News & Updates — soul!

One of the infamous Beale Streeters of Memphis (along with BB King, Johnny Ace, Junior Parker and others), Bobby "Blue" Bland was an incredible singer dubbed "The Sinatra of the Blues". As he never went to school and never learned how to read, his illiteracy found him signing contracts at cut-rate royalty deals early in his career. Nevertheless he found great chart success in the late 50s/early 60s with "Farther Up The Road", "I Pity The Fool", "Cry Cry Cry" and "Turn On Your Lovelight". He had a nice comeback during the 70s with His California Album and Dreamer. Despite...

Perhaps the single most important name in Jamaican music and one of the most important record producers the world over, Clement "Coxone" Dodd helped bring ska (and eventually reggae) to the world. Youthful visits to the US allowed him to hear and import new records to Jamaica for play on his sound-system. He started several labels, including the iconic Studio 1, which created the national music of ska. Bob Marley and Lee Perry were early employees and Studio 1 produced songs for virtually every Jamaican artist. Studio 1 stands as somewhat like a Jamaican equivalent to Motown, a black-owned success...

The much loved R&B icon Etta James sang classics like "Tell Mama", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "At Last", "Seven Day Fool", the funky "All The Way Down" and many more. A Los Angeles native, she started singing in the church as a child. She got an early jump when Johnny Otis helped nurture her young career before she signed with Chess in 1960, her label for many years. She dated BB King, sang with Chuck Berry, toured with the Rolling Stones and her music covered doo-wop, gospel, ballads, R&B, blues, jazz, soul, funk & rock. Dig one of my faves...

It's always legit to have Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears back on the scene with new music and a tour. The veteran Austin TX-based band has several raucous records and are an entertaining live act. Boozy & garagey, they mix R&B, punk & blues with Daptone-esque horns, a concoction that is groovy and nasty. Taken from their forthcoming fifth LP Backlash, produced by Stewart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, Cat Power) and out Feb 10, "PTP" (Power to the Pussy) is a sexually charged romp of a song that sounds like Stax-gone-garage. They've made a fun animated video for the tune...

Sweet soul, Chicano style! Thee Baby Cuffs, a harmony group out of San Jose's East Side, team with members of the Bay Area-based M-Tet backing them to make this cover of a 1970 soul tune "Where Did Peace Go" (by Larry Saunders). Retitled "Where Did Our Pride Go", this reworded cover includes a dig at Donald Trump within! There's some sweet voices and nice Hammond organ. Dig the vocal version, with an instrumental on the flip. Only 500 pressed from Raza del Soul, to be released on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo). Check it out right here: Where Did Our...