Don't Look Back In Anger by The Regulators

 

2020 has been a hugely productive year for Neil Anderson, the vintage reggae, ska and soul loving producer behind the Original Gravity label. Here he rounds off the year via a new single from The Regulators, one of the label's most reliable revivalist reggae combos. The headline attraction here is undoubtedly the skanking cover of Oasis's Britpop smash 'Don't Look Back in Anger', which we're sure will annoy Noel Gallagher no end. Built around a rocksteady groove replete with trademark organ sounds and lazy trumpet and trombone solos, it's a cheeky but brilliantly executed cover. Over on the flip they deliver a more faithful cover of Freddie McKay's 1967 rocksteady standard 'Love is a Treasure'. It's good, but sadly lacks the A-side's "wow" factor.

WE LOVE JALAPENO! by Various Artists

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Luar De Luna by Bosq & Som Bit

 

In 2019 while on a tour stop in CDMX, Bosq & Som Bit were connected by a local production company and given a day in the studio together with the goal of making an original track. Not content to settle for just one sound they crafted these 2 very different but cohesive tracks in order to explore both the more downtempo Cumbia & Reggae inspired grooves (Luar De Luna) they all love but also the faster percussion driven Afro Latin inspired Jazz Funk dance workout that is Eya Onomato.

released February 5, 2021

Voiciii by Voilaaa

 

Favorite Recordings proudly presents Voiciii, the 3rd and new album by Voilaaa, an immersive dip into its Afro-Disco universe spread across 14 tracks. Needless to say you’ll find in this new LP all the ingredients that made him famous: strong dancefloor-friendly festive bangers, irresistible funky arrangements and an undeniable sense of humor and irony.
Bruno “Patchworks” Hovart, behind Voilaaa, is as often surrounded by amazing vocal featurings from previous LP’s regulars (Pat Kalla, Lass) but also new voices you may already have heard on its recent EPs (David Walters, Rama Traore, Ayuune Suule), as well as the saxophonist Boris Pokora. The LP is also an occasion to pay tributes to major artists of the African sound, such as Fela Kuti (on “Water No Get Enemy”), or Manu Dibango (“Manu Écoute Ça” and “Tenor Jam For Manu”).
Since the release of Voilaaa’s previous LP’s Des Promesses and On Te L’Avait Dit and their massive international support, the Voilaaa Soundsystem did travel through the world to deliver its message of infectious joy and groove, from Equator to Thailand, from Kazakhstan to the infamous French “Fête de l’Huma”. Now you know: Voilaaa is everywhere and Voiciii (“here it is”) their new album.

released February 5, 2021

SoundClash Series Vol 1 - The Aggrolites Vs The Slackers by The Aggrolites & The Slackers

 

The Bombillas by The Bombillas

 

Inspired by the global funk sounds to come out of Africa and the Middle East in the 1970’s, The Bombillas offer their unique take while forging a sound that is distinctly their own. This Los Angeles quartet’s self titled debut LP utilizes vintage keyboards, lap steel, drums, bass, and guitar that come together in a melting pot of instrumental grooves and sonic colors. Featuring seven original compositions and covers of the Ethiopian classic “Sintayehu” by Hailu Mergia and the newly rediscovered diggers favorite “Dance of Maria” by Elias Rahbani, arranged with some surprises not found in the origionals to keep in line with The Bombillas fresh approach to past inspirations.
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released December 11, 2020

You Got To Be A Man / Gimme Little Sign by Night Owls

 

Los Angeles' Night Owls are back once again with two more soul classics flipped in the bands signature Jamaican style fronted by two more of L.A’s top soul singers. Side A features Sy Smith, a staple and cultivator of L.A’s nu-soul scene, covering Miami First Lady of Soul Helene Smith's “You Got To Be A Man". Smith’s gritty performance and soulful tone match the energy of the original and with Night Owls’ funky groove bubbling up behind her it’s a cut that could easily be mistaken for a lost gem from the 1960’s. On Side B Night Owls recruit longtime friend Chris Dowd of L.A. soul-ska kingpins Fishbone to take the lead on the Brenton Wood hit “Gimme Little Sign.” A classic that’s been covered a few times over the years, Dowd’s take along with Night Owls’ unique and upbeat twist is surely a fresh approach and one you'll spin over and over again.
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releases February 12, 2021