPEG stream: It's Broken
MPEG stream: The Van MAn
MPEG stream: Jungle Talk

When you think deep soulful psychedelic tinged rock the first name that probably does NOT come to mind is Chubby Checker. But guess what, he did in fact brew up a totally potent batch of psych rock burners that somehow slipped completely under the radar. Apparently Chubby was living in Holland in 1971 when he hooked up with some eccentric and unknown hippie rockers who all seemed to be smoking some seriously good stuff and together they recorded this batch of seriously scorching tracks! Forget everything you know about Chubby Checker. This is not "The Twist", or the golden-oldies or a novelty come-back with the Fat Boys in the '80s. This is impassioned psychedelic rock killer with deep grooves and a super emotional and intense vocal delivery from Chubby. Every time we play this in the store someone thinks it's some rare Hendrix track or an unreleased Arthur Lee gem or some amazing group like Black Merda finally being resurrected. In fact just about all of these songs could have appeared on any of the recent spate of psych reissue comps that we have fallen so in love with (Nuggets, Cherrystones), and actually we were given our first sneak peak into this secret world of Chubby Checker a few years back on the great collection Mr. Toytown Presents Vol. 2: Nightmares at Toby's Shop. We never thought we'd finally hear the whole disc, heck, we didn't even think there -was- a whole disc. Turns out there was, now on cd as Goes Psychedelic though it was originally released on some budget labels variously under the titles New Revelation and Chequered. There are some mind blowing songs here. Songs that aren't just cool cause it's neat and weird and interesting that they are actually being sung by Chubby Checker but songs that stand on their own two feet and grab your and shake you and sound so damn good! What's also so cool about this recording is that 9 of the 11 songs were actually written by Chubby, so it's not like some hip producer just grabbed a bunch of great songs and slapped his name and voice on them. He shows such an amazing range, from scorching stingers ("Love Tunnel") to druggy cookers ("Stoned In The Bathroom") to darkly solemn tales ("He Died"). What an absolute surprise of a record! We haven't been able to stop playing it since it arrived to AQ. We're completely addicted! And we think you will be too.

MPEG stream: Love Tunnel
MPEG stream: How Does It Feel
MPEG stream: Goodbye Victoria

Deep hitting soul filled burners belted out with such conviction and rounded out with jazz flourished glory. Released in 1972, this lost gem is finally getting the reissue it deserves, as fans of Northern soul and soulful female vocalists are bound to fall deeply in love with Alice Clark, if they haven't already. With arrangements and instrumentation that draws heavily from jazz in an almost space age bachelor pad kind of way, this is a record that is as much about Clark's commanding vocals as it is all the rich organs, tambourines and deep deep grooves. We're reminded a lot of the Voices Of East Harlem, The Staple Singers and Lynn Collins. That's pretty damn sweet company to be in, and Alice Clark holds her ground just fine!

It should come as no surprise that on his extensive musical resume Dennis Coffey can boast to scoring blaxploitation films as well as session playing on numerous Motown records and other soul and funk outings from his hometown of Detroit. Big City Funk compiles tracks from his four studio albums released on the Sussex label over the years 1971-'74. His fried and fiery delivery of instrumental funk has been a mainstay with crate diggers forever. In fact over the years he's been sampled by the likes of the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and LL Cool J. When he's on, his tracks are on fire, reminding us at times of such disparate sounds as the Childrens Television Workshop and groups like Stark Reality. The overall sound and feeling of Coffey's songs would make the perfect soundtrack for a wild cop car chase or for those soft focus slow tease moments in classic '70s porn. Really fun and oh so '70s!

MPEG stream: Son Of Scorpio
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'70s/'80s funk icon Bootsy gets a double cd best of set courtesy Rhino, 25 cuts of psychoticbumpschoolin' from the Bootzilla. Includes personal fave "Mug Push". Would-be funkateers lacking these tracks need to rectify that lapse immediately. "Got the munchies... for your chocolate star"???

Mug push!!

Hot damn! Lyn Collins has always been one of our favorite funky soul singers who for some reason never gets the widespread attention she so totally deserves. If you aren't familiar with her, all we really have to say is that she was discovered by James Brown and was a major part of his live revue, as well as being cousins with Bootsy Collins, and she manages to be just as cool as that combination sounds. Even if you think you haven't heard Lyn Collins you probably have, as the title track to this album was sampled by '80s hip-hop one hit wonders Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock on their perpetual party jam "It Takes Two." But those who know the power of Collins' voice are aware that she has laid down some of the most fierce and moving soul and funk tracks of the '70s. With James Brown at her side as producer and writer of several songs here, Think (About It) has the deep grooves of the best of the JB's records but with a strong and sassy female perspective, Collins belting powerfully over such righteous songs. The album is mixed with uptempo funk filled burners, a few slower ballads, some nice doo-wopish moments and her take on the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine." She is usually one of those artists that just ends up being heard via a track on a compilation but she is someone who for sure deserves to have an entire album in any music lover's collection.

Discovered by James Brown while playing at a block party in Augusta, Georgia in 1973, Tony Cook was just a high school boy at the time, but even James Brown could see there was something very special about this particular boy. In fact just a few years later Brown recruited Cook to become the drummer for the JB's, a position he would hold off and on all the way until the end of James Brown's life. But beyond his playing with Brown, on his own, Cook became known for some of the most forward and fantastically fucked up left-field funk to come out of the '80s. Mixing elements of disco, funk, and space minded oddity, Cook created jams that sound like the perfect segue between Afrika Bambata and Prince. Makes perfect sense that the Stones Throw crew would be big time fans of Cook, who heavily influenced folks like Dam-Funk and Peanut Butter Wolf. Makes sense then too, that Stones Throw would take it upon themselves to release this long overdue anthology of Cook's funky prowess.

MPEG stream: Heart Breaker
MPEG stream: What's On Your Mind
MPEG stream: On The Floor

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This is the kind of record that makes it hard to listen to anything else. This is Sam Cooke at his artistic peak! Of course the vocals are some of the best recorded male vox of all time. The instrumentation is superb and still fresh sounding with folks like Billy Preston creating the perfect layer for Cooke's voice to lay on top of and seep into our veins like only he could. "Night Beat" is the moodiest album he ever made and one that you can tell was definitely meant to be heard as an album and not just a platform for singles. When Cooke's voice firsts greets us on the opener "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" it's impossible not to be struck by the urgency, the poignancy, the meaning oozing from his heart and soul. It's a record that you have to listen to alone at night for the first time to totally appreciate. And then it will be there for you at any time of day. With Cooke singing songs about this mean mean world we all have to live through and the ways we all try to survive, the emotional depth and clarity is so stunning. While he's usually not thought of in this kind of company we think playing this alongside Cat Power's Moon Pix and Bonnie Prince Billy's I See A Darkness would make for a perfect triple bill of deep rooted emotional poignancy. You gotta have this!

MPEG stream: Nobody Knows The Trouble I'm In
MPEG stream: Mean Old World
MPEG stream: Little Red Rooster

Along with having Parliment's Osmium back in stock, we also just got this related disc by back-in-the-day Parliament collaborator Ruth Copeland. Actually, this is the second time we've listed this, but it's a different edition than what we had before. And boy, we never realized until now how hot Ms. Copeland was! (Or that she was British, and white!) The photos on this new package clued us in. Anyway, wow! Two great rare early 70's funk-soul-folk-gospel records on one disc. Ms. Copeland wrote 3 or four songs from and sang on the first Parliament album, Osmium, and George Clinton, Eddie Hazel and the gang backed her up for these two solo albums [Self Portrait & I Am What I Am], resulting in some revelatory acid-funk-rock jams new to these ears. Her voice is often soft and folky, so don't expect anything nearing Clinton's yowlin' growl. Eclectic stuff, there's a few sappy ballads, but even those are kinda fun and balanced by the hard rockin' Funkadelic-style gems. Even the Rolling Stones covers are pretty killer.

MPEG stream: Your Love Been So Good To Me

From this legend who's had songs recorded by everyone from Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones, comes this soulful southern blues, both in the form of haunting dirges and plenty of rollickin' uptempo numbers. Originally issued in 1969.

RealAudio clip: Mad Dog Blues
RealAudio clip: the Blues Dont Knock

THE VINYL IS HERE NOW! Yay, it's the second installment of previously unreleased tracks from San Francisco's legendary disco pioneer and gay porn soundtracks composer Patrick Cowley. Features a variety of sexy late-night vibes from primal jungle-themed soundscapes and cosmic ambiance, to pensive John Carpenter-ish intrigue, space funk, and even an instrumental demo version of Sylvester's slow-disco classic "Somebody To Love Tonight". For those who dug Dark Entries' previous Cowley collection, School Daze, which we made a Record Of The Week here, there's plenty more to sink your teeth into. Highly Recommended!

MPEG stream: Jungle Dream
MPEG stream: Somebody To Love Tonight
MPEG stream: Mockingbird Dream 2
MPEG stream: 5oz. of Funk

For every ecstatic high, there often needs to be a soul crushing descent, a dark, dark comedown. San Francisco electronic music pioneer Patrick Cowley is best known for his trailblazing signature sound which helped spawn a whole dance music genre (Hi-NRG), as well as his amazing production work, not to mention guest spots on many of our favorite Sylvester tracks. But we always knew there was another side to Patrick Cowley's musical genius. His life ended way too early, as one of the first victims of the AIDS epidemic (before they even understood what AIDS was), but in the short time he was on this planet he recorded hours and hours of electronic music light-years ahead of its time. Most of those recordings have never seen the light of day. In recent years it seems a whole genre of "space-disco" has emerged out of the influence of the Sylvester track "I Need Somebody To Love", produced by Cowley, who almost single handedly created the cut's distinctive minimal spacey/sensual sound. And within the many solo Cowley releases, there were hints of this darker sonic side, a whole part of his music making beyond the greatness he created for disco divas and sweaty dance floors. Tracks like "Mutant Man" and "Sea Hunt" gave us an intoxicating glimpse into a much weirder and way more abstract world of synth-sounds, that had us hungering for more... Enter School Daze, a Dark Entries collection of previously unreleased tracks, which showcase that warped and dark side of Cowley's music. These tracks were originally commissioned by the LA-based Fox Studios, makers of gay porn, and as we listen to this over and over, we can only imagine what kind of hazy, foggy, fucked up, beyond high, drug addled state of mind that folks must have been in to watch pornography set to these dark & dizzying sounds! The opening track is the outlier here, a chunk of classic Cowley Hi-NRG, but it's certainly a misleading introduction, as throughout the rest of School Daze, there is hardly a trace of Cowley's typical dance floor production, instead these songs much more concerned with capturing a mood and vibe that evokes melting and dripping trippiness, seemingly designed for late, late nights long after the party has ended. Tracks like "Tides Of Man" take us on a harrowing dark voyage, the listener losing control and spiralling deeper and deeper into the empty void. "Seven Sacred Pools" displays an epic side of Cowley's sound, the track drifts drowsily from underwater warble and woozy spaciness into shimmering and tranquil soft wave shimmer, the sort of soundworld we wish could get lost in forever. The title track reveals Cowley reigning over his own majestic prog sci-fi fantasyland. Whatever the sound, Cowley somehow makes it his own! And we love it! Traces of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Harmonia, Cluster, The BBC Radio Workshop and even musique concrete are woven throughout School Daze. We're also reminded quite a bit of some of the proto-dark techno records that Moebius was making in the early '80s with Conny Plank and Gerd Beerbohm, on albums like Double Cut, Strange Music, Material, and Zero Set. What's even more astonishing is how so many of these sounds predate by several decades the sound of so many of our favorite contemporary electronic artists. In fact, we might go so far as to call the sound on School Daze "proto-IDM", as these tracks contain blueprints to the more spaced-out sides of artists like Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada, The Orb, Seefeel, Bola and Isolee, as well as some of our more recent faves like Glitterbug, Actress, Reuber, Gatekeeper, Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom. It's unclear exactly how many of these tracks actually made it into the films, but we can safely say this is still some of the most fucked up, avant-garde porn music we've ever heard. In fact we wonder if Matmos took inspiration from some of these Cowley tracks when they were asked to create their own soundtracks to some underground kinked out porn... While the circumstances of these songs being commissioned for porn makes for a fascinating and intriguing story, there's certainly no shortage of lost reissues with wild stories behind them. Sadly, it's often the case, that many of those super hyped releases, are way more interesting to read about than actually listen to. But in the case of School Daze, these are truly subversive and trance inducing sounds that still hold up after all these years. In fact, some of this stuff actually sounds way more damaged and avant than almost any new left-field electronic release that comes our way. For an artist so known for taking his listeners higher, School Daze plays out like the sonic version of what happens afterwards, the wasted aftermath of staying up all night, awake for days, smiling, sweating, arms in the air, it's the sound of bodily displacement, the dreadful coming down. When you can no longer dance, or even stand, but instead are left gliding, sliding, swirling, reaching, caressing, wishing, hallucinating, and grasping for one last chance of ecstatic bliss. This is the dark, drifty, drugged out record of the year! HUGE kudos to Dark Entries not only for releasing this amazing artifact, but for donating the proceeds to Project Open Hand and AIDS Housing Alliance, two wonderful San Francisco nonprofits who do important work helping those whose lives have been impacted by HIV and AIDS. ***Prude Alert*** The inside sleeves of this gatefold double lp contain LOTS of explicit still images from the pornos that many of these songs were featured in!! You have been warned!

MPEG stream: Nightcrawler
MPEG stream: Mockkingbird Dream
MPEG stream: Journey Home
RealAudio clip: School Daze

One of the flagship groups on the Philles Records label run by Phil Spector in the Sixties, The Crystals stand as one of the greatest girl groups of all time. When Spector and The Crystals joined forces, the results encompassed some of the strongest and most moving selections of Spector's production career. There is a reason so many, diverse bands have covered these songs, including Grizzly Bear and Hole. "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" stands as one of the most chilling pop songs of all time. Even the one of the most subversive of artistic minds, Kenneth Anger, knew the power of their pop prowess and included "He's A Rebel" on the soundtrack to his legendary short film Scorpio Rising. It's been so awesome to get to highlight these reissued Phil Spector recordings (The Ronettes, etc.) over the last few lists, as this is hands down some of the best pop music ever made. And such perfect timing for this release as we hear The Crystals' influence on so many of today's 'it' bands like Hunx & His Punx and Dum Dum Girls. It's that rare kind of recording that both your mom, and the most experimental minded music loving obsessive will love so much, as there's no denying the greatness of The Crystals! Features 18 remastered tracks, including one previously unreleased cut.

MPEG stream: He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)
MPEG stream: Then He Kissed Me
MPEG stream: He's A Rebel

Your second chance to get your hands on Cybotron's seminal proto-Detroit techno lp, Clear, has arrived. Lauded as one of the most anticipated vinyl reissues of 2013, they sold right off the assembly line, but we just managed to snag some more. This is one funky futuristic slab of electro that sounds as fresh now as Kraftwerk did back then, to the band's young members who also dug Detroit radio DJ The Electrifying Mojo, Afro-futurism, and science fiction. Perhaps noting members Juan "Model 500" Atkins and Richard "3070" Davis's affinity for P-Funk in the album's syncopations, Fantasy Records in Berkeley, California originally released it in 1983 under the title Enter. It was later reissued on cd in 1990 with a different track listing and the title changed to Clear, after the track on here with the percolating synth line that everyone from Missy Elliot to T.I. has sampled. It's as recognizable as Afrika Bambaata's "Planet Rock." Prior to Enter/Clear's release, Atkins had issued many of the tracks as singles under his Model 500 moniker. A young musician just learning to use electronic synthesizers and sequencers, his obsession with Kraftwerk makes itself known on tracks "Clear" and "R-9", while tracks like "Cosmic Raindance" and "El Salvador" align more with Europen synth pop. All ironically depict the dystopic city of man-machines working on the line building America's cars, a future that was already being buried into the past as the late '70s recession and oil crisis lead to the decline in demand for U.S.-made autos. Though Atkins was familiar with the concept of DJ mixes, he aimed to make Cybotron a band with guitar solos (by Jon "Jon 5" Howsley) and traditional song structure. The overall effect is more electro, with a dash of new wave, than for-real techno (that comes later with 1984's "Techno City" or Derrick May's 1987 "Strings of Life," but we'll let you duke that one out amongst yourselves). Fair to say that Atkins would go on to develop Detroit's techno sound alongside Derrick Mays, and Cybotron's original output remains a classic blueprint of where the world of music was heading. This second reissue on vinyl best celebrates the spirit of the Detroit techno DJ scene.

MPEG stream: Clear
MPEG stream: Alleys Of Your Mind
MPEG stream: Enter

We thought the last few weeks of 2014 would be spent just compiling our year end best of lists and revisiting our favorite records of the year. Little did we know one of the best records of the year would be released in those final days of the year which grabbed us on first listen and has had us hooked ever since. It had been 14 years since his last album was released and while we knew he had started to play live again we didn't know when a new record would emerge. The timing for the release of Black Messiah couldn't have been more perfect and much needed. In the aftermath of the grand jury decision in Ferguson, and the choking death of Eric Garner, the nation and our collective psyche were in desperate need of some healing and deeply conscious music that could lift our spirits while being steadfast to its awareness of the reality of the times. Musically this is the most forward and left-field leaning of D'Angelo's releases. Psychedelic soul drenched in warmth, reverb, and unpredictable twists, turns, and instrumentation. This is one of those records that unites music lovers of all variations. Whether your a soul fanatic or a psych rock lover this is a record that breaks down barriers and digs into the skin with deep impact. There is so much to take in from the dense recording, so repeated listens become ever so rewarding. There's no doubt with Black Messiah, D'Angelo has created a musical masterpiece that will stand next to legendary works by folks like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Prince, and Sly & The Family Stone.

MPEG stream: Ain't That Easy
MPEG stream: Back To The Future (Part I)
MPEG stream: Sugah Daddy

Fela Kuti lovers take note! This is one of the best post-Fela Kuti inspired Afro beat records of the last decade for sure. Originally released in '98 just a year after Fela passed away, this was sadly the one and only album released by The Daktaris. Melding Afro beat, soul and funk with total perfection these are songs that make you walk with better posture and with total purpose. They pay homage to their heroes with amazing renditions of James Brown's "Give It Up Turnit Loose" as well as the aforementioned Fela Kuti's "Upside Down." Like Antibalas this was a group carrying the flame that Fela lit with total devotion and a commitment to his spirit. Polyrhythms that will make your body shake, your heart race, and you'll be smiling all over. Good stuff!

MPEG stream: Musicawa Silt
MPEG stream: Upside Down

NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!! Fela Kuti lovers take note! This is one of the best post-Fela Kuti inspired Afro beat records of the last decade for sure. Originally released in '98 just a year after Fela passed away, this was sadly the one and only album released by The Daktaris. Melding Afro beat, soul and funk with total perfection these are songs that make you walk with better posture and with total purpose. They pay homage to their heroes with amazing renditions of James Brown's "Give It Up Turnit Loose" as well as the aforementioned Fela Kuti's "Upside Down." Like Antibalas this was a group carrying the flame that Fela lit with total devotion and a commitment to his spirit. Polyrhythms that will make your body shake, your heart race, and you'll be smiling all over. Good stuff!

MPEG stream: Musicawa Silt
MPEG stream: Upside Down

Funk - It's a tricky thing. In the wrong hands it can be some of our least favorite music in the world (think cheesy bass slapping bro's in dorky outfits, you know that scene) but the few who really possess TRUE FUNK can move us like no others. Of course there is the old school pantheon of funk pioneers like Parliament-Funkadelic, The JB's, The Gap Band, The B.T. Express, Cameo, Betty Davis, Rick James, Zapp, Con Funk Shun, and Prince, but when it comes to modern day funk it's really rare to get the real deal. Folks either be faking the funk so hard it hurts, or they rely so heavily on being retro copy cats that they don't really bring any new flavor to the funk legacy they so want to be a part of. Which brings us to Dam-Funk, who has most definitely got the true funk special spirit running through his veins. We had heard his amazing mixes over the last couple years and knew the guy had talent but it wasn't until this proper full length of his own songs that we totally realized just how damn special and full of the real funk this man is. While of course taking inspiration from many of the above mentioned funk pioneers, Dam-Funk is no mere retro act, as he knows that one of the major defining forces of true funk is how it should always be injected with a sense of very modern/future minded vision that's always a bit left of center. While folks like Outkast, Sa-Ra, and Gnarls Barkley have gotten close to entering that realm, Dam-Funk really lives, breathes and exudes the true funk aesthetic. He's able to bring in his futuristic electronic stylings informed by everyone from Kraftwerk to Cybotron/Model 500 and inject such natural soul into his beats and grooves. Everything about this record kills, all the elements come together so perfectly, the production, the vocals, the actual songwriting, it's all there and it all just oozes real funk! There's also a second all instrumental disc, which helps keep Dam-Funk's amazing party of a record going on and on and on and we STILL really can't get enough. No joke, every single time we've played this in the store someone has bought a copy, and even if you're a bit funk-shy we think you should give this a chance! Funk jam of the year contender for sure!

MPEG stream: Let's Take Off (Far Away)
MPEG stream: Burn Straight Thru U
MPEG stream: Searchin' 4 Funk's Future
MPEG stream: Rollin'

There's really no doubt about it, Betty Davis was the true queen of funk! While she was only Mrs. Miles Davis for a very brief time, the influence she had on him was considerable, introducing him to rock and funk culture which undoubtedly led to his amazing funk filled '70s era that resulted in records like On The Corner and Agharta. Then there's her own amazing albums. Her first two records in the early '70s, a self-titled one and They Say I'm Different (both finally back in print on cd, by the way) really are the blueprints for raw, nasty, super charged soul filled funk and they still hold up so well even after all these years, and anytime we play them for someone who has never heard them before, they invariably are instantly blown away and want to learn all they can about the force of funky nature that is Betty Davis. Little is known about much of her musical output outside of those legendary two albums, well there was a record called Nasty Gal released later in the '70s that has its moments but just didn't quite get to that magical place those first two records did. So when we found out there was a lost album from 1976 finally being released we were both way excited and a bit nervous as we love Betty Davis so much that we didn't want her legacy to be dampened at all with another sub par album. Luckily we didn't have anything to worry about, Is It Love Or Desire is one damn smoking set of fully on fire funk! There is such strength and conviction that in Betty's voice, every word she sings oozing with sez and power and intensity. If you've never heard any of her albums before we INSIST you get those first two records immediately - they are truly holy grails of funk, so it is pretty impossible to match that level of greatness, but this one really comes damn close. There is such a raw and hedonistic salaciousness to these songs. You can picture some hedonistic no holds barred seventies coke party with this blasting in the background as the perfect soundtrack. These jams are almost abstract in their sheer funkiness, the band vamping, Davis and an equally badass male vocalist trading off exclamations and exultations of the FUNK. So crazy to think how early in the game Davis was getting to such a raw, deep and nasty side of things, WAY before folks like Rick James, Grace Jones, Chaka Kahn, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Missy Elliott, Trina, Lil' Kim, and Beth Ditto would all become mega stars channeling the same sort of energy. Funk lessons don't come with more fire and sexual swagger then when Betty Davis is on the mic, take out your pen and paper because school is in session! PS Make sure to check out the amazing photo spread in the cd booklet for some seriously scandalous photos!

Finally reissued on cd last year were these three albums by Miles Davis' funky ex-wife, who should be famous in her own right for the tough, heavy duty '70s funk she waxed on those records. Now they're available, briefly, as LPs once again, but we've only got a couple of each and don't think we'll be able to get more (they're limited or something), so you'd better hurry on down if you want to get down with Betty on vinyl. Reissue of 1975's "Nasty Gal", Betty Davis' third album of sexy funk. This one is more of the same, maybe a little more "rock" than before. Slightly less essential than the others.

Finally reissued on cd last year were these three albums by Miles Davis' funky ex-wife, who should be famous in her own right for the tough, heavy duty '70s funk she waxed on those records. Now they're available, briefly, as LPs once again, but we've only got a couple of each and don't think we'll be able to get more (they're limited or something), so you'd better hurry on down if you want to get down with Betty on vinyl. Her second album, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. And it features a song specifically about ex-husband Miles, "He Was A Big Freak"!

RealAudio clip: He Was A Big Freak
RealAudio clip: 70's Blues

For all aficionados of the Funk, here's cause for celebration! The long-awaited cd reissues of these early '70s albums by Betty Davis, ex-wife of Miles (famously, the subject "They Say I'm Different"'s second track, "He Was A Big Freak")! Betty belts out her lowdown lyrics over some super heavy funk grooves, kinda like a rawer version of Lyn Collins backed not by the JBs but by the swampier P-Funk band. Betty doesn't hold back and her band does their best to match her attitude. Both records (her third, "Nasty Girl", still awaits reissue but should soon be making the scene) are the quote unquote bomb. The self-titled one is her 1973 debut, and features jams like "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name". Larry Graham's the bassist, and Neal Schon (!) appears on guitar. The follow-up, "They Say I'm Different", continued Betty's Afrodelic party, with guests Buddy Miles and others, and made the list of "100 Records That Set The World On Fire" in The Wire magazine a few years back. Tough, sexy funk classics unearthed, don't miss 'em!

RealAudio clip: Anti Love Song
RealAudio clip: If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

The trilogy is complete! The third and likely final volume of unearthed archival recordings from now-celebrated '70s Detroit rockers Death has now been released via Drag City. Who knew it was going to be a trilogy? Well of course it would have to be, what with Death being a trio of brothers. It's obviously another thing orchestrated from beyond the grave by Death's late mastermind, eldest brother David Hackney. We probably don't have to explain the whole amazing story behind Death to you at this point - hopefully you've picked up one or both of the their other two full-length releases, and seen the really excellent and touching documentary film about them, A Band Called Death (you really should see it if you haven't!). But it's not just that Death is such a great story - it wouldn't matter as much if their music wasn't so killer, which it is. So what did they find to fill up this third volume? With recordings done in 1975 and '76, some more from 1980, and one final cut from 1992, it's all over the place. You do definitely get another dose of Death's intense post-Hendrix, proto-punk - this is especially worth it for "North Street", full of hyper caffeinated drumming and living-in-the-ghetto lyrics. Totally could have been on the first Death album, For The Whole World To See. However, a lot of the rest of the material here wouldn't exactly rank among the "hardest" tracks that Death ever cut, much of it being more gentle and soulful, with sunshiney, R&B grooves. There's spacey psychedelic noodling, and even a track of almost country-folk balladry. But it's all pretty good, still possessing the mystical, out-there Death vibe for sure, if exhibiting a lot less of the punked out attack that caught everybody's attention in the first place. Really some of it's quite moving, particularly if you've seen the heartwarming movie, in which one of these songs previously was heard (the ballad "We're Gonna Make It"). We'd say Death newbies need For The Whole World first and foremost, but if you're a fan, you'll want this also.

MPEG stream: North Street
MPEG stream: We Are Only People
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While these are songs that Dionne Warwick made famous this 1972 album could have easily been called The Dells sing Burt Bacharach as these were all songs that Bacharach wrote for Dionne. With the great producer Charles Stepney (Rotary Connection, Chess Records, Ramsey Lewis, etc.) at the helms adding his dynamic touch on arrangements complete with a full string section and a tight funk band featuring members of The Pharoahs. The Dells managed to breathe new and exciting life into songs that have been covered many times. As romantic and majestic as Bacharach originally dreamed them but with a little more raw soul underneath it all. One of the finest moments for this long standing classic Chicago soul outfit.

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While labels like The Numero Group and Soul Jazz have done a great job of unearthing so much amazing soul that slipped under the radar back in the day, there is still so much true golden soul to be mined. Of course there are the amazing songs here and there that some groups and folks created back in the day that have been included on compilations of lost soul, but then there are also artists who have entire legacies of amazing recordings and while they were not totally obscure, they just never got the full on fame & recognition they so rightfully deserved. Folks like Irma Thomas, Carla Thomas, Betty Everett, Betty Harris, etc. Sugar Pie DeSanto deserves a special place on that list as well. These are all people that with luck treating them a little different would be held in the same limelight as Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, etc. Sugar Pie, who has lived most of her life right here in the Bay Area is truly a living legend. This collection of her Chess singles from 1961-'66 is filled with pure hip-shaking soul drenched rompers that burn with flare and sass. There is a strength and conviction in her delivery that makes her songs as deep hitting as they are fun and toe-tapping. This is full on sock-hop style dance floor burners, that you could imagine The Rolling Stones listening to at the time and getting inspiration and ideas from. So damn sassy, as she sings it like she means it. There are even a few duets with Etta James, and thinking of those two strong powerful women in the same recording booth gives us chills! Sugar Pie Desanto has had such an amazing life with many ups and downs. She was a singer and touring member in the Johnny Otis Review as well as the James Brown revue. Her own live shows are something of magical legend, as folks who were lucky enough to see her back in the '60s still brag about what a mind blowing performance she put on. Just a few years ago her Oakland home was destroyed in a terrible fire, claiming the life of her husband. There were some benefit concerts in the Bay Area to help her during this difficult time and we're also hoping that this collection of her music helps with those burdens as well and more importantly shares her amazing music with a whole new set of ears. Awesome!

MPEG stream: Go Go Power
MPEG stream: Do I Make Myself Clear
MPEG stream: Mama Didn't Raise No Fools

Always an exciting day at AQ when a new slab of vinyl from Italians Do It Better comes our way. Earlier this year we got totally addicted to the debut full length from Desire, a record that was so spot on in its 80's sleek and sultry, late-night dance jams infused with a dark romantic aching yearning. With the intoxicating vocals of Megan Luise setting such a perfect tone for the impeccable production of Johnny Jewel (Glass Candy, Chromatics, etc.). So it's rad to get different versions of two of our favorite songs from the album. Side one gives us a totally lysergic slow burning stretched out version of "If I Can't Hold You Tonight" and then a completely stripped down minimal vocal version. Side two starts off with an instrumental version of their cover of "I Can Dream About You" followed by a goosebump inducing 8-track demo of the song that proves that Desire are not just about style and dancefloors, but that their music really does evoke such strong emotions. The 12" offers a much more minimal and slow burning side of Desire then the more over-the-top, all out 80's disco vibe of the full length. We're melting into this wax!

No doubt you've at least heard 'Survivor', and you've most definitely heard the Charlie's Angels song. And unfortunately, outside of a track or two, those happen to be the best songs on the record. So while it is a good record, it maybe doesn't measure up to the last one. Windy loves it, and thinks it actually might be better than the last one. But Allan and Andee are yet to be

We actually toyed with the idea of making this 'record of the week' (indie-rock cred be damned!) on the strength of their top-ten single 'Bills Bills Bills' alone (I saw the video for this at a friend's house and it was almost enough to make me want to sign up for cable! I mean the music, not just their outfits). That song, and a couple of others like it certainly make this a record that all those down with the the last, ex-cel-lent TLC disc will love. Indeed, the intro to TLC's 'No Scrubs' is all over this album. True, there's a few of those obligatory urban r&b slow jams that you'll probably want to fast forward past (unless you're in the right 'mood'), but the rest is well worth it. Guest appearance from Missy Elliott.

Everyone knows (or should know) that with the apparent cessation of recording/performing by TLC (the R+B band EVERYONE liked, even my 'metalhead' housemate Josh loves 'Fanmail') that Destiny's Child is the only R+B group that really and truly matters. They look

RealAudio clip: Jumpin', Jumpin' (Remix extended version)(Featuring Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat and Lil Bow Wow)
RealAudio clip: Say My Name (Timbaland Remix)

Our heads are nearly exploding from getting not only The Beach Boys Smile Sessions box, but also this beautifully elaborate quadruple lp, in a hand pulled screen printed box set containing the 24->24 Music sessions of Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L project complete with remixes and extra Russell related Sleeping Bag Records singles! Both sets have more in common than you might think in the way they show what fastidious creators both Brian Wilson and Arthur Russell were, in that they both sought to take their musical visions to the limits and didn't know really when to finish. And in both cases, under different circumstances and contexts, had to have others come in and pick up the pieces. It's really funny scanning back over all of our past Arthur Russell reviews. The first couple from 2004 suggest that a lot of people were into this, "but no one at aQ has become a big Arthur Russell fan", although since then there have been more than a few of us here who have become HUGE fans. While we admittedly have gushed over nearly every release, the Dinosaur L sessions have always been our favorite of Russell's work, probably because it is the one project that went beyond just being a singles project and it also unified his avant experimental leanings with his love for disco and extended dance forms. Not to be confused with Dinosaur, the single project that Russell worked on with The Gallery's Nicky Siano and David Byrne for Sire Records in 1978 (the single, "Kiss Me, Again" was Sire's first disco single release!). Dinosaur L was born of a performance at the Kitchen in 1979 where Russell compiled a band of downtown regulars including Peter Gordon and Peter Zummo with a congo player and a drummer with Russell on cello, and presented orchestrated disco music as an avant classical performance. The move was a bold and calculated political statement, thumbing their noses at the snobby attitudes of the new music scene towards club music, to which Russell claimed no such hierarchical distinctions. But the performance created strong divides in the downtown scene even though they were largely more bemused bafflement than outright hostility. Emboldened by the reaction, Russell next step was to get these performances on tape, using most of the same musicians and enlisting vocalists like Jill Kroesen, Julius Eastman, and Marie-Chantal Martin, as well as various members of little-known New York new wave and punk bands. While the original performance project allowed the musicians to work freely and expansively, the overall music was highly composed, which adds a strange element of chance to the proceedings, allowing the pieces to include many deliberately wonky and unpredictable twists and turns. The vocals adding both a disaffected no-waveish delivery from Jill Kroesen on "#5 (Go Bang!)", as well as strange operatic fits on "#3(In the Corn Belt)" and Yoko Ono-ish yelps on "#1 (You've Gotta Be Clean On Your Bean)", make this the perfect punk and disco hybrid that delivers highly on both counts. The entire original project consisted of 4 extended cuts with two shorter interludes, the last song, "#6(Get Set)", going the deepest in to no-wave guitar territory but maintaining a forward thrusting momentum through its strange and beguiling devolution. You probably wouldn't unleash such a leftfield dance classic like "#5 (Go Bang!)" on an unprepared dance audience unless you had the timing exactly right, with the crowd all extremely revved up and sweaty. We imagine that was the thinking when stalwart downtown DJs like Larry Levan, Francis Kevorkian and Walter Gibbons each took their editing chops to the Dinosaur L sessions and made them a bit more dance-floor friendly. Stripping out certain vocal parts, adding others, allowing tension to build up and release, each producer taking a different approach to Russell's maximalst visions with the composer's full approval. Russell thought the remix process was just another form of extended creation, and while he favored some remixes over others, he was very generous in handing his creations over to the club DJs he was affiliated with for further manipulation. Included in the set are 3 remixes of "Go Bang!" which are all highly different and all very worthy. The Francis Kevorkian mix is probably our favorite, taking a dub like approach with a tight focus on the rhythms yet utilizing dream-like atmospherics. There are also two Larry Levan remixes from other Dinosaur L sessions. The last three sides are devoted to various Sleeping Bag Records singles from Russell related projects like Felix ("Tiger Stripes"!), Indian Ocean, The Sounds of JHS 126, and Bonzo Goes To Washington. Packaged in a deluxe screenprinted box with each record housed in a hand-pulled screen printed mat sleeve, and a 20 page booklet with liner notes, production information and testimonials from all the musicians and Djs involved. So unbelievably fantastic!

MPEG stream: #5 (Go Bang!)
MPEG stream: #3 (In the Corn Belt)
MPEG stream: Go Bang! (Francis K mix)
MPEG stream: Go Bang! (Walter Gibbons Mix)
MPEG stream: In The Corn Belt (Larry Levan Mix)
MPEG stream: 5 Minutes (B-B-B Boming Mix)
MPEG stream: You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)

The latest from DJ Female Convict Scorpion comes in the form of this SUPER limited cassette, one that requires some work on the part of the listener to truly enjoy, or at least enjoy as the artist intended. That artist being Josh Pollock, member of psychedelic space rockers 3 Leafs and weirdo noisescapers White Pee, among others, but as DJ Female Convict Scorpion, he concocts lush landscapes of cinematic sound, purloining various bits from other songs, and movies, playing some bits himself, a lo-fi DJ Shadow of sorts, whose past outings have blown our minds and been hugely popular around here. This new one looks to be no different, the rub this time around being, that BOTH sides of the cassette are meant to be played simultaneously, a la Zaireeka or something. So you have several options, the first of course means buying two tapes, and playing them on two tape players, the second is buying just one tape, and using the link that comes with the tape to play the other side on your computer, while you play the first side on your tape player. Phew! A third option, is to attend the upcoming debut performance of Los Balls Del Norte, happening across the street at Lost Weekend, during which, both sides will be played, accompanied by a special film created just for the occasion. More info can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/147509788771228/?fref=ts And finally, one last option, one that isn't mutually exclusive, which is to listen to each side of the tape on its own. We did, and both sides sound great, killer breakbeats, shifting textures, mysterious voices, movie samples, vocal snippets, dizzying sonic collages that unwind like psychedelic krautrock grooves and funky heavy soul breakdowns, dreamy lullabies sung in other languages, banging gongs, shimmering FX, woozy slowed down basslines, soft symphonic swirls, muted ambient murk, loose free jazz drum freakouts, squiggly theremin like melodies, rumbling crumbling distorted low end, new wave-y electronics, swirling cosmic synths, and more more more more more! But what does it sound like all together? A seriously warped psychedelic sonic headtrip. Check out the sample, that's a little snippet of the two sides in perfect sync, which ultimately they never will be, which is part of the joy, every listen the sounds will shift, and interact differently, a perpetually unique recording, in fact, essentially MULTIPLE recordings, all of them super cool, one side, both sides, one side started 5 minutes in, 10 minutes, hell, play one backwards, every variation is its own special warped lysergic soundworld to get lost in, over and over and over and over... LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!!!

MPEG stream: Los Balls Del Norte (Mixed / Excerpt)

The Wild Bunch was Bristol, England's legendary sound system some of who's members went on to form the now both legendary and hugely successful Massive Attack. While Mushroom and Daddy G. both went on to become the core members of Massive attack, it was Milo and Nellee who started and were the bedrock of The Wild Bunch. The group moved quickly from packing house parties with their primitive DJ setup, to becoming one of the most popular sound systems in the country. The crew took cues from Jamaican sound systems and insured their competitive edge by hunting down and spinning the rarest of the rarest tracks for their exclusive use -- one of their earliest conquests was an ultra rare copy of "Wild Style Breaks", an instrumental collection from the hip hop movie Wild Style. Their efforts were greatly enhanced by Daddy G. who, while working in a record store, would hide the hottest new 12"s behind the counter and not sell them to anyone else he thought might be a DJ. This disc is, in a sense, an attempt to recreate a Wild Bunch set. The tracks -- Thelma Houston's "You Used To Hold Me So Tight", Spoonie Gee's "Love Rap", Knights of the Turntables' "Techno Scratch", Cameo's "It's Serious" for starters -- were all picked and mixed by Milo who, despite the fact that his name has faded into obscurity, is generally considered to have been not only the heart and soul of The Wild Bunch, but a catalyst for the eventual formation of Massive Attack. The nicest thing about the collection is that, as segues between many tracks, Milo has included live snippets of between song ambience (lots of whistles and air horns!) from actual Wild Bunch performances, so the set almost sounds like the real deal.

RealAudio clip: Love Rap
RealAudio clip: Jam On Revenge
RealAudio clip: Look of Love, the

You know him from his great track on the Too Slow To Disco comp.

THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

SORRY.

***Mississippi Alert! Mississippi Alert! Mississippi Alert! Mississippi Alert!*** Originally released on Smithsonian Folkways in 1969, Ghetto Reality features songwriter and educator Nancy Dupree as she works with a group of inner-city elementary school kids from Rochester, New York. When she was initially met with resistance to participate by the kids, she dropped the state standardized music curriculum and began to write songs that were more relatable to the keenly aware and grown-up lives the young students were living as well as the various contemporary social issues they were facing. Using piano and tambourine in groovy and soulful numbers, the songs take the form of spirituals and rhyming games, but the content is more modernized as they sing songs about James Brown, civil rights, and building their own self-esteem. This method proved highly successful as the more relatable the song, the better the participation by the kids, and the more they participated, the more the kids realized their natural talents for performing, offering a critical lesson in empowerment. This is an amazing record full of charm (especially cute are the kids imitating James Brown's grunts!) and with really great songs. Fans of Langley Schools Music Project, or that proto-hiphop lp on Smithsonian Folkways, Street And Gangland Rhythms, we listed awhile back, will find lots to love here.

MPEG stream: James Brown
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MPEG stream: Call Baby Jesus