Friday, June 26, 2009

The Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was (2008)


Artist: The Herbaliser
Title Of Album: Same As It Never Was
Year Of Release: May 27, 2008
Label: K7
Genre: Soul, Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop
Quality: MP3

Tracklist:

1. Same As It Never Was
2. On Your Knees
3. Just Won't Stop
4. The Next Spot
5. Can't Help This Feeling
6. Amores Bongo
7. Street Karma
8. You're Not All That
9. Blackwater Drive
10. Game Set and Match
11. Clap Your Hands
12. Stranded on Earth

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Originally a jazzy trip-hop act, The Herbaliser now makes a kind of horn-drenched hyperfunk. The songs- and they are real songs, not just tracks- reference everything from Tower of Power and Chicago to Aretha Franklin and Quincy Jones.

In this release, The Herbaliser is moving away from rap. There are only three rap tracks on the CD and they are bearable. The rest of the album is all excellent, with great instrumentals and vocal tracks.

The formula is an energetic and upbeat mix of hip-hop and funk, with a lot of inspiration/sampling from seventies film music and fifties big band sound.

Opening is the title track which is largely a funky instrumental with darting horns, organ and an incredible bassline. There are 3 other instrumentals; "The next spot" (with an almost Afrobeat feel), the awesome "Amores Bongo" (a delightful guitar/horn/percussion mix that sounds like it should be some movie soundtrack), and the more mellow "Blackwater drive".

Five songs feature vocalist Jessica Darling, "On your knees", "Can't help this feeling", "You're not all that", "Clap your hands" (these four are retro funk ditties James Brown/Sly & The Family Stone-style) and the sprawling 6 minute plus opus "Stranded on Earth" (a psychedelic sounding number with deep bass, Hip hop beats kicking in about 2 minutes in, and Jessica's few vocals coming in the final 2 minutes). This song is simply amazing!

There are a trio of Hip hop numbers "Just won't stop" features Yungun aka Essa, a Rap touching on the changes technology has brought to social life (Youtube, Myspace, etc). "Street karma (a cautionary tale)" is a midtempo rap with a creepy vibe, horns and sound effects (a car revving, kids playing, etc) adding to the drama. It features Jean Grae on vocals, and is a tale about the violent life on the streets. "Game set and match" features More or Les in a spitfire Rap delivery and some nice guitar effects.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

VA - New Funk Voices ( 2009 )


Artist: VA
Title Of Album: New Funk Voices
Year Of Release: 19.03.2009
Label: Clubstar
Genre: Soul/Funk, R&B

tRaCkLiSt

01 Nils Landgren Funk Unit - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme 4:09
02 The Brand New Heavies - Boogie 3:49
03 The Herbaliser feat. Jessica Darling - Can't Help This Feeling 3:20
04 Candy Dulfer - Summertime 4:25
05 Kraak And Smaak feat. Ben Westbeech - Squeeze Me 3:13
06 Andy Lewis feat. Loleatta Holloway - Devastated (Mr. Comicstore Remix) 3:55
07 The Snugs - Strugglin' (Original) 3:49
08 The Sweet Divines - Don't You Ever 2:46
09 Club des Belugas feat. Brenda Boykin - Wildcats Gotta Move 5:26
10 Diesler feat. Afrika Fuentes - Passion 4:16
11 Femi Kuti - Tell Me 4:32
12 The New Mastersounds - Hey Fela ! (Diesler feat. Laura Vane Remix) 4:47
13 Lefties Soul Connection - Get Back (Drum & Clap) 3:02
14 Speedometer feat. Ria Currie - Am I Your Woman ? 3:09
15 Kutiman feat. Karolina - Music Is Ruling My Life 3:57
16 Quantic feat. Alice Russell - Sound Of Everything (Senorlobo & Watch TV Remix) 4:00
17 Jeff Cascaro - Try 3:30
18 The Sweet Vandals - I got you, Man 5:29
19 Rad. - Next To You 4:00


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Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World (2009)


Artist: Lee Fields & The Expressions
Title Of Album: My World
Year Of Release: 2009
Genre: Funk, Soul

Tracklist

01. Do You Love Me
02. Love Comes And Goes
03. Honey Dove
04. Money I$ King
05. My World Is Empty
06. Expressions Theme
07. My World
08. Ladies
09. These Moments
10. The Only One Loving You
11. Last Ride


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Monday, June 22, 2009

Fiesta Del Funk Naciente




***... Vibraciones Soul para espíritus glamorosos... ***
PROXIMO SHOW:: Viernes 3 de JULIO en NICETO (lado B) El éxtasis ceremonial se celebrará de la mano de DJ LENNI, HERMANO DEL ESPACIO, WHITE MONE, STARSKY y DJ NOVELLA!. con un warm-up de lujo y directo desde BRASIL DJ UILSON, guerrero de la vieja escuela, samba y bosa funk en vinilos. En vivo la presentación de TROY MACLURE...¨tal vez los recuerden de películas como...¨, también tendremos frutillas, crema y todo el sexual healding de la mano de BENJA y SUTIL, lanzando su nuevo proyecto en vivo para todas las chicas presentes. ATENCION! CHICAS FREE hasta las 2:30... si con todo esto te quedás en casa o vas a otro lugar... es que tenés gripe. entrada $15. si te anotás en la lista de descuento: funknaciente@hotmail.com


Desde Buenos Aires para el mundo; somos dj Lenni y Sap (dj Hermano del espacio) dos buenos amigos que el destino unió para compartir varios sentimientos, entre ellos: el arte, la música, la buena gente, las buenas fiestas y digamos que cualquier buen hecho artístico realizado con corazón. Comenzamos *La Fiesta Del Funk Naciente* en Marzo del 2007 queriendo crear el espacio y el estilo que no podíamos encontrar en la ciudad, llevando a las pistas música para sentirla y bailarla difundiendo nuestra visión del funk. Nuestra movida quiere distinguirse, ser original, ser intensa, viajar en el tiempo y traer perlas doradas a tus sentidos e iluminar tu alma.
http://www.myspace.com/funknaciente

Sunday, June 21, 2009

VA - Wicked Jazz Sounds Vol. 5




Artist: VA
Title Of Album: Wicked Jazz Sounds Vol. 5
Year Of Release: June 17, 2008
Label: Wicked Jazz Sounds
Genre: Nu-Jazz / Funk / Soul

Tracklist:

CD 1 (Mixed By Mr. Speak)

01. Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead
02. Jorge Dalto - I've Got You On My Mind
03. Brief Encounter - Human
04. Kissey Asplund - With You
05. Jon Lucien - Would You Believe In Me
06. J. Dilla Feat. Pharoahe Monch - Love
07. Martian Gang - Got Skillz Galore (Grooveman Spot Remix)
08. John Klemmer - Free Soul
09. Bobby Valentin - Coco Seco
10. Nina Simone - I Ain't Got No / I Got Life
11. Allen Hoist - Innercity Blues (4 Hero Main Version)
12. Trackheadz Feat. Zaki - Feel (Instrumental Mix)
13. Amp Fiddler - Ridin' (Carl Craig 7" Edit)
14. Sabu Martinez - I Remember Carmen
15. Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe

CD 2 (Mixed By Leroy Rey)

01. Steve & I - Comeandgetme
02. Brand New Heavies - I Don't Know Why (DJ Spinna Remix)
03. Leroy Hutson - I Think I'm Falling In Love
04. Domu Presents Pete Simpson - Don't Hide
05. Ned Doheny - To Prove My Love
06 Earth, Wind & Fire - Brazilian Rhyme
07. Paula Lima - Quero Ver Voce No Baile
08. The Souljazz Orchestra - Mista President
09. Block 16 Feat. Jhelisa - Find An Oasis
10. Kerri Chandler - The Promise (Bigga Vocal Mix)
11. DJ Spen & The MuthaFunkaz - It's So Easy (MuthaFunkaz 12" Vocal)
12. Monsieur Dubois - Soul Integration
13. Quincy Jones - Chump Change
14. Weldon Irvine - I Love You
15. Third World - Fret Not Thyself
16. Freestyle Fellowship - Park Bench People


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The Voodoo Trombone Quartet - Again (2009)


Artist: The Voodoo Trombone Quartet
Title Of Album: Again
Year Of Release: 2009
Genre: Funk / Ska / Breakbeat / Downtempo

Tracklist:
--------------
01. - Vibrations (4:47)
02. - South Westerly (4:54)
03. - My Name In Food (3:39)
04. - (Hey You) The Rocksteady Crew) (4:36)
05. - Do It Your Own Way (4:01)
06. - Edgar (4:04)
07. - Chinese Burns For Free (4:09)
08. - Honey Bee (4:39)
09. - Double Bluff (3:49)
10. - So Innocent (4:01)

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Beneath the curiously comic name, cabaret presentation and funky instrumentals, lurks a band of the sort that used to be signed by major record labels. A band whose sound and style develop from one album to the next, a band whose career evolves and matures. If The Voodoo Trombone Quartets debut was described as a "future cult classic" (Future Music) then Again must surely be, simply, a classic. The long-awaited and keenly anticipated second album from The Voodoo Trombone Quartet fulfills the tantalising promise of their progressively more polished 10" vinyl EPs: The Phantom (2007) and Vibrations (2008). Again showcases wonderful songwriting on tracks like So Innocent or South Westerly (the forthcoming summer single that has radio written all over it) and sees the band shake off their early ska tag. The songs here are at once accessible and positive without being either trite or corny. They are unashamedly grown-up pop, without being boring or middle aged. They have the confident smile of youthfulness playing across their faces; bold, bright funk; tight production and warm vinyl flavors and even include a reggae-tinged take on the Rocksteady Crews eighties b-boy anthem.

The Herbaliser Band - Session 2 (2009)


Artist: The Herbaliser Band
Title Of Album: Session 2
Year Of Release: 2009
Label: !K7 Records
Genre: Funk, Trip-Hop, Nu-Jazz, Downtempo

TrackList:

1 Mr. Chombee Has The Flow 3:31
2 Geddim! 4:54
3 AM Prelude 1:32
4 Another Mother 7:32
5 Blackwater Drive 4:51
6 MS Prelude 1:29
7 Moon Sequence 6:08
8 Amores Bongo 4:07
9 CC Prelude 0:36
10 Theme From Control Centre 5:27
11 Stranded On Earth 10:35

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Press Release :

Back in 2000, West London's funky, forward-thinking, experimental hip-hop collective The Herbaliser released their acclaimed double-vinyl album Session 1. Recorded in raw and organic studio jams, these expansive instrumentals marked the group's evolution from studio boffins to full big-band line-up. The Guardian called the album "sterling proof that this kind of music invariably sounds better played by musicians than by a sampler" while Yahoo described it as an "effortlessly cool, super smooth journey around the set of an unmade Blaxploitation movie".

Almost a decade later, The Herbaliser are in the middle of another new musical evolution. On their 2008 album Same As It Never Was, founder members Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba concentrated more than ever on classic soul-pop songwriting, with greater collaborative input from long-time horn players Ralph Lamb and Andy Ross, plus new vocalist Jessica Darling. Understandably, they now want to capture this latest live chapter on record.

And the title? Well as Session 1 was always meant to be the start of a series the second instalment had to be called Session 2, naturally. "Back when we recorded the first session we wanted to have a dоcument of what the band sounded like", says Jake, "but properly recorded in a studio environment, essentially doing what we do live but recorded really well. The boundaries are a bit less distinct now, because we are a lot more musical in our approach. There are still samples involved in our writing, but less than before".

Session 2 spans more than a decade of Herbaliser live favourites, from the underground beats and breaks of their 1997 album Blow Your Headphones to the more lush, soulful grooves of Same As It Never Was. "It's interesting that some of these songs are 12 years old, and some just one year old, yet it still feels coherent as an album", says Jake.

One recurring thread across the album is a clear love of cinematic moods and atmospheres - whether in funky, revved-up, infectious party grooves like "Geddim" and "Amores Bongo" or in psychedelic sci-fi epics like "Moon Sequence" and "Theme From Control Centre". This may be booty-shaking club music at heart, but many of these tracks are as dense and richly detailed as the classic movie scores of Quincy Jones, John Barry or Lalo Schifrin.

"One thing Ollie and I agreed when we started was we didn't want people to just drop a needle on one of our records and hear the same loop over and over, like many records in the 1990s", says Jake. "We wanted to have changes, like soundtracks or movie themes. With all our instrumentals, we're always writing music for scenes in imaginary films".

Although Jake and Ollie have worked with many MC's and a couple of singers in recent years, they kept the arrangements on Session 2 as pure instrumentals. Future instalments in the series, Jake says, will concentrate on The Herbaliser's strong track record of vocal collaborations. But this album is a true sequel to Session 1 in both sound and spirit.

"The first Session record was instrumental as well, because we didn't have a singer then, so we thought it was important to carry on that tradition," says Jake. "We wanted to create a sound both onstage and live that synchronised both live instruments as well as samples."

Session 2 is another Herbaliser classic, the sound of an ever-evolving band at the peak of their powers. Forget the old Hollywood rule: sometimes a sequel can be just as good as the original.



Band members:

Jake Wherry - Bass and lead guitar
Ollie Teeba - Turntables
Jessica Darling - Vocals
Ralph Lamb - Horn, Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Andy Ross - Flute, Tenor, Baritone Sax
Oliver Parfitt - Keyboard
Michah Moody Jr - Drummer

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Incognito - Live At Leverkusener Jazztage (2008)


Artist: Incognito
Title Of Album: Live At Leverkusener Jazztage
Year Of Release: November 1, 2008
Genre: Jazz-Funk, Acid-Jazz

Tracklist:

01. Intro Jam
02. Who Needs Love
03. Talkin' Loud
04. Deep Waters
05. N.O.T.
06. When The Sun Comes Down
07. Colibri
08. Step Aside
09. Reach Out
10. Nights Over Egypt
11. Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing
12. Everyday
13. I Hear Your Name
14. Always


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Friday, June 12, 2009

Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock (...)


Traklist:

01 — let there be drums
02 — bongolia
03 — kiburi part 1
04 — apache
05 — sing sing sing
06 — dueling bongos
07 — in a gadda da vida
08 — raunchy 73
09 — bongo rock 73
10 — hang down your head
11 — sharp nine
12 — okey dokey
13 — pipeline
14 — when the bed breaks
15 — i cant get no satisfaction
16 — wipeout
17 — last bongo in belgium
18 — got the sun in the morning
19 — slightly reminiscent of topsy

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Dave Hamiltons Detroit Funk: Rare Unreleased Twisted Funk 1967 to 1975


Dave Hamiltons Detroit Funk: Rare Unreleased Twisted Funk 1967 to 1975

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Carolina Funk: Funk 45s From The Atlantic Coast


Carolina Funk: Funk 45s From The Atlantic Coast

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Florida Funk: Funk 45's From The Alligator State


Florida Funk: Funk 45's From The Alligator State

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Miami Sound: Rare Funk & Soul from Miami, Florida 1967-1974

Miami Sound: Rare Funk & Soul from Miami, Florida 1967-1974

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Southern Funkin': Louisiana Funk and Soul 1967-1975


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New Orleans Funk: New Orleans The Original Sound of Funk 1960-75


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Texas Funk: Hard Texas Funk 1968-1975


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Golden State Funk: Impossibly Rare Funk From The Bay Area


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VA — Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest in Funk & Soul 1965-75


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Italian Secret Service - Not The Same (2009)



Ano: 2009
Genero: Bossa Nova, Nu Jazz, Lo-Fi

01. Ceccarellis Ice Cream
02. Control Yourself
03. 24-7
04. Smell Like Ten Spirit
05. Italian Melody
06. No Se
07. Cartoons
08. Call Me Linda
09. Haupe
10. Lazy Man
11. Last Samba In Paris
12. It's Monday, Too
13. Not The Same
14. Tch-k-ten
15. Digital World
16. So Tired

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Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Cinematic Orchestra — Past, Present & Future: Classics, Instrumentals & Exclusives




Label: Ninja Tune
Catalog #: NLSCD012
Format: CD, Promo
Country: UK
Released: July 2007
Genre: Electronic, Jazz


Tracklisting:

01 — All That You Give (feat. Fontella Bass) [3:16]
02 — Channel 1 Suite [2:18]
03 — Burnout [3:03]
04 — All Things To All Men (feat. Roots Manuva) [11:00]
05 — Man With The Movie Camera [2:42]
06 — Ode to the Big Sea [2:26]
07 — To Build A Home (Instrumental Version) [6:06]
08 — Breathe (Instrumental Version) [6:02]
09 — Into You (Instrumental Version) [3:05]
10 — Time And Space (Instrumental Version) [8:18]
11 — That Home (Instrumental Version) [1:54]
12 — Familar Ground (Instrumental Version) [5:07]
13 — Time & Space (Vocal Edit) [3:50]
14 — Borrowed Time [3:50]
15 — Found [4:03]
16 — In The Beginning [3:05]
17 — Brother [3:56]
18 — Lullaby [4:20]

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