Joss Stone - Water for Your Soul

The concept of Joss Stone's seventh studio release began to take shape following the formation of SuperHeavy, the multicultural, cross-generational group that released an awkward if free-spirited album in 2011, just before The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 materialized. Among Stone's bandmates was Damian Marley, who implored the singer to cut a reggae album. Stone was hesitant at first but conceded, perhaps realizing that a drastic switch in her vocal approach would not be required. (She wouldn't even have to avoid using the word "soul" in the album's title.) More importantly, Marley wasn't fooling. He followed through and co-produced this with Stone. The duo devised a set of songs that often uses reggae as a foundation but incorporates a familiar mix of soul, rock, and roots music with light accents from tablas, Irish fiddles, and flamenco guitar. Even when the album deviates most from the singer's previous releases -- specifically in "Way Oh," during its chorus and forced-sounding references to a "buffalo soldier," likely a nod to Marley's father -- Water for Your Soul always sounds like Joss Stone. Her voice remains in debt to classic soul as much as ever. Additionally, she continues to switch from emotion to emotion with full-bore conviction. From one song to another, there are some extreme swings in sentiment. In "Let Me Breathe," she begs for release from a stifling relationship she cannot resist. She follows it with the exasperated "Cut the Line" -- fluid and dubwise, the album's song with the most surface appeal -- where "I can't get over how you're shutting me out" is delivered with the same amount of "help me out here" force. While one can always sense the pain and joy in the mere sound of Stone's voice, some of the songs' lines provoke head scratching rather than knowing nods. Through deep, repeated listening, the album increasingly resembles ragtag emoting. Heard passively, it's all pleasant summertime listening.

 

 

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Xavier Rudd & The United Nations - Nanna

Flanked by new band the United Nations – comprised of musicians from Australia, Africa, Samoa, Germany and New Guinea – Xavier Rudd serves up what he has dubbed his "dream project". A thick reggae influence dominates Nanna – "Flag" is pure Marley – but Rudd adds his twists and his band weave in their individual world music flavours: the swirling Andean atmosphere of the title track and the modern indigenous feel of "Rainbow Serpent' in particular add a nice contrast to the LP's dominant sound. For the most part, Nanna is a beautiful celebration of global sound, the only flaw being that Rudd's own unique voice gets a little lost in all that egalitarianism.

 

 

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Fat Freddy's Drop - Bays (2015)

If you’re already quite familiar with FFD’s genre-splicing and casual beat-dropping, then you’ll likely find a lot to love in Bays. Staying mostly true to that dub/reggae ethos, the New Zealanders have managed to suppress any urges to branch out with phoned-in collaborations with guest vocalists (although Food-era Kelis would certainly fit the bill) or mess around too much with the agreed formula. Beginning with ‘Wairunga Blues’, a swinging opener that does enough to pique your interest through its slow-burning and alluring groove, it’s not until the following track ‘Slings and Arrows’ that the album really bursts into life: a quickfire drum fill gives way to an uplifting horn section that’ll no doubt whip audiences worldwide into a mass skank-off.

The techno style of ‘Razor’ is probably the biggest change of pace on the record in terms of the band’s sound – presenting the listener with an unrelenting and rather intimidating beat that insists and insists throughout its eight-minute duration, it’s the mark of producer John Faiumu daring to push the band’s sound to unfamiliar territories. And, as such, it’s a little discomforting – following track ‘Makkan’s chilled, shuffling style is a welcome antidote to the strange and unusual trip that the previous song takes you on; a sensation that’s returned to when the similarly techno-focused ‘Cortina Motors’ kicks into life towards the end of the album.

The centrepiece of this intriguing record, however, is ‘Fish in the Sea’. The second longest track here, Joe Dukie’s Dr. Seuss-leaning lyrics about life’s struggles (“my wife needs a wish from the magic fish”) are enough of a draw to permit his band’s instrumentation to gradually build unnoticed around it, and, whilst it doesn’t explode into any kind of epic crescendo, it’s still the most delightful, smile-inducing moment on the record. You get the feeling that, when performed live, this and many of the songs on Bays could go anywhere – they all serve as a blueprint for the live arena, where FFD really do excel in letting their songs come into their own.

By Sam Moore

 

 

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Marcelinho da Lua - Social

Marcelinho da Lua is a Brazilian reggae/samba/dub/electronic music producer, singer and DJ. Released in 2007, Social brings together a great mix of funk, samba, reggae and dub along with electronic beats.
The album also features special guests such as B-Negao and Tonho Crocco.
Check it!

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The Cat Empire - Steal The Light

This is the sixth studio album from Melbourne's-own Cat Empire, and the first as an independent release.  Almost ten years on from the debut which featured the massive hits Hello and Days Like These, the band have had a huge amount of success at home, in Europe and across the globe.
 
Steal The Light is a pretty enjoyable record, led by excellent opening track and lead single Brighter Than Gold, which makes me feel like I'm in a Guy Ritchie film.  However, at times there's a little too much mucking around, with tracks like Sleep Won't Sleep sometimes feeling like they're an excuse for band members to explore their favourite pre-recorded keyboard sound effects.
 
Overall the album feels a bit less pop and a bit more exploratory than their other work in recent times.  Many tracks including Wild Animals and Prophets In The Sky have had their live debut and received rave responses from fans, and although brilliant live bands like The Cat Empire can sometimes fail to translate to recording with the same energy as they have on stage, both tracks are still highlights here. 

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Fat Freddy's Drop - Blackbird (2013)

Let's start from just over halfway through the third album by Fat Freddy's Drop. It's the point where it goes beautifully bonkers, and showcases the band as not only the kings of laid-back and lilting epics but brain-rattling beat and soul mantras.
The first half of Blackbird is just what you expect to hear from Fat Freddy's. But then Soldier starts, soothingly at first, before the pressure drops, an eerie sonar sound takes hold and it plumbs the sonic depths, all with a nod to dub great Augustus Pablo. And from Soldier it ramps up into the pinging future funk of Never Moving, then Mother Mother moves from Caribbean trance done Aotearoa-style with big booming stabs of brass to stealth techno soul, and instrumental finale Bohannon grooves, grinds and bops away, taking you on one last enchanting trip.

 

 

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Soundtrack - Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

Writer-director Guy Ritchie's street-tough look at London's decrepit underworld and the unsavory dealings of four best friends whose cockiness is undercut by some serious trouble features a soundtrack of quick dialogue sound clips, a smattering of classic rock, pop, and reggae, and a few current submissions as well. Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves," known most to rock audiences by the Clash cover, is a great piece of political resistance and laidback dub groove. James Brown's "The Payback" and "The Boss" and Iggy and The Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog" stake out the sharp end, while the late Dusty Springfield paints the softer corner with "Spooky." Ocean Colour Scene delivers the backwards guitar driven "100 Mile High City," and Stretch's "Why Did You Do It?" is a great recreation of early '70s soul.

Tracklist: 1. Hundred Mile High City - Ocean Colour Scene

2. HortifucKinculturist - Steven Mackintosh

3. Police And Thieves - Junior Murvin

4. Spooky - Dusty Springfield

5. Muppets - P.H. Moriarty/Lenny Mclean/Victor McGuire

6. The Boss - James Brown

7. Walk This Land - E-Z Rollers

8. Blaspheming Barry - Lenny Mclean

9. I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges

10. It's Kosher - Jason Flemyng/Stephen Marcus

11. Why Did You Do It - Stretch

12. I've Been Shot - Steve Sweeny/Frank Harper

13. Oh Girl - Evil Superstars

14. Guns 4 Show Knives 4 A Pro - Nick Moran/Dexter Fletcher

15. Zorba The Greek - John Murphy/David Hughes

16. The Payback - James Brown

17. It's Been Emotional - Vinnie Jones

18. 18 With A Bullet - Pete Wingfield

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The Strides - Reclamation

With their explosive melting pot of Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip-Hop and Dancefloor jazz, 10-piece ensemble THE STRIDES has already won over a steadfast following in Australia. After a lengthy series of gigs that includes supporting afrobeat legend Tony Allen and becoming a headline act at both the Bellingen Global Carnival and Peats Ridge Festival, this dynamic outfit is ready to launch its new album “Reclamation” on Record Kicks. With a heavy rhythm section and a powerful 3-piece horn section, The Strides deliver a captivating blend of funky afrobeat, roots reggae, hip hop grooves, dubbed out beats, and hypnotic rhythms.

Featuring vocals by reggae master Ras Roni from Trinidad via London and rising hip hop star from Fiji MC Lil Gzeus (Little Jesus) over the super skanky, infectious, horn-heavy grooves of the band, “Reclamation” perfectly showcases the mighty force of The Strides’ innovative sound. From afrobeat-infused instrumental romps such as “Umbi Gumbi” and “Well Hung Parliament” to hip hop stormers such as first single “Reclamation”, to hints of roots reggae on "Storm Cloud" and "Fresh Lady", Australia's best kept secret The Strides impressively mix and combine a series of genres, and the result is something special, indeed!

”Boasting 10 fired-up members and wasting no time in following up their impressive self-titled debut, Sydney's The Strides return with frisk in their gait for eight new tunes straddling dub to Afrobeat, hip-hop to exotic jazz.” – The Sydney Morning Herald

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Sebastian Sturm - This Change Is Nice

Sebastian Sturm’s debut album “This Change is nice“ takes both critics and lovers of classic roots rock reggae by surprise. The 70s off-beat interpretation by the native of Aachen, Germany, with German-Indonesian roots is met with acclaim and instantly propels him onto the European scene.

In contrast to the relaxed tempo of his roots sound and the dancehall scene, Sebastian quickly becomes a shooting star in the world of Caribbean sounds. Driven by the decades-long experience of the Jin-Jin band, Sebastian’s concerts form an integral part of festival stages in Bersenbrück (Reggaejam), Cologne (Summerjam), Paris (Zenith), Bordeaux (Reggae Sun Ska) all the way to Udine (Rototom) in Italy.

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Chinese Man - Racing With The Sun

The French collective Chinese Man centres on DJs High Ku and Zé Mateo and beatmaker Sly.They may be based in Marseilles but their hip-hop vision is global – for latest album Racing With The Sun, the trio, plus assorted international guests, adopt a continental Supermarket Sweep approach that is Gorillaz-like in its eclecticism.Over predominantly dubby beats, Chinese Man embroider African, Asian and Latin influences, precise scratching and a mass of obscure samples, from Canadian folk group The Wailin’ Jennys for the title track to a line from the French version of Easy Rider to end Down.The quirky, dub-heavy Miss Chang (sampling Chinese singing and with lyrics from Taiwan MC and California’s Cyph4), the defiant, Arab Spring-influenced Stand (blending Middle Eastern strings and melismatic singing with samples from US Civil Rights speeches), and the energetic JOGJA (with Indonesian rapping from M2MX and Kill The DJ) are highlights in a good-natured set that largely boils its many ingredients down to an appealing syrup of mellow instrumental vibes.

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Damian "Jr Gong" Marley - Halfway Tree

Covering everything from roots reggae to dancehall, culture to (mild) slackness, and hip-hop to R&B, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's sophomore offering, Halfway Tree, bridges the gap between several disparate Jamaican sounds. "Where Is The Love?"--set to a slinky American R&B rhythm--juxtaposes the youngest Marley's roughneck toasting against Ruff Ryder Eve's assertive feminist rap. His posh uptown pedigree can be observed in the smooth grooves and salsa-infected vibes of the Sly & Robbie-produced "She Needs My Love," which also showcases graceful vocalization by Yami Bolo. "Catch a Fire," featuring brother Stephen's raw silk harmonies, drops some straightforward African diaspora history in a classic roots reggae style, deconstructing and updating their father Bob's classic "Slave Driver." Overall, Halfway Tree is above average, and "Give Dem Some Way" is the album's most outstanding selection. After opening with a truly funny spoken-word intro, a funky bass-drum-and-flute "wild apache" beat kicks in, and then Jr. Gong and talented newcomer Izzy set it off for the educated rude-bwoy youth.

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The Red Eyes - Red Army

The Red Eyes, “Melbourne’s very own Reggae Superstars” (PBS FM), have firmly established their position as one of Australia’s leading original Dub/Reggae acts. They have received critical acclaim for ‘Red Army’ (2010), including a nomination for ‘Best Blues & Roots Album’ at the 2010 Australian Independent Record Label Awards and ‘Album of the Week’ on PBS FM and Radio Australia.
Founded in 2002, The Red Eyes brings together 7 multi-instrumentalist musicians who deliver an explosive live sound that combines masterful beats and shake the house dub rhythms with heartfelt lyrics that provide unique antipodean spin on the broad Reggae genre. The band is led on stage by enigmatic front man El Witeri (2011 APRA Songwriter Award Finalist) who draws on his New Zealand upbringing and Maori heritage for inspiration. Witeri introduces and closes each show in Maori to represent himself and welcome people into the whanau (family), creating a sense of community and openness that fans and new audiences are drawn to.
Red Army is expertly produced dub goodness…full character, tight, catchy and brimming with soul.

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DJ Vadim - U Can't Lurn Imaginashun

Early in his career, DJ Vadim was a specialist. His specialty was shadowy ambient breakbeat, and it provided some of the highlights to appear on Ninja Tune, which was a very fine label indeed. Since then, he's branched out and matured, able to float all manner of beat-centric forms. That's exactly what happens on U Can't Learn Imaginashun, and virtually every track is the type of high-quality jam that could survive on its own. (It's easy to imagine the praise a DJ would get for his range if he aired the 18 tracks here in a DJ set.) Though he starts with dancehall, Vadim spends a lot of time in hip-hop, but with many variations on the form: classic hip-hop, digitalia, East Coast hardcore, and slow-grind R&B. Vadim also gets the most out of his obscure cast of featured guests, including a pair of serviceable East Coasters named Juice Lee and Rjay, the outre R&B vocalist Sabirajade (who appears on three great tracks, including the deep-grooving "Thrill Seeker"), and Chicago veteran Pugs Atomz (who appears on "Saturday" and "Always Lady," a pair of completely different settings). Oddly enough, the variety on tap can make for a scattered listen, but U Can't Learn Imaginashun  is studded with great tracks.

 

 

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Barrington Levy - Poorman Style (1982)

Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, this great example of early dancehall is a short and sweet classic. Many will recognise some of the riddims from Freddie McGregor's Big Ship album. Levy's vocals warble over the steady beats and deep bass with lyrical content ranging from the lovers rock of "She Is the Best Girl" and "Rob and Gone" to the tribulations of Jamaican life in "Poor Man Style" and "Man Give Up." The ganja anthem "Sensimelea" is also here. The production from Linval Thompson is solid and the mixing from Scientist, which means some precision dub effects mainly on the drums and vocals, puts the icing on the cake. These effects work brilliantly all through the album, but especially on "I Can't Wait too Long"; probably my favourite track on this strong set.

 

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TY - Special Kind Of Fool

International hip hop artist hailing from the UK, Ty hits us in Spring 2010 with his fourth studio album Special Kind of Fool, on BBE Records.

As one of the most revolutionary rappers on the British hip-hop scene, Ty embodies the intellect, talent and ferocity of an MC always destined to become a legend. Over the last decade, the Mercury Prize nominee has achieved the rare feat of establishing a legacy through his three albums and wise persona, strengthened by his amazing worldwide shows and countless appearances alongside luminaries such as De La Soul, Tony Allen and Pee Wee Ellis. Musically, he's also worked with Estelle, Scratch Perverts, Talib Kweli, Black Twang, Arrested Development, Bahamadia and Zion I, both in front and behind the mixing desk, further proof of his relentless artistry and his evolution from roguish wordsmith from South London to an internationally-acclaimed hip-hop connoisseur.

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Nappy Riddem - One World Sovereignty

Rex Riddem and Mustafa Akbar, better known as Nappy Riddem, have created a funky sound, drawing on everything from soul to reggae — and the duo’s debut release, One World Sovereignty, hooks the listener from the very beginning with touches of all these influences and more. The self-titled opening track proclaims the album’s mission: “It’s so profound when the beat comes round, we get down like this/ We are the funktified soul providers Nappy Riddem project.” Riddem and Akbar are going to deliver some funky tunes and “make ‘em sweat.” You will be shaking yo’ ass by the middle of the first song — they bring in a jazzy horn section and a funky guitar, and the result is incredibly danceable.

But it’s not just the funky tuneage that makes this album so memorable. By the second track, the men of Nappy Riddem are commenting on the state of things in the world: “reciprocity is a million-man dream,” but “times are so hard, the devil need a bodyguard.” The vocal harmony is fantastic and again, there is a great mix of jazzy horns and sick beats, this time with the addition of singing keys. These guys are definitely gifted composers.

“Ease Up” and “Angle It” are sexy tracks with pure reggae vibes. They do have a bit of a stereotypical rap feel in the lyrics, talking about sexy girls in short mini-skirts, but they’re still fun and funky and have just as much musicality as the more serious songs on One World Sovereignty. And the album does anything but get boring — there are elements of dub on “Soundboy Wake the Sound,” and a slowed-down soul feel on “Suspicious Love.”

“One World Sovereignty,” is simply an incredible tune. The opening guitar is beautiful and catchy, the vocal harmonies are exquisite, and the lyrics are tight and eloquent, drawing on an impressive variety of sources for inspiration: “Biological and chemical warfare/ everybody talk about Iraq, but what about the war here?” and, drawing (presumably) from Maya Angelo’s poem, “Now I know why the caged bird sings/ how can you hold me captive? I’m a natural born king.” Though lamenting the state of things in the world, the overall message is positive: “it’s time for us to be the chance we want to see.” A wonderful closer to a strong album.

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The Herbaliser - There Were Seven

The Herbaliser emerged in the mid-1990s as an instrumental duo on Coldcut’s Ninja Tune roster. They specialised in a form of sonic bricolage that Coldcut described as ‘funkjazzticaltricknology’, which encouraged you to make connections between disparate forms of music and challenged you to spot unusual samples.
Their first album in four years drifts between genres, be it the martial roots reggae of Welcome To Extravagance, the Portishead-ish trip hop of The Lost Boy or the spooky Ethiopian-tinged funk of Deep In The Woods. However, their default setting is making short, bombastic instrumentals that borrow heavily from classic movie soundtracks. These make great backing tracks for rappers and the best tracks here are the ones featuring highbrow Canadian duo Twin Peaks – particularly the deliciously spooky, blaxploitation-themed Crimes And Misdemeanours.

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Amplexos - Musica Da Alma

Há seis anos na estrada, o Amplexos lança no dia 31 de Outubro seu segundo álbum, A Música da Alma, com produção de Buguinha Dub (Nação Zumbi, Mundo Livre) e Jorge Luiz Almeida.

O trabalho tem como principal influência a música negra, aquela que vem dos guetos e periferias do mundo. “A Música da Alma é uma música essencialmente espiritual, que surgiu a partir do nosso contato com a música jamaicana, com o afrobeat, com o funk, que são músicas feitas pelo povo, para mover as pessoas de seus lugares, seja através da dança, da transcendência ou mesmo pela busca de um auto-conhecimento”.

O disco foi todo gravado ao vivo no estúdio Caos & Vitrola, em Volta Redonda-RJ, cidade natal da banda, mixado por Buguinha Dub no estúdio Mundo Novo e masterizado por Gustavo Lenza no estúdio Yb em São Paulo. O projeto gráfico é da artista Ana Costa, com fotos de Marina Coni.

Desde Maio deste ano, o Amplexos tem feito alguns shows ao lado de Oghene Kologbo, guitarrista nigeriano que gravou mais de 30 álbuns com Fela Kuti e tem visitado o Brasil com frequência. “Ouvimos muito os discos do Fela Kuti e Africa 70 pra compor o álbum e, de repente, o Kologbo estava ensaiando com a gente em Volta Redonda! O cara nos estimulou a levar o equipamento pras ruas e a tocar pra todo tipo de gente, o que foi e tem sido fundamental pra gente perceber que a nossa música pode ser absorvida por qualquer pessoa”.

A banda já fez inúmeras apresentações nas ruas do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Volta Redonda, e a ideia é espalhar a Música da Alma. “Nós ganhamos muita coisa com essa música, ela provocou na gente uma revolução interna sem tamanho, e a ideia agora é devolver ao mundo. É como uma missão para aproximar as pessoas de algo maior.”

 

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The Lions - Jungle Struttin

The Lions are something of an underground Los Angeles supergroup -- an ad hoc assemblage of current and former members of bands as diverse as Breakestra, Sound Directions, PlantLife, Orgone, and Poetics, among others. In late 2006 this motley crew of rock and funk musicians came together at Killion Studios and put together a ragged but enjoyable set of reggae, soul, and funk. There's no electronica here, no synthetically smooth soully and jazzy reggae, just lean and crunchy old-school grooves that sound like they could have been recorded and mixed at Dynamic Studios or the Black Ark in the early '70s. Opening with the dubwise slide guitar showcase "Thin Man Skank" (somewhere David Lindley is smiling), Jungle Struttin' then proceeds to explore instrumental funk ("Jungle Struttin'"), vintage rocksteady ("Think [About It]," featuring the fine and soulful singer Noelle Scaggs), and even some faintly Latin grooves ("Hot No Ho," "Cumbia de Lion"). "Lankershim Dub" is a melodica showcase in the style of Augustus Pablo, and "Fluglin' at Dave's" combines a mellow jazz horn sound with Skatalites-style early reggae. That last track is great, but would have been even better if the flügelhorn were in tune. Very nice overall.            

 

 

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Monty Alexander - Stir It Up The Music Of Bob Marley

The Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander has worked with musicians such as Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Rollins, but over the years he has always managed to wed North American improvisation to reggae and Jamaican folk rhythms. This CD is a happy hybrid of all of the above. Alexander weaves his American rhythm section consisting of drummer Troy Davis, bassist Hassan Shakur, and guitarist Derrick Di Cenzo with the five-man Jamaican ensemble Gumption--who back up dancehall stars like Buju Banton: drummer Rolando Alphonso, guitarist Robert Angus, keyboardist Dwight Dawes, bassist Glen Brownie, and percussionist Desy Jones. The result: Imagine the Nat King Cole Trio sitting in with the Wailers and you'll get the CD's boppish island-breezed vibe. Alexander and crew stick to Marley's melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures. Spliff anthem "Jamming," title tune "Kaya," and "Could You Be Loved" can rock any sports utility vehicle or summer festival, while "Heathen" rings with Alexander's raindrop chords, piercing melodica, and ethereal tonal shadings. The ska-guitar scratches drive "Is This Love?" and Alexander's gospelish pianisms echo Marley's loving laments on "No Woman No Cry." Steve Turre makes a guest appearance and his splendid seashell sound heralds "I Shot the Sheriff." Alexander's plaintive composition "Nesta"--Marley's middle name--is spiced by Jones's Rastafarian nyabinghi conga rhythms and completes this jazzy "jump up" carnival.
Alexander effectively and infectiously fuses jazz and reggae into a cohesive sound that may portend the future of one-world music without boundaries or labels.

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