Heartbreaker

Slow, down and funky groove from Thundercat. Stephen Bruner (aka Thundercat) sounds great on this, co-produced by Flying Lotus and features Kamasi Washington on saxophone. Taken from new EP released last month The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam.

Way-oh, way-ay-oh

Now summer is here and the heatwaves flow in and the week, time for a bit classy sun soaking soul. Earth Wind & Fire's Sun Goddess is a pure classic featuring Ramsey Lewis.

Sun Goddess was a single for jazz musician Ramsey Lewis, written by Jon Lind and Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. Released from Lewis's studio album Sun Goddess in 1974.

Sit back and feel the heat.

Contemplating

Hangin' On A String (Contemplating) is the fourth single by Loose Ends from their second studio album, So Where Are You?, and was released in February 1985 by Virgin Records. The single went to number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart for one week. Frankie Knuckles Club Mix was originally released in 1992 as part of a rerelease 12” and also appeared on the Loose Ends Remix project Tighten Up Volume 1. 

Now included in the House Masters Frankie Knuckles collection, retrospective of the legendary house DJ, still sounds great.

Silky Cuts

Lo-fi R’n’B Baltimore duo empress with debut self titled LP on Stones Throw. Silk Rhodes are both original and classic, pulling on old school funk and soul grooves, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Sly and the Family Stone, Delfonics etc. as well as recent influences, D’Angelo, Gonjasufi, Gayngs, Stepkids etc. Some of tracks are very short and fractured but the lo-fi snippets are are part of the fleeting album’s charm and exuberance.

A stunning debut that covers a lot of ground and genres yet retains a signature sound throughout. The outstanding Pains is about as lazy as it gets as the beat plods along to a searing Rhodes organ and raw soulful vocals. Faces 2 Face ramps up the groove in a funk pop number. Realtime goes all hip-hip beats and R’n’B sass. Hold Me Down is just pure beauty, like Shuggie Otis slowed right down to a snails pace, this is stoner soul. Personal use pounds into a french house rhythm reminiscent of Etienne de Crécy’s Super Discout Vol.1, then 2 thirds in the song changes back to soul croons that Sumach Ecks (Gonjasufi) would relate to. Finishing off with the uplifting sound of The System, the perfect end to great LP and very highly recommended.

Essential tracks: Pains, Face 2 Face, Realtime, Hold Me Down

Buy it on iTunes now

Black Messiah

Out of the blue comes Black Messiah, D’Angelo’s much-anticipated third full length LP (co-credited to his backing group, The Vanguard) and it’s quite astonishing. As with Brown Sugar and Voodoo, Black Messiah is best heard in its entirety. Saying that, all these songs could stand alone. Ain’t That Easy, Sugar Daddy (both co-writen with Q-Tip and Kendra Foster), Really Love, Back To the Future (Part I), The Door would all make great singles.

After a good few listens the quality of Black Messiah just opens up and D’Angelo’s layered vocals together with organic beats and killa grooves creates a captivating and atmospheric soundscape. What’s most astonishing is how fresh and modern it sounds even when channeling obvious influences, Marvin Gaye, Sly And The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Prince, The Crusaders it’s all in there. 

A highly charged political message, "All we wanted was a chance to talk 'stead we only got outlined in chalk" - a lyric from the song "The Charade." co-writen with Questlove and Kendra Foster.

At the LP’s launch D’Angelo explains the title - ”For me, the title is about all of us. It's about the world. It's about an idea we can all aspire to. We Should all aspire to be a Black Messiah.... Its about people rising up in Ferguson and in Egypt and in Occupy Wall Street and in every place where a community has had enough and decides to make change happen. It's not about praising one charismatic leader but celebrating thousands of them."

All year we’ve been waiting for an album with an otherworldly experience like this, with no-shows from Kanye and Frank Ocean; D’Angelo fills the void with ease.

I pity all the people that have already compiled and published their albums of the year charts as this LP would surely feature in most top tens if not top of the whole list! It’s a landmark LP that will sit along side classic albums like Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On, Sly And The Family Stone: There’s A Riot Goin’ On,  Bob Dylan: The Times They Are A-Changin’, Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, you get the picture.

Dripping with infectious funk throughout it’s really hard to single out any one track, the quality maintains an optimum setting from start to finish at just under an hour it’ a magnum opus!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Buy it NOW on iTunes

Do you remember when you used to cum for more

Epic track taken from Moodymann's latest LP the extensive 27 track album out in January this year. Lyk U Use 2 (feat. Andres) is one of those tracks that just effortlessly transcend you into a head-nodding appreciation. This would fit into any left-field set a pumping RnB groover with a future-retro vibe with a message of rejection.

You don't even scream for me no more!

These are the top 30 LPs that rock our world last year. 

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
2. The Limiñanas - Costa Blanca
3. Kanye West - Yeezus
4. Footprintz - Escape Yourself
5. Matthew E. White - Big Inner
6. Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune
7. Saâda Bonaire - Saâda Bonaire
8. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
9. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
10. Bonobo - The North Borders
11. Devendra Banhart - Mala
12. Forest Swords - Engravings
13. Daniel Avery - Drone Logic
14. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
15. Bill Callahan - Dream River
16. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
17. Washed Out - Paracosm
18. DJ Koze - Amygdala
19. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
20. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
21. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic
22. My Bloody Valentine - mbv
23. Taragana Pyjarama - Nothing Hype
24. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
25. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
26. Darkside - Psychic
27. Deafheaven - Sunbather
28. M.I.A - Matangi
29. Proviant Audio - Drift Days & Disco Nights
30. Classixx - Hanging Garden

Sounds of Success

I remember seeing the SOS band regularly in the eighties, quite often playing Hammersmith Odeon (as it was called then). The R&B scene was in full effect, regular tours from Zapp Band, The Fatback Band, The Gap Band and Cameo established a relatively underground scene. Renowned record label Tabu Records focused on R&B and funk and by the mid 80's had established themselves as one of the leaders of the pack. Working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis was an inspiration, they brought in Cherelle and Alexander O'Neal who both had hit albums and of course the massive hit single Saturday Love. Tabu are now re-releasing lots of those old albums on digital format including all the classic SOS Band LPs.

The SOS band, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977, fronted by Mary Davis, had a hit with Take Your Time (Do It Right) in 1980. In 1983, they joined forces with the new production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who went on to craft a string of R&B hits for the group, including this seminal classic Just Be Good to Me from the bands 1983 On The Rise LP as well as High Hopes, Tell Me If You Still Care, Weekend Girl, Borrowed Love, No One's Gonna Love You, Just the Way You Like It and The Finest.

Jam and Lewis' distinctive production sound went on to create mainstream hits for the likes of Janet Jackson, The Human League, George Michael, Mariah Carey and many more.

It Fucking works!

Solange's latest EP has been well reviewed in alternative music circles, all praising her for not simply following in her older sisters footsteps. But then I just think well why would she, Beyoncé has sold millions of records as a mainstream RnB diva what would be the point in competing with that. 

What Solange does really well is to come at it slightly left-field with an early 80s pop-RnB retro edge that sounds very fresh with today's production values. Signed to Brooklyn indie label Terrible Records, home to Grizzly Bear and Chairlift, on this EP she worked with Dev Hynes, aka Lightspeed Champion.

She sounds a bit Mariah Carey on Lovers in the Parking Lot, but its the production and underlying groove that makes this a refreshing and unique sound. Lead single Losing You is all over the radio now and is probably the most 'mainstream' pop tune on the EP, sounding like it could have come straight off Madonna's True Blue album. Solange certainly has a better voice than Madonna though. Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work the EP's stellar moment with a sweeping drum loop and an infectious pop-hook melody. Solange doesn't go for the big chorus, each song tells a story and maintains a progressive high throughout. A clever mix that begs for continuous plays. Highly Recommended.

Buy it on iTunes click here.

Nice lazy beats

Big Boi and Frank Ocean has been working on a remix of Pink Matter a song from Frank's killer LP Channel Orange that featured André 3000, and now featuring a new verse from Big Boi in other words, an OutKast reunion at last. Pretty good version, I think I may even like it better than the original album track.

I'd rather be your enemy than your friend

New track from The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) taking it's chorus from The Smiths' Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, originally released as the B-side to William, It Was Really Nothin in 1984'. The track will not appear on The Weeknd's Trilogy album when it is released in November.

Magnum Opus

Frank Ocean released his eagerly anticipated major label debut this week. channel ORANGE takes Ocean into the mainstream on his own merits, showcasing his unique silky electro-soul. Previous notable collaborations with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the excellent Watch the Throne put the spotlight on Ocean's superb Nostalgia-Ultra (Official Mixtape).

The New Orleans-born RnB singer was relatively unknown as a member of the Odd Future collective. So now with channel ORANGE Ocean has arrived in ultra-smooth style, following the epic Pyramids that materialised a few weeks ago Ocean has made an intriguing album that shifts in different directions with dazzling effect. Hip-Hop and Nu-Soul works synonymously with eccentric electro and psychedelic R’n’B grooves. This track Lost has hooked me in straight away, sounding like a young Prince. Ocean's innovative and adventurous approach to music hasn't sounded so good since the musical bravura of prime early-70s Stevie Wonder. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Sexybeats

Los Angeles band Ghost Loft have been causing a few waves with their own brand of R&B and cool lazy beats. Early comparisons with The Weeknd mixed with the XX are not far from the truth and quite the complementary mix. This track - Seconds - possesses a baseline straight out of Jamie XX's bag. Loving all their tunes especially this and another song called Blow. Definitely one to watch! Nice seductive black and white artwork completes the package.

Visit the bands official site here ghostloft.com

Get more tracks on ghostloft.bandcamp.com

R.I.P Whitney

LOS ANGELES - Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behaviour and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died on Saturday 11 February 2012. She was 48. She leaves an outstanding contribution to music spread over many years, she recorded seven studio albums, four compilations, and three soundtrack albums, as well as fifty-three singles.

Million Dollar Bill is the last song performed by Whitney, from her 2009, seventh and last studio album - I Look to You which samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway's We're Getting Stronger from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. It was written by Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. A great song to end on. R.I.P Whitney.

Ha, this song is quite cheesy but it makes me smile every time I here it. Frank Ocean is pretty hot property nowadays following his Nostalgia-Ultra mixtape from last year.  Freestyling over The Eagles Hotel California and Coldplay sounds like a bad idea till you hear it. Now Frank is writing and appearing on tunes for big time artist like Beyonce et all.

I love all the tracks he that features on Jay Z and Kanyes Watch the Throne album. If you haven't already download Nostalgia-Ultra mixtape get it now as it is a one of the best of last year with only The Weeknd scoring higher.

Odd Future cohort Frank Ocean is set to release lots of new stuff this year with a a full debut album in the works plus an appearance on Kanye West's forthcoming compilation album due in the spring.

Toronto project The Weeknd are back with the third mix tape of the year following the boundary-shattering debut House Of Balloons and the follow-up Thursday, and now they’ve released the much-awaited third to complete the trilogy, Echoes Of Silence is now ready to download from the bands website.

It kicks off with this tune D.D. a freaky dark version of Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana.

Download all 3 mix tapes on the official site the-weeknd.com