Soul / Funk

“Genius Black Music™”

  • Rojays: Tommy Ran Rojays: Tommy Ran

    The rediscovery of the Rojays began modestly 4 years ago when I stumbled upon a well loved copy that was anxiously waiting to be spun at the bottom of an endless sea of Coniff and Como. From the first needle drop of this Lp, I knew that what I was hearing was going to […]

  • Graduates: S/T Graduates: S/T

    Teen/Frat-Rock lp from the south that is at least semi-known. Lots of pretty unmemorable stuff on here, like the usual ill-chosen Beatles covers, etc… but a couple tracks are full-on rad. There’s a great cover of Sly’s “Thank You” with wah-guitar, cheesy organ, and squeaky-clean harmonies. Also a killer fuzzed-out version of “Comin’ Home Baby” […]

  • Selah: Consider These Words Selah: Consider These Words

    Based on the cover I got up fairly high hopes for this one pretty much immediately as I flipped to it. Unfortunately these mid-west Christian hippies only really get it together on a couple tracks here… but those tracks are good if not a bit out of step with the rest of the album. For […]

  • The Bag - Red Purple & Blue The Bag - Red Purple & Blue

    The Bag were a late sixties blue-eyed soul band from the New York area that made one full length LP for Decca that incorporates enough touches of psych to get mildly sweated by people who collect that stuff. Needless to say the LP sank without a trace upon release. This song is the […]

  • The Dancing Machine The Dancing Machine

    Obscure record offering borderline amateur renditions of okay seventies material. What’s nice about the recording is the ridiculously upfront percussion and the Curtis-wannabe falsetto singing. Even tracks like Get Dancin’ and I Got the Music In Me manage to transcent their originals ’cause of the strange mix, albeit barely. Most tracks are winners if you […]

  • The Younger Brothers - Coming Out The Younger Brothers - Coming Out

    This is a Boston area blue eyed soul duo, similar to the Righteous Brothers or Tom Jones. It does have some excellent parts and I was pleasantly surprised with a few of the cuts. It is all covers and my favorites include ‘Show Me’, ‘Its a Mans Mans World’ & […]

  • The James Herndon Singers ~ This Business of Living The James Herndon Singers ~ This Business of Living

    I’ve bought tons of gospel records in the past few years, some good and mostly bad (or too choral or lo-fi) But this one is by far my favorite and one I come back to the most often. It just has the pefect mix to me of soulful vocals, sublime backing female vocals, solid drumming […]

  • Al Collie and the VIPS - The First of May Al Collie and the VIPS - The First of May

    Al Collie and the VIPS was the houseband of “the IN spot in Nassau, the swinging Buccaneer Lounge at the Flagler Inn Hotel on beautiful Paradise Island.” The band played the typical mix of Calypso, almost-reggae and soul that features on so many private hand-out records from countless “In spots” on the Islands of the […]

  • Banana Brothers - And Their Bunch Banana Brothers - And Their Bunch

    I have no information about this record whatsoever. The cover is just a generic blank white cardboard sleeve with the sticker of a bunch of bananas slapped on the front centre. The label is just as unhelpful, I can say it was released on TAB records as TAB7801, but that is it. […]

  • VA: Wilderness America VA: Wilderness America

    Local NorCal save the wilderness benefit comp that ranges from symphonic overtures, and new age, to sensitive singer/songwriter wannabe James Taylor shit. I honestly don’t even know why I picked this up originally based on it’s looks… oh yeah, I think Iasos the “Finger Listener” dude is on it. Anyhow, the real standout track has […]

  • Various: Si, Para Usted Various: Si, Para Usted

    I’m not just reviewing this because I got a free promo. Nor am I reviewing it because Waxing Deep’s Dan Zacks (the taste-maker responsible for this CD) is an “e-bud” who I’ve sent dead birds to. Waxidermy is above such collusion. I am reviewing this because it’s awesome. Now, I’ve never been to Cuba… much […]

  • Teddy & George - The Condor Teddy & George - The Condor

    Teddy Brown & George Hamilton were two refugees from Detroit who trekked to San Francisco in the early 60s. They started singing together in clubs in 1961 & recorded this live album on the Mammoth label in 1963. The show was recorded at the Condor, a nightclub that sat on the corner of […]

  • Aura: S/T Aura: S/T

    Rare bay area funk-rock lp that, while highly regarded by some, does not do a lot for me personally. It’s definitely more juiced up than your average Cold Blood/Tower Of Power fare, so I can understand why this might appeal to fans of raw/self-produced funkiness, but it really is lacking in any real depth of […]

  • Odean Pope - Almost Like Me (Moers Music) Odean Pope - Almost Like Me (Moers Music)

    Snap your fingers, slap your bass, blow your horn, Odean’s in the place. Recorded in 1982 in (cold war) West Germany. “Mwalimu” is the tune out of this eighty-ish sort of hard bop delivery.
    Odean Pope - Mwalimu.mp3

  • Trier West High School Jazz Ensemble: Merci! Merci! Trier West High School Jazz Ensemble: Merci! Merci!

    File under: High School Band Monsters. Totally random pull out of a grip of school band records at a thrift shop a while back. Never turn your back on kids playing Don Ellis. This will most likely be on the upcoming Waxidermy school bands/kids CD. Stay tuned…

  • Pair Extaordinaire - Recorded Live Pair Extaordinaire - Recorded Live

    I don’t know all that much about these guys or this record (so I hope it’s not super common in the US) but I do know that it is friggin’ cool. It’s essentially a musical comedy routine captured live performing versions of a number of pop hits of the day as well as some more […]

  • Twilight: Still Loving You Twilight: Still Loving You

    ‘Nuther stock covered local lp I picked up recently - which turned out to be quite a bit rarer and better than I’d hoped for. I’m normally not big on late 70’s/early 80’s sounding soul, but the songs here are extremely well written and have an almost singer/songwriter quality to them - or, as it […]

  • Lisa: No Lo Sabes Todavia Lisa: No Lo Sabes Todavia

    As near as I can tell by trying to read the notes on the back of this lp with my non-existant understanding of Spanish, “Lisa” is from Cuba via Florida. I guess Lisa is either a very uncommon name where she comes from, or she was a Madonna-like mega-star who achieved single name recognition. Anyhow, […]

  • Frank Cardona y sus Alegres Tejanos Frank Cardona y sus Alegres Tejanos

    This is an oddball Tejano band on Diamante Records, featuring a dubious vocalist known only as “Mario”. They play a cool variety of styles, from ballads to hard organ driven cumbias, and loud clangy ranchera. Then definitly have some afro-mex rythms working in a few tracks, and they do a pretty rippin “Funky […]

  • U.S. Atlantic Fleet Navy Show Band - Hand Clappin' Music U.S. Atlantic Fleet Navy Show Band - Hand Clappin’ Music

    Banda Unitas ‘78 - Simiiar to the “Port Authority” group in concept & execution but they try harder. Released for Puerto Rican recruitement, it was not distributed as widely as other US armed forces groups. Groovy song selection includes Negro Jose, Opener (Hand Clappin’ Music), Oye Mama, synthed out Theme From Rocky and Star Wars […]

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