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Sam Hare 'Good Things Always' session
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May 2013 sees the digital release of Sam Hare’s Good Things Always EP, the long-awaited follow-up to his critically-acclaimed debut Down To the Sea. The EP features four brand new originals – the Delaney & Bonnie inspired title track Good Things Always, Never Say Never, Distant London and the haunting instrumental Low Tide – and serves as a taster of more Good Things to come on his next full album release. Sam is a Londoner who is best known as a blues artist, but as Down To the Sea proved, blues can be mixed with southern soul, country, americana and gospel to provide a melting pot of contemporary roots music. Blues in Britain magazine called the debut “…genre-defying”, while Guitarist magazine described him as “…a burgeoning talent…a seasoned pro…one to watch”. And Uncut wrote “…authentic, dense blues & country-soul…an impressive debut.” Sam has come up through the British Blues scene, playing alongside the fore-mentioned Matt Schofield and Ian Siegal, plus the likes of Jeremy Spencer, Buddy Whittington, Scott McKeon, Lee Sankey and Raphael Ravenscroft. He was also personally invited to guest with Bonnie Bramlett (of Delaney & Bonnie) a few years ago, and has recently opened up for Jack Bruce, Vintage Trouble, Mark Flanagan and James Hunter, as well as Schofield and Siegal. Sam has also written or co-written songs for the last three albums by Ian Siegal – The Dust, Broadside, and The Skinny, and co-wrote the opening track ‘All You Need’ with Matt Schofield for his first studio album Siftin’ Thru Ashes.
Rodina are singer Aoife Hearty and musician and song-writing partner Joe Tatton. After their well received debut album Over the Sun they have gone from strength to strength, culminating in their new remix album Rodina and the Wolf. With catchy songs and jazz-styled vocals Rodina's material is always ambient in nature but has traits of pop, rock and electronic music. Their latest material, produced in collaboration with electronica artist Christian Wolstenholme is the edgiest yet and has been compared to a cross between Massive Attack and Kate Bush. Singer Aoife is originally from Ireland and cites many singing influences including Astrud Gilberto, Chris Connor and Yasmin Levy. She also writes most of the material. Joe Tatton is the keyboard player in The New Mastersounds and also plays with The Haggis Horns and played on Corinne Bailey Rae's first album on Put Your Records On. Rodina and the Wolf are currently working on a new EP and there are plans for a third album. CD/digital on AM Records. As their live shows continue to charm audiences in the USA, Japan and Europe, The New Mastersounds have built on their own impressive musical heritage and produced a soulful, funk-drenched eighth studio album, recorded in downtown San Francisco. The record opens with You Mess Me Up - checkout the official video - a classic slice of organ funk, it’s confident, condensed, seasoned and shows a cracking statement of intent. This is followed up with some seriously funky, syncopated gems full of solos, inventive arrangements and some gang vocals here and there. Elsewhere, in a style developed at their epic live gigs, the band draws upon more modern musical forms. Each to Their Own and Summercamp are late-night jams, in-the-zone jazz with a shuffling four-to-the-floor backbone and rubbery basslines. Welcome to NOLA is an homage to the band’s spiritual home-town – New Orleans, where they have performed for the past 6 consecutive years - featuring guest vocals from local artist Papa Mali. The psychedelic Hammond-rock of Make Up Your Mind and Turncoat showcases another important musical angle that fans of the live band will be familiar with. Out on the Faultline is another corker of an album from these extremely productive stalwarts of the global funk & soul-jazz movement. CD/LP/digital on One Note Records / CD on P-Vine in Japan. Remote Control & All One Word, the first two albums by JetTricks, were interesting and thought provoking records. Tagged as intelligent lounge music in some quarters, the music of Paul Elliott and Jamie Lawrence has much more to it, blending a seventies songwriting approach with analogue recording techniques and the immediacy of skilled live musicianship. With Better Than Real Life Paul & Jamie take their vision a step further. From the humorous soul pop of Stephanie with the multi instrumentalist and tiger mask wearing Shawn Lee on the microphone, to the laidback hip hop rhymes of Fun Lovin’ Criminal Huey Morgan on See Us Through. And familiar faces are back with Motor City’s Marcus Malone featured on two blistering tracks and the haunting voice of Faye Houston on five tracks including the sublime Home & I Will Follow You. With an eye on the past and an ear for future grooves, Better Than Real Life leaves us in the present with an eclectic, imaginative and strong snapshot epitomising what modern soul and songwriting should be about. Digital album on Légère Recordings.
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According to The New Mastersounds guitarist/bandleader, Eddie Roberts, West Coast Sounds is more than simply a band name for his new endeavour, it’s a statement about where he’s at in his extraordinary life. Two years ago Eddie packed his gear and headed to his favourite city, San Francisco. He reconnected with Hammond B3 virtuoso and Boom Boom Room stalwart Wil Blades and found drummer Jermal Watson (Dirty Dozen Brass Band) on this year’s Jam Cruise. When Jazz Mafia horn players Joe Cohen (tenor sax) and Mike Olmos (trumpet) guested on The New Mastersounds album Out on the Faultline, Eddie had an epiphany "I realized how amazing they were, and it set an idea off, the addition of horns automatically changes the sound." Eddie produced It’s About Time at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland using house engineers live to tape in just three days with the main band, and a few more dedicated to horn overdubs. He mixed the record himself and it was mastered by engineer, John Cuniberti, who has worked with The Neville Brothers and the Grateful Dead. The result is a rich, vibrant recording with a palpable sense of immediacy. The band's interpretation of Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know is stunning and the album features 6 Eddie Roberts & the band originals. CD/digital on Tallest Man Records and CD on P-Vine in Japan.
We've been waiting for this moment! At long last Electric
Cowbell presents the mysterious dark and funky 'Diable Du Feu' from the elusive
Karthala 72. The sound of a 1970′s psychedelic freakout only heavier than
you ever heard it before! The new Karthala 72 album brings some seriously dark,
driving funk meets Afrobeat. There isn’t much on the group out there on the
internet. We can’t even figure out exactly where they are from but tribal
rhythms and hypnotic guitar echo to a time when the raw sound was king. Taking
influence from the traditional music of the Comoros, to Anatolian bazaar jazz to
the more familiar beat of percussion led afro-funk. This album is destined to
become a psych-world burner. Sounds like-or may remind you of-some psychedelic
moments with Wayne Shorter, Can, Miles Davis stirring his Bitches Brew, Sonny
Sharrock, Zambian-psych, Witch and some Now-Again excursions, soundtracks to
shamanic sessions, Iboga-house, and much much more! Limited edition full-length
140-gram vinyl in full-colour jacket on Electric Cowbell Records. Comes with
free full-colour vinyl sticker and free download card for 10 monster remixes on
Diable Du Feu - The Remixes!
Lack Of Afro brings forth his solid body of remix work
from his highly prolific career to date, including the likes of Hot 8 Brass
Band, Kraak & Smaak, and The New Mastersounds. In a remarkably short amount of
time, Adam Gibbons has amassed an extensive and varied body of
work. From his own recordings, featuring his multi instrumental skills, to
producing, DJ-ing and of course, remixing tracks by a huge range of different
artists. This 27 track, 2 disc collection
One Way - Remixes & Rarities brings
together the cream of Adams re-workings, some remixes of his own tracks by like
minded artists, and excitingly some unreleased material that sees the
light of day for the first time on this killer collection of funk fuelled,
dance floor fodder. With so much material to choose from, putting together this
compilation was almost an embarrassment of riches. CD
on Freestyle Records. | |
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Big World Publishing |
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