With each passing year of life the rarer it seems I hear new music that sounds truly fresh and innovative to me; new music that makes me feel excited about the art of music and its contemporary evolution. Lots of new albums were released in 2015. Only three spring to mind that gave me that excitement.… Continue reading Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly: The Art Of Music In 2015
The Return of Blackalicious – Imani Vol. 1
Old school hip hop duo Chief Excel and Gift of Gab are back in fine form with their first new Blackalicious album since 2005. Imani Vol. 1 is the first of three new Blackalicious album instalments they say are coming. Anything I have to say about the nitty gritty of its 20 tracks matters not really.… Continue reading The Return of Blackalicious – Imani Vol. 1
‘F’ Must Be For Funk
‘F’ in the A to Z of Fusion must go to Funk. Why? Because put simply and personally, funk on the downbeat (like reggae’s offbeat) moves my body into action and takes me to a higher, happier place than any other breed of music in this world. More generally, because funk music in its original and many… Continue reading ‘F’ Must Be For Funk
The Putbacks – “Kung Fu Pyramids” Sweet Vinyl-Style
HopeStreet Recordings unfailingly gives its music releases a description that stimulates the imagination; that invites you to press play and enter into a kooky adventure. I’d usually call copying and pasting the exact contents of a press release to be a lazy Beaver’s game. But what the label says about “Kung Fu Pyramids” and it’s… Continue reading The Putbacks – “Kung Fu Pyramids” Sweet Vinyl-Style
Fat Freddys Drop – Beyond Easy Skanking
Every album so far delivered by Fat Freddys Drop has brilliantly captured and showcased the unique blends of soul, jazz, funk, R&B, reggae and dub that New Zealand music is known and loved for. Those albums have also captured the spirit and sounds of the epic live Fat Freddys Drop journeys – from which the group… Continue reading Fat Freddys Drop – Beyond Easy Skanking
Who Is Jill Scott?
Who is Jill Scott? Well, having never met the woman I’m not qualified to say. But the words and sounds Jill Scott has created and shared with the world in the five studio albums she’s released over the last 15 years, including the most recent Woman, give us a pretty good idea of all we… Continue reading Who Is Jill Scott?
Georgia Anne Muldrow Accentuating The Positive
Georgia Anne Muldrow’s most recent album A Thoughtiverse Unmarred, is a fabulous and timely reminder of how very much the world (both humans and the precious environment we live in) benefits from having positive musical messengers like her within it. During its twelve tracks of hip hop beats and rhymes soaked in funk and soul, Georgia… Continue reading Georgia Anne Muldrow Accentuating The Positive
De La Soul – Bringing The Fresh To Hip Hop At Soulfest 2015
De La Soul has been bringing fresh and innovative beats, rhymes, skits and emerging artists to hip hop since its “Golden Age”. If you grew up in the late 80s, 90s or thereafter if you were switched on to the evolution of hip hop, there’s a good chance De La Soul’s music makes up an integral… Continue reading De La Soul – Bringing The Fresh To Hip Hop At Soulfest 2015
The Cactus Channel and Chet Faker – Kill The Doubt
The Cactus Channel‘s unique variety of instrumental funk-soul music wouldn’t get value-add with just any ol’ artist’s singing and songwriting talents in the mix. Many contemporary vocalists (I’d say most) would probably be a misfit for the music; do it an injustice. But with their new single “Kill The Doubt” and it’s B-side “Sleeping Alone”, it is Chet Faker who the group’s… Continue reading The Cactus Channel and Chet Faker – Kill The Doubt
Sublime Sounds Of Old: Al Green
In my musical world the sublime sounds of old inspire and make me feel more than most new music does today. Here we turn back to those sounds to remind everyone (especially the youngsters of the world) that they are there to know, learn from, love, take them higher, appreciate and cherish…for forever-after. With heart and soul… Continue reading Sublime Sounds Of Old: Al Green