LEARNING THE HARD WAY NEVER SOUNDED SO EASY

Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings: I Learned The Hard Way
From I Learned The Hard Way (Daptone, 2010)

Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings have built a reputation over the past decade of being purveyors of the classic, mostly '60s, soul sound. A lot of their previous material, in my opinion, has leaned heavily on cloning that sound, albeit in a very good way. “I Learned The Hard Way,” on the other hand, seems more fresh and contemporary in using that sound as an inspiration instead of the foundation and is a great step forward for the collective.

The album has great synergy between all parties involved. The background singers interplay with Sharon throughout, especially apparent on the title track, while teaming up to address the one who left them scorned. It's not so much a call and response as it is tag team affair.

One of my favorite moments in the entire record is the outro of “Better Things” with the harmonizing on the fadeout featuring the background singers repeating the hook, “Better things to do/Than to remember you,” over and over while Sharon Jones ad libs. It's a classy touch that brings back a slight '60s touch that last for all of about 20 seconds, but it's such a nice nuance.

The blistering “Money” (not a cover of the Barrett Strong song of the same name) is one of the most aggressive and original tracks the group has done with its socially thematic premise. It's a step away from the love theme they've covered in various ways over three previous albums. Come Record Store Day, you'll also be able to find this as a b-side as a cross promotion with the Budos Band's cover of The Beatles' “Day Tripper” on 7-inch wax.

On a different vibe is the closing track, “Mama Don't Like My Man,” which is an acoustic affair that is stylistically different from anything I've heard from the band. If you weren't paying attention, you would think you were listening to a lost Naomi Shelton And The Gospel Queens track given its churchy feeling with handclaps providing the rhythmic timing. Upon first listen, I swore Edna Johnson, Bobbie Gant, or Cynthia Langston of The Gospel Queens were providing background vocals. To my surprise, they weren't featured, however.

Many of the Dap-Kings crew get a writing credit on the set including Tommy “TNT” Brenneck, Bosco Mann, Dave Guy, and Homer Steinwess. The group has certainly developed their own style as you hear bits and pieces that make you recall the Menahan Street Band, which features many of the same players.

It wouldn't be a modern release without spreading several bonus tracks over to different retailers. It's not a practice I'm fond of, but at least you have the option to buy the tracks individually.

Bonus tracks:

Without A Trace (Amazon)
He Said I Can (iTunes)
When I Come Home (Daptone) (If the 30-second clip from the Daptone site doesn't give you all you want to hear, you can also hear the full version of this at Rolling Stone's site.)

THIS RECORD WILL MAKE YOUR @$$ MOVE

Nick Curran And The Lowlifes: Baby You Crazy
From Reform School Girl (Eclecto Groove, 2010)

A couple weeks ago I was passed this new Nick Curran And The Lowlifes' album out of the blue. After a busy few weeks, I finally got a chance to listen to it tonight. Straight out the gate they cover Etta James' “Tough Lover,” which you can hear over on their MySpace page. It takes some stones to cover Etta as she has more than her fair share of sass. Curran and his band more than fill the shoes, though, right down to the '50s howl that Little Richard popularized. They don't really flip it much from the original, but it's well done.

The album is a '50s party from beginning to end even as they give a sock hop feel to AC/DC's “Rocker” to close out the album. Curran has some blazing solos showing off his guitar skills on this one. The drummer's foot had to be about ready to fall off after this minute-and-a-half of scorched wax. Having recorded the album on old analog equipment gives the album authenticity as it sounds like it could have been from some old 78 you found at a neighborhood garage sale.

“Reform School Girl,” with its rhythm n roll and jump blues roots, brings back to life a genre that doesn't get covered often these days. With retro soul all over the place, it's nice to see that a group hasn't forgotten this exciting early rock sound. What's more is that they do it with such pizzazz that they don't just go through the motions, they stand tall with their rock forefathers and might very well have been legends today had they been doing this 50 years ago.

JACK JOHNSON AND FRIENDS HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

There's a new compilation called 1% For The Planet featuring numerous indie artists (Josh Ritter, Angelique Kidjo) as well as household names like Jackson Browne, Jack Johnson, and G. Love And Special Sauce. 41 tracks in all.

You can see more videos about the movement and the music over on their YouTube page. Aside from helping to create more awareness about environmental consciousness and supporting non-profits dedicated to improving our environment, you get tons of great music for under $10.

Note: It's a digital release only, available at all major digital outlets including Amazon and iTunes. Select independent B&M stores have a recyclable download card that you can use to obtain the album via download.

SONG OF THE DAY: MARCH 3, 2010

Came across this song today by B.o.B called "Put Me On." With his cadence and voice, he sounds a bit like Phife from A Tribe Called Quest on this particular song. I checked his MySpace page, and he does have more to him than just trying to fit in with a backpack crowd. "Put Me On" certainly appealed to me the most, however.

-Familiar sample - check (definitely paying homage to ATCQ without overly biting)
-Sing-songy hook - check
-Radio friendly - check. (When was the last time you heard a hip hop song that didn't have to be majorly altered or have suggestive lyrics littered throughout?)

If you like the song, you can also vote for the video on mtvU's The Freshmen.

THE RIGHT NOW AVAILABLE SOON

The Right Now: Ain't Going Back
From Carry Me Home (Unsigned/Independent, 2010)

Who said pop was dead? Pop music certainly isn't in the best state, artistically speaking, these days. The Right Now are up-and-comers out of Chicago with a decidedly pop sound inflected with soul tinges here and there.

Their debut CD, which they'll be selling on their current tour, as well as other outlets such as iTunes, Amazon, their own website (linked above on the album title), and a few indie shops, officially releases March 3rd. (Side note: they're also releasing a 45 that features a non-album track called “7 To 10.”) The Right Now is a completely self-contained unit. Brendan O'Connell plays various keyboards as well as guitar and had a hand in penning/co-penning every song on the album. Lead singer Stefanie Berecz has an absolutely beautiful voice, both in tone and power. The rest of the band members are no slouches either with a sound best described as clean and polished.

“Ain't Going Back” is definitely the strongest song on the album. Over a funky intro, Berecz comes into the track singing in a sultry voice. Right before the first chorus, the song crescendos into a blaze musically and vocally as Berecz works her pipes with an authority that doesn't let up especially after the bridge.

Much of the rest is catchy, hummable pop such as “Doing Nothing” that reminds me of Rod Stewart's “The Motown Song” with its affable MOR melody that makes you swing your hips along to its poppy soulfulness. “I'll Get Down” gets back to a funkier side with the metronome cranked up as the horn section, especially the saxes, provides an energetic boost.

All in all, this record is about fun, while not sacrificing quality, as The Right Now represents musicianship to the fullest and have crafted a solid album that warrants repeated listens.

You can check out a few more of their songs as well as their tour itinerary on their MySpace page. If you're in Chicago on March 19th, be sure to check out their CD release party/show at Lincoln Hall located at 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

FORT KNOX RECORDINGS PRESENTS...

International Velvet: Sitargazer
From The New Gold Standard 2 (Fort Knox Recordings , 2009)

Fort Knox Recordings is a record label based out of Washington, DC, and they've assembled another compilation featuring a mishmash of styles – reggae, funk, Latin, Indian, and more.

“Sitargazer” by International Velvet is the standout track on the compilation. With its bass heavy rhythm, the sitar gives it some Eastern flair creating an amalgamation of disparate styles that blend quite well together. If it had more aggressive drum programming, you'd almost think it was the Chemical Brothers. International Velvet also has a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's “Sundown” that features another sitar solo (certainly not a phrase you hear often) and is a modern twist of the adult contemporary original.

Other highlights include the South American “Cumbia” by the Empresarios with its skitterish synth sounds hiding behind a Latin-styled piano and impressive bongo work; Speedy Consuela's “Number One Fan” with its pouncing bass and keen record scratches; and the uptempo “The Sax Pusher” by the Fort Knox Five with the sax player taking center stage – it's enough to make Oliver Sain proud.

While it lacks cohesiveness as a whole, when taken individually many of the songs themselves work quite well. In the age of digital downloading, pick the songs that work best for you and get an early start on preparing your summer BBQ mixtape. It's not all golden treasure stored inside, but there are enough nuggets with luster in here that prove it's not fool's gold either.

LIGHT, AIRY, AND MAGICAL

From Mavis (Strut, 2010)

Ashley Beedle's latest oeuvre (releasing March 2), along with musical brother-from-another-mother Darren Morris, finds the British producer (among other things) bringing a unique idea to the table. Long fans of soulstress Mavis Staples, a maven in her own right of bringing righteous sounds and feelings to vinyl platters, they fell in love with her take on the Bacharach classic “A House Is Not A Home”.

So they constructed a piece of music built around elements from the song and sent it to some fellow friends and collaborators to write lyrics to accompany it. Those lyrics were then recorded, but in an ingenious move on the producers' parts they retooled their backing track for nearly each song by taking various components to highlight over the 11 songs found on this release.

On songs like the beautiful “Puzzles And Riddles,” Beedle and Morris revel in providing a quiet but engaging backdrop that stirs emotions equally in the spaces in between the notes as it does within the notes themselves. Vocalist Ed Harcourt laces a mesmerizing vocal that marries well with the song's style - evocative but understated, enigmatic and comforting.

“Dreamers Interlude,” which appears just past midway through the album, recalls Earl Zinger's spoken word piece in Koop's “Beyond The Son,” with its inquisitive nature. Maybe someone should just record a full album of blokes with an English accent reading over top of soothing melodies? I almost think I'd buy that!

Where the album leads off, it also ends much like Dilla's “Donuts” album's last track, where musically speaking it's nearly the same as its first track that lends to a seamless looping listening experience. Instead of Kurt Wagner singing, however, Edwyn Collins sings an uplifting tune about the power of positive thinking and finding joy in life after a few setbacks in “Feeling Lucky.” Mix in a few time-honored “sha-la-la's” and a guitar solo from his son (in his first recorded output), and you've got a song that brings the album to a nice close It's the sound of winter winding down and spring preparing itself for full bloom.

DAPTONE RETROSPECTIVE

Cynthia Langston And The Gospel Queens: I Need You To Hold My Hand
From Daptone Gold (Daptone, 2009)

This time of year everyone is looking back on the year that was, or, as the case is now that 2010 is near, the decade that was. Daptone is doing the latter with Daptone Gold, meant not so much to signify the best is in the past, as many greatest hits packages normally imply, but as a retrospective of where they've been.

Although the label hasn't been around for a full decade (at least not as Daptone, they rose from Desco Records) – Daptone's first full length was in 2002 – now seemed as appropriate time as any to reflect. The album successfully meets is goal of covering a variety of releases, some even previously unreleased, but just as successfully avoids repeating many of the selections from their digital-only compilations The Daptone 7-Inch Singles Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Over one-third of the album features its flagship act, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, in some shape or form. They've certainly been at the forefront of not only the label but of keeping a light on feel good soul music over the last decade. However, when given a chance, other acts shine just as brightly. Take the gospel number “I Need You To Hold My Hand,” which starts out with a “Having A Party”-like intro before pleading with the Lord to accompany the singer (Cynthia Langston), who didn't even get top billing on the album from which it came, through life's journey.

Three previously unreleased tracks make their way here for the first time: the instrumental backing the introduction song, “Giving Up” by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings – an acceptable cover of the Gladys Knight classic but in no way touching the Donny Hathaway version, and “A Lover Like Me” by Binky Griptite with The Sugarman Three.

It's a great sampler for those who have yet to fully dive in to the Daptone sound, and even for those who have, the previously unreleased songs as well as five songs formerly only available on 45s (that may now be out of print) make it a worthy album to purchase. They have done a great job of trying to play both sides of the fence making it a place where you can hang out with old friends and meet some new ones along the way.

SOUNDS FROM ALL AROUND

Whitefield Brothers featuring Mr. Lif and Edan: The Gift + Taisho
From Earthology (Now Again, 2009)

Music just wouldn't be as fun without the Whitefield Brothers around. Sure, they aren't as well-known as they should be, but they consistently provide quality and they rarely stay in one place too long musically speaking.

We heard their take on thunderous funk in the mid-90s long before it was en vogue to do so. I'm talking pre-Numero and pre-Daptone. With as much respect I have for the Dap Kings, I'd still take “Augusta Georgia” and “Practice What You Preach” by the Whitefield gang in their multitude of band names over anything I've heard from SJ + DK. That's not to say SJ + DK don't deserve the praise they get; the WB just funk out even harder.

After a short stint with a little discofied funk as Syrup, they started going in a different direction with “In The Raw” on Soul Fire by adding more of an African tinge to their music. By 2008, they had advanced that sound even further with the Karl Hector And The Malcouns project. Now, we get their most diversified sound with “Earthology,” entitled so, at my best guess, as a study of the music from around the globe. This is true World Music.

Songs with an unfamiliar time signature like “Pamukkale” make sense within the frame of the album, although you might be thrown off if just heard by itself. The Eastern sounds of “Taisho” hit you right away before going off into a menacing bass groove. “Ntu” explores a variety of percussion, though not of your standard drum kit. Rap even makes its way on to the record by underground sensations Edan and Mr. Lif on “The Gift” over one of the more straightforward rhythms on the album.

It was interesting to note the copyright date on the back of my promo copy as 2008. While I don't know why it has set on shelf for so long (unless it the year was a misprint), it works well for continuing their legacy as well as that of Stones Throw/Now Again. The front cover calls it a World-Psych Masterpiece, a fitting description for an album that pulls its influences from all over. Left to lesser talent, both by the band and co-executive producer Egon, it might sound disjointed. Under their careful watch, though, we're treated to an exquisite album of sounds and textures. It's available digitally now from Stone's Throw online web store, and hits the racks in January everywhere else.

OCOTE SOUL SOUNDS SHOW US HOW A COCONUT CAN ROCK

Ocote Soul Sounds: The Revolt Of The Cockroach People + Cara de Yo No Fui (Ancient Astronauts Remix)
From Coconut Rocks (Deluxe Edition) (ESL Music, 2009)

Antibalas founder Martin Perna and Adriana Quesada of Grupo Fantasma have once again come together as Ocote Soul Sounds. Their latest album “Coconut Rock,” most recently released today in a digital-only deluxe form (the standard version can still be found at your local music store), finds their blend of various stylings really turning up the heat. Tacked on to the end of the standard album are 5 remixes of the standard version's original mixes.

From the opening baritone sax lines that repeat its catchy riff in “The Revolt Of The Cockroach People,” your ears have been prepared for the next hour or so. Fans of the El Michels Affair or the Menahan Street Band will immediately put this track on repeat as it has a spunk about it that resonates well after its all-too-short 3 minutes is up.

The reggae rhythm of “Cara de Yo No Fui” gets the remix treatment courtesy of Ancient Astronauts, another member of the ESL Music family. The remix starts with a spaced-out feel as you're given a sense of stepping out of the spin cycle before the drums kick in and set you straight. Those drums, which are not in the original version, give the track a real sense of urgency that complements the reggae stabs very well.

The album is a great blend of instrumental prowess that, even aside from its accompanied vocals, more than stands on its own as an accomplished work. There's a fuzzed-out electric guitar on “Return Of The Freak,” the aforementioned baritone sax riff, and even a light flute that permeates throughout that show Perna and Quesada, along with their other 5 bandmates, aren't going to be restricted to one style or sound. We, the listeners, are the greatest benefactors of their gifts and hard work.

BATTLE STUDIES: MAKING IT THROUGH LOVE LOST SCARRED BUT BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF IT

John Mayer: Perfectly Lonely
From Battle Studies, (Columbia, 2009)

The first thing to know about this album is that it's not “Continuum Pt. 2.” That album, one of the finest albums of the '00s, was critically praised and won numerous awards in its marriage of pop and blues and crafty songwriting.

“Battle Studies,” which you can still listen to in full at Rhapsody, is more pop than its predecessor. Pop over the last ten to fifteen years has become a bit of a dirty word to music connoisseurs. It's part Fleetwood Mac, especially in the Taylor Swift-assisted “Half Of My Heart,” a song in which Mayer has openly admitted he was looking for the Stevie Nicks to his Tom Petty, in part a reference to his “Free Fallin'” cover from last year's “Where The Light Is” CD/DVD. It's part blues on the Robert Johnson-cum-Eric Clapton cover of “Crossroads” that features a blistering guitar jones, more akin to the Clapton version than the '30s version that Johnson laid down. The album also has shades of '70s rock in “Perfectly Lonely.”

From the stripped sounds of “Who Says”, there's an inherent maturity that continues in his work. The lyrics, while upon first listen may feel a bit immature – especially with the stoned reference, offer a deep but simplistic view into the mind of a man still trying to find himself and where he fits in. The music behind it fits perfectly with an almost folk, or at the very least a lite rock, offering. That mood is continued on the sparse, but effective, iTunes-only bonus track, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's “I'm On Fire.”

Upon first listen I thought it was a step backwards artistically until I realized that my expectations of what it should be versus what it is were ruining the experience. Throughout there are nuances of understated musicianship where less is more and buried deeper in the mix is better than in your face. The album shows that you don't always have to follow the same route to get where you're going. Instead, taking a detour can be a way to meet new friends and find new experiences to write about. You'll still get to your destination, but a change in scenery can make the trip far more enjoyable.

GREAT DEAL ON DIGITAL DAPTONE GOLD RIGHT NOW

UPDATE: This sale is on through Monday, November 23.

Before it makes its official physical debut, Amazon.com has the upcoming Daptone Gold compilation out for an astounding $2.99 NOW, which includes an exclusive bonus track to boot. While I'm not sure how long this special will be going on, at this low price you have no reason to not hop on board.

Check it out. A review is forthcoming here at Record Racks!

SUMMER MAY BE GONE BUT MRAZ BRINGS THE SUNSHINE OUT ANYWAY

Jason Mraz: Sunshine Song
From Beautiful Mess: Live On Earth (Atlantic, 2009)

I've had the pleasure to see Mr. A to the Z in concert three times over the last 6 years. One time was perhaps the worst concert I've ever attended, not so much because he wasn't capable of entertaining but more so because of the material of his mostly forgettable sophomore album that he was supporting. Fortunately, his most recent release “Beautiful Mess” passes over that material and focuses mostly on his latest studio album, “We Sing We Dance We Steal Things.”

Of course “I'm Yours,” which recently set a record for the longest run on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in history, makes its way onto the set. Longtime collaborator Toca Rivera gets the crowd revved up with a small scat before Mraz comes in crooning with his underappreciated vocal performance. He then extends the jam out past radio-length standards with a tongue roll before some ad libs and thanking the Chicago crowd.

It's a set of mostly non-singles, outside of “I'm Yours” and “Lucky,” which Colbie Caillat duets on, and his remix version of “The Remedy.” The latter features a Jamaican riddim backing with a horn section that really shines not only this song but throughout. It's a sound that fits him well, in part because of the Caribbean flavor he brings to many of his songs in live form.

The party continues with his cover of Lionel Richie's “All Night Long.” The musical performance outshines his vocal performance with its spot-on version of a street fiesta. It's still a respectable cover, but a bit more vocal grit would have put the song over the top. The aforementioned horns bring the house down with an outstanding showcase, but it's the understated percussion section that drive this one home.

“Sunshine Song,” a previously unreleased song, sounds like a lost John Denver song content-wise and has a touching tenderness in tone. As he sings about “getting high on heavenly breezes,” it's a bittersweet sermon on life for a half-glass empty person who meets his half-glass full mate and a bit of optimism ends the song as the rain clouds are driven away.

“Beautiful Mess” is the best of his live releases so far. It comes with an accompanying DVD, which I haven't yet gotten a chance to see, but the energy and care for his craft are evident even through the speakers. With Christmas just around the corner, it's a great addition to add to your own wish list or to give as a Secret Santa gift.

COME NOW AGAIN

Natural Yogurt Band: Chit Chat
From Away With Melancholy, (Now Again, 2009)

About eight years ago, if you saw a release for Stones Throw sister label Now Again, you could put your last dollar up in a bet that it was a soul or funk compilation. In the last two years, though, they have been delightfully mixing it up with a smorgasbord of musical treats.

On the North American 1,000-piece limited edition (in both vinyl and CD) repress of the Natural Yogurt Band's variety of part jazz, part funk, part psychedelic, and even part Gregorian chant, the sounds of a “genre” known as library music breathes with the drone of chants and a dose of breakbeat drums serving notice that it's a head nodder in “Chit Chat.” It will have you checking the card catalog for the band's other releases.

Top Drawer: Song Of A Sinner
From Forge Your Own Chains: Heavy Psychedelic Ballads And Dirges 1968-1974, (Now Again, 2009)

Continuing along the psychedelic front is Top Drawer's “Song Of A Sinner” that in its intro, and vocally even through the tracks' end, sounds very folkish. But then two minutes in, a guitar solo cuts in and through your soul and nearly bleeds you dry during its (three minute!) epic presence. It's not quite Eddie Hazel in “Maggot Brain” or Hendrix in “Voodoo Chile,” but it's not far off and is a total a face melter. It's torturous and wrenching throughout, and you feel as though YOU should go to confessional after hearing it. “Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned,” would be an appropriate watermark in the song.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS... OR DOES IT?

General Elektriks: Raid The Radio
From Good City For Dreamers (Quannum, 2009)

Categorization can be such a bitch. Some artists just don't fit any particular mold. Not that I'm complaining or that it's a bad thing, but for those who like some semblance of organization, I'll just call this one Alternative. Not alternative in the sense of Nirvana or Green Day, but alternative in the sense of it's not quite any one thing in particular. Your local FYE calls it Dance. The press release says he toys between hip hop and pop, and I guess that's true to some extent. True to the site's mission, though, good music is good music, and we're here to present it to you.

The video for the second single from the recently released “Good City For Dreamers” has some '80s synths that lay a nice bed for the verses to fall into. The hook is quite catchy in both its lyrics and melody but also with that whistle. The nod to The Meters “Handclapping Song” leading up to the hook is unmistakable, and the whole thing is tinged slightly with a funky feel.

The album is filled with the aforementioned synths and also with abounding moods. There's a creepy loneliness that permeates in “Cottons Of Inertia” that is aided by the quivering vocals and the teaming of the piano and strings. The only thing that is missing is the sound of creaky floorboards and a dripping faucet. “David Lynch Moments” sounds like a cross between “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics updated to the '00s and a clubby, industrial back rhythm.

On “You Don't Listen,” you can just picture GE playing an air-synth as he uses effects to freak it into a screaming rock guitar. Then there's the oddly-placed opening timpani (that work much better when incorporated later in the song as a complement) on “Helicopter” that also use synths that sound like guitars before letting the children take over with their ode to whirlybirds - “I fly like a helicopter.”

Like a helicopter, the album soars high and the songs are the blades that make you dizzy with joy while they keep spinning.

A GIFTED GAB GROWS HIS SOUND

Gift Of Gab: Dreamin (featuring Del and Brother Ali)
From Escape 2 Mars (Cornerstone RAS, 2009)

In his latest effort alluding to interstellar travel, Gift Of Gab brings his seasoned flow back to end the naughts. To keep it Cali, Gab enlists the help of DNAEBEATS as well as Del The Funky Homosapien, Brother Ali, and some of his Quannum cohorts.

From the bouncy “In Las Vegas” to the soulful “Dreamin” to the eclectic “Electric Waterfalls,” the album covers a lot of ground sonically. “Dreamin” has a nice muted trumpet behind layers of piano, strings, and handclap snares with a haunting vocal sample that then leads into live vocals to finish the hook, a trick you don't often hear pulled off, especially so successfully.

The latin percussion of “El Gifto Magnifico” brings added life to an already vivacious Gab. A club friendly hook keeps the party going on the track before yielding to a guitar-led and more subdued vocal approach on “Lightyears.”

Although the album falls flat in the middle, it rebounds nicely with his spitfire flow over a skitterish beat on “Rhyme Travel.” Clearly, as an MC his skills have not diminished. While it's hard to fault him for trying to grow his sound from past albums with Chief Xcel as the duo Blackalicious, it's the production as a whole that keeps “Escape 2 Mars” grounded on Earth.

Side Note: Over at his official site's store, you can also find the track “El Gifto Magnifico” free for download and can also sample through the rest of the album. The full intro can be heard in this web commercial promoting the album, where at the end you'll find another little gift.

OF TRUTH AND SOUL

Ghetto Brothers: The Ghetto Brothers Power
From The Ghetto Brothers Power/I Saw A Tear 7” (Truth And Soul, 2009)

Truth And Soul has put out its fair share of excellent releases already this year. A couple of them have paid homage to yesteryear's stars (Isaac Hayes and the Wu-Tang Clan) and others have been just as soulful in their own right such as the recent Lee Fields album, “My World.”

Sometimes, though, things come in smaller doses just to give you that quick fix. The Ghetto Brothers 45 shows 2 sides of the band – a tender, if somewhat uninspired ballad in “I Saw A Tear,” with the hook sounding a bit like Stevie's “I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer” – and an uptempo, unabashed street party that was somehow written into wax grooves.

Right from the start, you get that early '70s guitar workout just before the bassist gets in on the act. Where the B-side relies too much on the technical ability to sing, the A-side uses a mean set of congas with the aforementioned bass riff to build a foundation upon which the singers can complement with an energetic performance that doesn't try to be more than what it is or needs.

Michael Leonhart And The Avramina 7: Gold Fever
From Scopolomine/Gold Fever 7” (Truth And Soul, 2009)

Michael Leonhart and the Avramina 7 have come together after various band members have been involved in numerous other projects in the soul and groove revival guild such as El Michels Affair, Antibalas, The Dap Kings, and the Phenomenal Handclap Band.

On this 45, the b-side features an afro-funk styled jam called “Gold Fever.” The only words are the hook in its chant of which I can't fully understand all the words outside of the title and “thousand eyes watching you.” During the rest of the song, they let their playing do the talking, and there's no mistaking what they're saying: Get off your ass and jam!

DY-NO-MITE!!!

If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were back at the cinema 35 years ago watching a Shaft spinoff. But you're not. It's 2009, and the blaxploitation craze is back after a long hiatus - ready to kick you in the teeth and then sleep with your lady.

The movie is being released slowly to various markets, but you can vote for it to come to a town near you here. What you don't have to wait on, though, is the funky music that accompanies the movie. There are 2 releases associated: the score and the soundtrack. (Take a listen to each in full over in the music section of the official movie site.)

The soundtrack pulls together various library music from the likes of Alan Tew, Brian Bennett, and Nino Nardini to name a few. Some of these tracks have been used in other crime drams previously, hence the “library” moniker. If you've heard other blaxploitation soundtracks before, then you know the sound well: fuzz guitar, funked-out bass, and plenty of bass clef piano thuds hinting at trouble waiting just around the corner.

The score was masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge. The record has such a vintage feel that it's hard to believe that this truly isn't some piece of unearthed long-lost goodness from the vaults. Much of the grittiness can be attributed to its recording process. Younge composed and played the album in his apartment on analog equipment.

No true blaxploitation score would be complete without a theme song. Sir Charles Hughes does the honor in coronating our hero. A brief introduction of Black Dynamite tells us how the grass withers wherever he walks and King Kong steps aside as he passes. Yes, he's a badass so step out of his way. That doesn't quite prepare us for “Chicago Wind,” with a haunting vocal that I'll be surprised if it isn't sampled by a Chicago native like Kanye West or Common in the next couple of years. It's already got the boom bap drums laid at its foundation and a slinky synth laid over top. The lyrics aren't as potent as the melody itself, but it's such a strong track, namely for the aforementioned vocals that breeze through like the gusty Chicago wind it speaks of through a cracked window, howling into your soul.

Early reviews of the movie indicate that it rides the line between homage and parody of the genre. The score is more the former as it's a reproduction of the sound. No new ground has been tread, but it's none the worse for wear. It reminds us of a time when composers other than John Williams told the story of characters not in visual action but in tone and soundscapes. It's nice to be reintroduced to that ideal.

THE MANY INCARNATIONS OF THE RECKONER

The OG OG version, one of the most rocking songs Radiohead has in its canon, just has this incredible guitar riff. It also had the lyric in the title “...feeling pulled apart by horses.”



The version that came to be the official version released on In Rainbows was more subdued and featured a falsetto lilt with a more R&B backdrop.



The newly reworked version of “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses” by Thom Yorke with the assist by bandmate Johnny Greenwood. The overall feel is more brooding than either of the other versions.



Which version do you like better?

SOULFUL GROOVIN'

N'Dambi: Daisy Chain
From Pink Elephant (Stax, 2009)

Believe it or not, this album marks the 10th year that N'Dambi has been putting out solo material. Prior to that, she was a backup singer for Erykah Badu. It is fitting that a singer whose roots are deeply entrenched in earthy sounds put out material on the revamped Stax label, which needs no introduction with its historic soul music breeding grounds.

Sound-wise it's an extension of her earliest work but advances the coffeehouse jazzy/neo soul vibes with songs that still brew with groovy undertones but with a modern twist. While it's not as rootsy as her earlier work, it still brims with funky jams aided by the production by soul music veteran Leon Sylvers III.

Reminiscent of the recent work by Leela James, N'Dambi finds a way to expand her sound with more uptempo numbers such as the cowbell-aided, tom-tom jam “The World Is A Beat,” which stops short of seethe, but nonetheless is irritated of music that is based only on head nodding backbeats. In an ironic twist, the beat of the song is what really elevates it – but you get what she's saying.

The album is at its grooving best on “Daisy Chain,” with its catchy hook and catchier melody, itself a nod to former Stax residents The Staple Singers. Playing the role of the woman being led astray by a can't-make-up-his-mind suitor who has more than her in his little black book. Perhaps that's where she gets that attitude on the follow-up “Can't Hardly Wait” where she questions why she can't quite quit him.

While it breaks no new ground in the genre, it certainly is a worthy addition to the expressive nature and sound that is soul music.

YOU HAVE BEEN INFORMED

Jimi Tenor And Tony Allen: Sinuhe
From Inspiration Information Vol. 4 (Strut, 2009)

On October 27, Strut Records is releasing the fourth volume in its Inspiration Information series this time pairing up Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, who backed Fela Kuti's band in the '70s, with Finnish music mastermind Jimi Tenor, who among other projects also has some Afro-music based history with his band Kabu Kabu. The pair have quite big shoes to fill. NPR's Bob Boilen declared in May that its predecessor featuring Mulatu Astatke and The Heliocentrics' Volume 3 the best jazz album he had heard thus far in 2009.

On this set where one of the participants also hails from Africa, the shift is not on Ethio-jazz, but on more traditional Afrobeat. On “Sinuhe,” you have a funky bass riff in a mostly instrumental effort with an almost call-and-response feature with the backing “Oh yeah!” chants. The horns that sprinkle over the top elevate the dynamic even more.

The opener “Against The Wall” features MC Allonymous in a spoken word, almost proto rap, while adding in a sing-songy flow for a hook where he croons he wants to “do it dancehall style.” Midway through the album, the MC appears again on “Path To Wisdom” and nods to the Oval Office chief talking about a “change we can believe in” welcoming us “to the dawn.” Meanwhile the saxophonist goes for broke on an exhilarating solo at the end of the song.

Volume 4 is a more than worthy follow-up to the Astatke/Heliocentrics effort. Tony Allen shows why he was such a force with the Africa 70 band with the various rhythms he employs. Tenor complements him well with his homemade instruments and melodies. Each show why they are masters of their craft on this solid album.

LIVE YOUR LIFE ON YOUR TERMS

John Mayer: Who Says
From Who Says (Digital Single) (Sony/Columbia, 2009)

It's not often anymore that you get a sub-three minute radio single, especially a lead single from a major artist on a major label. So if you're going to make such a song, make the most of the time you get. Mayer does that exceptionally well in this introspective stripped down effort. It's reminiscent of “Stop This Train” from Continuum from a songwriting sense, both very James Taylor-ish in their hushed tone.

The lyrics sound as if he's writing/singing this song to himself, especially in this clever line:

I don't remember you looking any better
But then again I don't remember you

Given his public romances over the past few years, it's a fitting lyric for him to look in the mirror and note not remembering seeing just himself. Aside from the supposed controversy of a repeated line throughout, “Who says I cant get stoned?” (which Mayer himself has even said isn't about marijuana but about the freedom of living your life), it's a real winner of a song and shows a tenderness that he has hit upon more than once in his career. I found myself listening to “Who Says” for about an hour straight this past week, something I've never done with any song before.

MORE DARK SOUNDS FROM BEYOND

The Heliocentrics: The Gorn
From Fallen Angels (Now Again, 2009)

Quickly becoming one of my favorite new acts, Stones Throw/Now Again have compiled a b-sides album that highlights tracks that, for the most part, have been vinyl (or digital) only. “Fallen Angels” treks through more psychedelic sounds while bringing along some hip hoppers for the ride. The Metal Face one, Doom, raps alongside the waterfall flows of Percee P on a remix of “Distant Star” while one half of Cannibal Ox, Vast Aire, has an off-kilter freestyle flow on “Sirius B (Remix).”

“The Gorn” features a more straightforward funk rhythm, without a doubt the most accessible piece of music on the album. With its Jake Ferguson lead on bass, the lead guitar stairsteps its way to heaven toward the end while flutes fly around like butterflies in a mating ritual reeling the listener into an entranced euphoria.

After their Stones Throw debut in 2007 to their collaboration with Multau Astatke earlier this year on the Inspiration Information series, the Heliocentrics have shown that they're a band to be reckoned with while pushing the musical envelope.

TRIBAL TREASURES

Shafiq Husayn (featuring Fatima): Lil Girl
From En A-Free-Ka (Plug Research, 2009)

Most known for his work with Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Shafiq branches out on his own on this almost mixtape-like release. With its blending of one song into another and its deep voiceovers, reminiscent of Pete Rock, it's a great tribute to African rhythms. The album is the craft of over 30 different musicians with Husayn the mastermind behind its execution.

Jittery drum programming abounds on “Lil Girl” with Fatima taking on microphone duties while chopped vocal samples are peppered throughout. Underneath all that is a chunky bass that provides a platform for which the rest of the track lays. Later in the album “Love Still Hurts” is pops up with its lighter, jauntier fare that still maintains its African rhythmic semblance.

“En A-Free-Ka” has been getting props from such respected musicians and artists ranging from Madlib and Erykah Badu to Pharoahe Monch and J. Rocc. It's an excellent showcase for a modern take on age-old African rhythms. Save the expense of traveling across the Atlantic to Africa to hear exotic rhythms and spend the $12 at your local record shop instead. You won't be disappointed.

(You can also check out this mixtape - for free, mind you - over at Soul-Sides.com to get a taste of other works that Husayn has produced or performed throughout his nearly 20-year career in the music industry.)

BLACK (JOE LEWIS) 'N' BLUES

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears: Bitch, I Love You
From Tell Em What Your Name Is (Lost Highway, 2009)

The anti-love song of the year. The song you won't be seeing quoted on a Valentine's Day card any time in the future. Call it what you will, but they called it, “Bitch, I Love You.” The track is actually a remake from Lewis' independent self-titled offering from 2007 and isn't on their debut album, “Tell 'Em What Your Name Is” from Lost Highway. You can get it on the pre-album self-titled EP release from numerous digital distributors as well as on wax.

With a vocal delivery reminiscent of Mick Jagger, Lewis delivers a seething performance threatening his significant other with profanity and bodily harm with its Blowfly-like raunchiness of cursing rants not often found in traditional recorded blues music. If it wasn't for its tongue-in-cheek nature and the fantastic backing track by The Honeybears, you would almost feel compelled to call your local law enforcement office.