A Joyful Sound by Kelly Finnigan

 


"A Joyful Sound" is a future soul classic with all the elements of a classic R&B record, but simply with a joyful holiday lean. With an all-star supporting cast of who's who from the contemporary soul scene this record is truly a family affair with Kelly at the wheel. Featuring members of Durand Jones & The Indications, The Dap-Kings, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Monophonics, Thee Sinseers, Orgone, Ikebe Shakedown, Jason Joshua & The Beholders, The True Loves, Neal Francis, Jungle Fire, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Ben Pirani, The Jive Turkeys, The Ironsides, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Rudy De Anda, Alanna Royale, and more! Inspired by records like Atlantic's "Soul Christmas", Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You" and Rotary Connection's "Peace" this album will be a record that will appeal not only to lovers of holiday music, but lovers of SOUL music in general!
This is Kelly Finnigan's third full-album production in just under two years, including his debut LP "The Tales People Tell" and Monophonics' most recent effort "It's Only Us". He is rapidly establishing himself as a key producer, songwriter, and performer in the current soul scene.
released November 24, 2020

Another Shot Fired by The Tibbs

 


Record Kicks pres. "Another Shot Fired" the sophomore album by Dutch Premiere soul band The Tibbs.
Record Kicks proudly present the The Tibbs new album "Another Shot Fired" coming out on CD – LP – Digital November 20th. Recorded at Electric Monkey in Amsterdam, produced by Paul Willemsen (Lefties Soul Connection, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions) and mastered in Nashville by Soul veterans Bob Olhsson, who used to cut vinyl for Motown back in the day.
"Another Shot Fired" is the second studio album from the Dutch soul combo and introduces a new singer to the project, the young super-talentedRoxanne Hartogwho penned the lyrics of most of the songs on the album.
On the new album the formula remains the same employed by classic soul record labels like Stax and Motown: a super tight house band, first class production, some wicked arrangments and a signature vocalist. Think- The Marvellets, Booker T and the MGs, James Brown, The Supremes.
From the smashing opener "The Main Course" to the last dark instrumental groover "Circeo" the 12 tracks of the new album prooves that The Tibbs can do no wrong. The sound is vintage, gritty and raw with some extra doses of RNR on the bluesy number "Mama Says" and even throws in some sun soaked reggae vibes in their title track "Another Shot Fired". Roxanne is perfectly at ease and brings the heat as she sweats her way through each number while the rest of the band deliver their unique super tight blend of garage soul.
Based around Amsterdam, The Tibbs took off in 2012 - fronted by Elsa Bekman – covering a lesser-trodden path, combining special soul classics with rare beat instrumentals. Their increasing popularity quickly led to a natural desire to expand their repertoire, beyond the confines of others' thinking outside the traditional box and creating their own unique soulful creations.
Working right from the start with producer Paul Willemsen (Beans & Fatback, Lefties Soul Connection, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions), the first EP "Cleaned Out" debuted in 2014. Later that year, the German funk label Tramp Records released their debut single – "Footprints In The Sand/Cleaned Out". Two years later, The Tibbs' first LP, "Takin' Over" marked their debut with Milan based imprint Record Kicks. The singles "Next Time" and "The Story Goes" received critical acclaim on radio stations throughout Europe and North America and the 45s flew out the door in record time.
The release of "Takin' Over" delivered the band far richer rewards. Playing sold-out venues in both Milan and Frankfurt. The Tibbs' profile rose further still with wonderful festival performances in Germany and Hungary, followed by a successful sold-out tour of Spain. In late 2018, Elsa decided to follow her heart and focus on a solo career. The Tibbs duly began their search for a truly worthy successor, bringing astonishing vocalist Roxanne Hartog and the band together for the first time.

With new recordings in the bag and a great new album about to be released, The Tibbs are once more ready for lift off.

released November 20, 2020

Rainbow In Your Cloud by Myles Sanko - Legere recordings


Legere recordings 

Myles Sanko is very pleased to unveil “Rainbow In Your Cloud”, the second single taken from his forthcoming new album “Memories of Love”. The album will be released on Friday 12th March 2021 and is now available for pre-order in limited edition gatefold, deluxe edition CD and digital versions. “Rainbow In Your Cloud” launches with a freshly filmed music video, recorded up in the clouds of the Pyrenees-Orientales mountains.
“Rainbow In Your Cloud” reverberates atmosphere with its funky backbeat and beautiful vocals. This is one of the songs fans will already be familiar with from some of his more recent concerts. When speaking of his intention behind the song, Myles explains “This song is a celebration of love. Letting everyone know that you've finally found meaningful love worth shouting about and expressing to the world. Even though your world might seem cloudy and grey at times, don't you worry because there is a colourful rainbow inside ready to come out. I know this because I’ve been there so many times.” The song is a classic Myles Sanko upbeat ballad, with heartfelt lyrics that evoke hope. He abandons logic for a mere chance at seeing love's promise bloom. Myles’ beautiful vocals is accompanied by his long-time band, who also collaborated so magnificently on Just Being Me, featuring pianist Tom O’Grady, bassist Jon Mapp, guitarist Phil Stevenson, drummer Rick Hudson, saxophonist Gareth Lumbers, trumpeter Samuel Ewens and trombonist David Liddell, plus a powerful backing vocals performance from Jaelee Small, Chantal Brown and Chris Moncrieff.
“This album is my most personal album yet, each song is a memory of love, a story of love, good or bad, happy or sad. Love is not always as we picture it in fairy tales but a work in progress for as long as we choose to love. Over the years I have written love songs and most of them have some reality in them but also a lot of fiction. Maybe this was because I wasn't truly ready to share that part of me in a way that I am definitely more comfortable doing now. I'd say becoming a father has changed my outlook and made me a little more brave and accepting of myself”.
“Memories Of Love” is an album full of dedication. The soul poetry of Myles Sanko allows you to find a home in it which Myles hopes creates space for a healing effect. His journey took him to many stages, places and homes. With this album, it is certainly the most interesting and intriguing stop of this journey yet.


 

SIROCCO b​/​w NYMPHAEA by THE DIASONICS

 


The Diasonics from Moscow, Russia bring two dope sides of what they describe as "hussar funk" - a style that seamlessly blends infectious deep funk instrumentals, east european flavours and psychedelic echoings. On this 7inch, their mystique vibe is complemented by a Koto - a japanese zither - that adds a samourai flic twist to the sovietsploitation groove of the band. File under "outernational" or "unusual funk".

releases November 27, 2020

I Feel Love - The Organauts by Superfly Funk & Soul Records



Now firmly based in Northern Ireland, Hammond Organ Trio, The Organauts, were drawn together in 2015 by a bond that stretched from Belfast to Belgium. Musicians Jeroen, Eleanor and Chipper let the sixties jazz milieu and legendary artists, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Brian Auger and The Sonics influence their unique blend of funk and soul.
The Organauts have performed their intoxicating mix of instrumental soul, garage and rock 'n’ roll to audiences spanning Ireland, UK and Europe, opening for legendary acts such as Smoove & Turrell and The Link Quartet.
Having mesmerised audiences with their infectious energy on stage, The Organauts aim to capture this on record with the release of their debut single 'I Feel Love', a cover of the 1977 hit by the 'Queen of Disco', Donna Summer. With bombastic power chords and invigorating electric guitar riffs, The Organauts will have you put on your dancing shoes with their take on this well known classic.

releases November 27, 2020

The Jet Leg feat. Ryo Nakata (Osaka Monaurail) / Wolf (Instrumental) by Q​.​A​.​S​.​B.

 

Y Su Descarga Internacional by bosq


Cape Cod, Massachusetts born & Medellín, Colombia based, Bosq has been tirelessly exploring the intersections of Afro-Latin music with Disco, Funk, Reggae, House and Hip Hop for years. 

Bosq’s most fully realized project to date, picks up where 2018’s Love & Resistance left off, filled with Disco and Funk steeped in Afro Latin rhythms and influences. The results reflect his unique vision and finds more genre defying dance floor amalgamations and less of the clearly traceable homages from some of his earlier work. Bosq pairs again with longtime collaborator, the Benin born, Fela Kuti & Egypt 80 alumni Kaleta, as well as new ones like Nidia Góngora, K.O.G, and Justo Valdez of Son Palenque.
The album is Bosq’s first full project since relocating from Boston to Medellín, Colombia, a little over 3 years ago. The move stemmed from a reevaluation of what it means to contribute and be a part of a musical community vs. merely borrowing the sounds that inspired him from afar. Part of this meant not rushing to release music influenced by his new surroundings, but studying with local music teachers, developing relationships with artists and studios throughout the country, and getting his bearings in the day to day life of a new country and a new language.
Bosq elaborates, “This album contains the experiences, inspiration, frustration and magic of my first few years living in Medellín, Colombia after moving here from Boston, all wrapped into album form. After years of working with musicians and styles from around the world from my old homebase, I started to honestly reevaluate what I was doing. Appropriation tends to be an easy catch all, but more deeply I was wondering, am I contributing something or am I only borrowing? Can I really understand the music that’s inspiring me just by listening to it? I wanted my work to be more authentic artistically, but more important to me is getting to a point where my music is giving something back and creating value for the musicians who are keeping the traditions of this music alive. If I’m making music inspired by Afro Latin rhythms and sounds, then any success I have, needs to create success for people in those communities as well.”
The transition, while awe inspiring and exciting, was not always easy. Everything from government bureaucracy to an on-the-fly electrician lesson in order to avoid constant equipment shocks from grounding issues at his new studio, made for a few extra months of frustrating delays.
Once he finally settled into his new home studio in the lush mountains surrounding Medellín, Bosq began to sketch out what would eventually become this album. The skeletons of the songs all took form there, recorded piece by piece and layer by layer, playing & writing as much as he could himself until the songs seemed ready to become something more. From there, trips to Bogotá to record horn sections in Mambo Negro Records, Cartagena to collaborate with Colombian Folkloric music legend Justo Valdez, and New York City to reunite with Kaleta provided the material to flesh out this growing collection of tracks.
The results are a varied but cohesive collection of songs most definitely geared towards the dance floor or festival grounds without giving up anything in terms of musical complexity. The sound is organic and could easily be mistaken for a live band at first listen, but years of touring the world as a DJ have given Bosq the sensitivity to give just enough of an electronic edge to make the tracks shake a modern sound system like a proper house track. The vibrancy this combination brings to any party has been noted by DJ’s around the world, with the first two singles, “Rumbero” & “Wake Up” topping both vinyl and digital sales charts and racking up plays from everyone from Detroit Swindle to Yuksek to Crazy P.

The rest of the album expertly weaves threads of Cumbia, Afrobeat, Salsa, Calypso, Antillean styles & Tropical Soul into Disco & Funk anchored tapestries that in most cases defy easy genre classifications. The record is not only a love letter to the musical melting pot of Colombia that Bosq now calls home, but his attempt to truly add something new and unique to the current musical landscape in a way that respects the originators, in part by not following their blueprints too precisely.
Bosq’s music has seen consistent play from the likes of Gilles Peterson & Craig Charles on the BBC, KCRW, RinseFM & other legendary radio stations, while DJ’s like Kerri Chandler, Poolside, Yuksek, Palms Trax, Soul Clap, & GUTS give his tunes constant rotation in clubs and at festivals. Tours have taken Bosq across North & South America, Europe, and Asia, to clubs and festivals like Rakastella (Miami), OYA (Oslo), Boomtown Fair (UK) and many more. He has shared stages with the likes of Joe Claussel, Bobbito, J Rocc & Tony Touch to name a few. His music has been featured in films and television such as The Catch, You’re The Worst, Broad City, and more.

released October 23, 2020


Dear Sunny​.​.​. by Various Artists

 Big crown records


Big Crown Records is proud to present Dear Sunny… a compilation of Sunny & The Sunliners covers by Big Crown artists.

Since the first time we heard “Should I Take You Home” by Sunny & The Sunliners, we have been avid fans. That record, which we were introduced to on MF Classy Chris’ now legendary mixtape, The Time Is Right, set a lot of things in motion. It started of course with tracking down copies and collecting all of Sunny’s records for our personal collections. That quickly turned into the desire to reissue some of his vast catalog on our label for the rest of the world to hear. We got in touch with Sunny and his son David and brought the idea to them. It took a lot of phone calls, a visit to their home in San Antonio, and three more years of calls and emails to convince them that our New York record label was a good place for them to entrust their music. After getting to know each other well enough Dave said, “You have been calling us non-stop for more than three years, you MUST mean what you are saying” and with that, we signed a deal to do a reissue project on Big Crown.

We then flew out to San Antonio again, this time with a scanner and a videographer. We sat down with Sunny to interview him, went through his vast collection of photos, and talked about his life and career. Sunny was even kind enough to let us film him performing acoustic versions of a few songs. We used all of that material for our 2017 compilation, Mr Brown Eyed Soul. That release is our highlight reel of Sunny’s Soul tunes. Looking back at the response to that compilation, it is safe to say that we achieved our goal of connecting a whole new audience to Sunny’s incredible music. We also made his rarest records readily available to collectors at a price that wouldn’t empty their pockets. The concept for Dear Sunny… came to us right after we signed the deal. We wanted our artists to cover his music as a tribute to him.

Three years later and on the cusp of Sunny’s 77th birthday we are ready to release this homage to the living legend, San Antonio’s finest, Mr. Brown Eyed Soul, Sunny Ozuna. Everyone here stepped up to fill very big shoes doing these covers. Bobby Oroza teamed up with Cold Diamond & Mink and made a smashing version of “Should I Take You Home”. The Shacks took on the anthemic “Smile Now, Cry Later” while Holy Hive covers “If I Could See You Now” building off the uptempo dance floor energy of the original. Paul & The Tall Trees bring a crooning vibe to “Rain Makes Me Blue” and Brainstory turned “Runaway” into a haunting ballad reminiscent of early Lee Hazelwood productions. Some of these turn out to be covers of covers. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band takes on the funk collector’s holy grail from Sunny, his cover of War’s “Get Down” while 79.5 take Sunny’s version of “My Dream” and change the vibe from a floating love song to theme music for the brokenhearted. Mr. Lee Fields does “The One Who’s Hurting Is You” and the latest addition to the Big Crown Roster, Lizette and Quevin, do a rendition of the song that brought Sunny to Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1963 and catapulted him to fame; his cover of Little Willie John’s “Talk To Me”.

So as the letter begins, “Dear Sunny...” we hope that you enjoy this homage Sir. We wish you a very Happy Birthday and many more. Thank you for all the music you have given all of us, it has been a pleasure to work with you and to get a chance to know you and your family. We will keep calling Dave every other week trying to get you in the studio with Leon to record some new material until it happens or you flat out tell us no...but all jokes aside, thank you Sunny. This was all really a dream come true for us.
credits
released September 4, 2020