"Last Words" / "Heat Beat Heads" by NO ZU

 

Got the midweek blahs? We have the solution. Melbourne beat/funk monsters NO ZU have briefly rescinded their break up by issuing a two song parting gift for fans new and old. The release consists of the appropriately-named "Last Words", which is their take on 23 Skidoo's 1981 song, and a remix of "Heat Beat Head" from their 2022 album re-worked by Grim Up North (which, in turn, consists of Norwegian Rune Lindbaek and Dan Tyler of Idjut Boys). Do all these cooks spoil the broth? Most certainly not! It is spicy and freaky, but oh so very nice.

If you like the dance-worthy beats NO ZU dishes up, we suggest you grab this release because we can't count on them rescinding the break up again (Certainly none of the many people that have broken up with us have ever rescinded, and we weren't too proud to beg). We are happy to report that various members of the band will carry on with Cong Josie, Split System, Sui Zhen, Cayn Borthwick's solo project, and probably others to come.

The single is out now via Chapter Music.

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No Zu - Heat Beat

 

If a man in a trench coat approaches you and gives you a choice of "zu" or "no zu", you are hereby advised to take the less obvious choice. Sure, you might be tempted to take the first choice and become the proud owner of some zu which, you think, surely must be better than no zu at all. However, if you take the second choice you will have Heat Beat, the new EP by Melbourne's ultra terrific No Zu. If this discussion hurts your head, turn off your brain, press "play" on Heat Beat and let your heart and feet be your guide. This is punk funk. It is dance. It is world beat. It is dark but vibrant. It is the one and only heat beat.

No Zu are icons in Melbourne (and probably everywhere else they have played). Heat Beat is their first record in several years, and presents their last recordings with vocalist Daphene Camf, who died in 2021. We hope they continue because there is nothing quite like them. But the future aside, the weekend comes and everyone should have Heat Beat on their soundtrack. The EP is available in vinyl and digital formats via Chapter Music.

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Bandcamp for Heat Beat

Various links for No Zu

Don Glori - Welcome

 

Welcome to Welcome. Created by double-bassist and composer Gordon Li recording as Don Glori, the album reflects jazz, soul, Brazilian and funk. Gordon paints with all of the colors available in the musical spectrum resulting in an incredible vibrant and uplifting set of songs. Gordon and his collaborators wield sax, vibraphone, bass, keys, flute, drums, percussion and vocals into a stew that reaches out and grabs your soul. Such a joyful and eminently human set of songs shouldn't be missed.

Welcome is out now via Bedroom Suck & Flightless in Australia and New Zealand, Cargo Records in the UK and EU, and Dispatch Dept. in North America.

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Bandcamp for Welcome

Various links for Welcome

"Liquid Love" by No Zu

 

2022 continues to bring us happy surprises. In this instance it is the news of a November EP by Melbourne's No Zu. Creators of a heady, physical mix of funk, house, punk and whatever-the-hell-else-they-want-to-put-in that the band calls 'heat beat', they never fail to thrill the senses and move the feet. The EP, which appropriately is titled Heat Beat, will be out November 18 via Chapter Music. Take it for a test drive today via the first single, "Liquid Love". Is is a gooey, slimy delight.

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Bandcamp for Heat Beat

Various links for single

Various links for No Zu

"Dlareme" and "Ponte" by Don Glori

 

Don Glori is a recent discovery, but the two singles from his upcoming album Welcome provide the midweek lift we needed. "Dlareme" and "Ponte" display the artist's love of Brazilian, funk and house music, as well as jazz. "Dlareme" is a particularly vivid explosion of sounds, while "Ponte" is a bit more nuanced. However, both are vibrant and uplifting, and we recommend them heartily.

Don Glori is the recording name used by Melbourne musician and composer Gordon Li. Welcome will be out October 14 via Bedroom Suck Records.

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"6 or 7 More" by Cool Sounds

 

What do we music fans think of when we read the word "funk"? Well, Detroit and Philadelphia for certain. And of course, New Orleans. Memphis doesn't want to be forgotten either. Is Melbourne the next town that comes to mind? Probably not, but you frame of reference may need an adjustment after enjoying "6 or 7 More", the latest single by Melbourne's Cool Sounds. Yes, the arch purveyor of cool, soft rock has crafted a deliciously funky tune for their upcoming October release, Like That. And while Cool Sounds has often featured bouncy, infectious rhythms, we must admit that we didn't foresee this side of their art. But anticipated or not, it is most welcome. Treat your ears and eyes below.

By the way, Like That will be released on October 7 via Chapter Music. You can check out its first single "Hello, Alright, You Got That?" in our June feature of the song (link).

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Various links for single "6 or 7 More"

Bandcamp for album Like That

Various links for album Like That

Various relevant links

Jasper the Vinyl Junkie - Vinyl Junkie Thangs

Vinyl Junkie Thangs is a true delight, a bountiful collection of funk, jazz, soul and Latin music from BBE Music, curated by Jasper the Vinyl Junkie. It's along the lines of great crate-digger collections like The Funky 16 Corners - you know the type. This is Jasper's first curation for BBE since 1997, so fortunately he has pulled together 18 tracks, broken into four sides and a 7" (vinyl format, of course). Says Jasper: “Even all the digital interference hasn’t stopped vinyl being a fantastic way to get your groove on. When I put together compilations like this back in the day, there were just 3 formats: Vinyl, CDs and Cassette Tapes. Now there’s a whole heap of ways to get your favourite tunes: downloads, streaming, youtube etc. etc… Even so, when I put an album together, I always do it with the analogue in mind, so it has a certain feel to it.” 

 The stuff is all pretty funky, but runs the gamut from old school funk with horns (and screeches and growls), like The Ashantis' "Safari" to Basement Freaks' "Makes Me Wanna Scream", a drum-based rave-up remixed by Blend Miskin with lasers and synths, and falsetto wails throughout.

   

   

 There are several instrumentals and a number of Latin-tinged tracks, like "JB's Latin" by Spitting Image - well, it's almost an instrumental, but there are inspired scat-style shoutouts scattered between the flute and electric guitar breaks that keep the attention levels up where they belong:

 

 

This is tough stuff - fun, hardworking music. Play it at your next get-together and watch everybody start to move. They can't help it. It's out now on BBE Music.

Vinyl Junkie Thangs at BBE Music

Bandcamp

“Love Will Work it Out” by Durand Jones & The Indications

Durand Jones & The Indications have announced their upcoming album, Private Space (due out July 30), and have already shared one track - we posted the song “Witchoo”, a funky, romping sing-along number, a little while back. So it’s exceedingly kind of them to treat us to another track while we wait. “Love Will Work It Out” is an old school soul vocal by Jones and, in addition to the tight Indications team, it also features Blue Note artist Joel Ross on that nice vibraphone solo. It’s available to stream now, and you can pre-order the whole album at the sites below.

 

Durand Jones & The Indications website

Dead Oceans

Colemine Records

Jonny Kosmo - Pastry

Jonny Kosmo is an LA-based singer leading an ensemble playing some completely delightful and soulful pop music. It's full of beat machines, waves of synthesizers and Kosmo's high vocals (often ranging into falsetto) that make it clear this guy just wants us to be happy. Really, it's a delightful record that mixes well with whatever else you're listening to these days. Check out "Fool" - the wacky, woozy synthesizers, the crazy visuals in the video - these things provide a light touch, but don't obscure the fact that this is really good soul music:

 

 

 And another delightful feature of this record is that Kosmo's singing about positivity and encouragement throughout - the way we treat each other and the way we treat ourselves, as in "Panopticon". Kosmo says this one is about the way we tend to police ourselves, and almost help the machine police us rather than express some freedom:

 

There are some nice short tracks, sort of liminal breaks that keep the good feelings going, like "Tru" which features Gracie Jackson accompanying Kosmo on vocals:

 

 It is a complete album - 14 tracks, well sequenced, featuring a theme-setting intro that is reprised in the last track, and in between enough variations in tempo and enough supporting musicians and backup singers to keep the party going. It is out now (June 4) on Feeding Tube (US) and Dinosaur City (Australia). 

Jonny Kosmo website

Bandcamp

“Witchoo” by Durand Jones and the Indications

Just in time for the weekend, for Memorial Day Weekend, for the summer - comes a new track from Durand Jones and the Indications. "Witchoo" has several of their trademark features - great vocal interplay between Jones and Aaron Frazer and an absolutely rock solid rhythm section (check out that bass line). The song flows along, daring you to sit still, until it ends up in a sort of community sing-along. Put it on in your car, and for your outdoor activities, and you'll probably draw a crowd. Kind of the way they do in this video.

 

 

Durand Jones & The Indications · Witchoo

The song is available to stream right now, and the album is due out July 30, with some tour dates set starting in September.

Durand Jones and the Indications website

Streaming sites

Dope Sagittarius - Sacred Places

Dope Sagittarius is a group led by Harlem musician Luqman Brown, playing an exhilarating blend of funk, rock and jazz, in a style that is pretty much unrestrained and without borders as to “genre”. The record was to be released in 2016, but due to Brown having a stroke and a lengthy recovery, and of course, 2020, the record encountered delays and obstacles, but is finally ready to see the light. And you are going to want to check it out, because you need this unrestrained, upbeat record in your life. 

It’s a riot of sounds: layered synthesizers, drumbeats and vocal choruses behind Brown’s singing and the occasional rap break or guitar solo (somebody has been listening to their Eddie Hazel). It is mostly uptempo, with the funk and rock elements driving at a fast pace, until it slows down a bit for a ballad like “LaRonda” (but even that contains danceable elements). Check out the galloping tempo on lead song, “Alive”:

I take sort of a double meaning on this song - he states that it's about doing what you can against bullying, but hearing him sing "I'm living for today / watch the first step I take", given what he's gone through in the last several years, is to encounter a very high level of joy. Did I say that he's a hell of a singer? Well, he is. 

The song "Black Empress" is faster, with staccato drum machine beats driving the tempo and a frenetic violin solo that moves up and back in the mix, with an extended rap about halfway through that delivers this couplet: "and damn if the karma didn’t boomerang / And you wish you had treated them better then you had" - the song is a warning, and the Empress an instrument of vengeance. As Brown says: "When I wrote this song, back in 2016, it was because I was fed up with the killing of unarmed Black people by police that year and throughout American history. Sadly, not much has changed since then. This is my way of saying that, if we can't stop this senseless killing, the world will end in chaos and violence”:

 

My favorite track is "Sacred Place", mainly because I think it's got his best singing. But the extended dancehall rap does add a bit of variety:

   

This is a great record, fairly bursting with ideas, eclectic musical approaches and, again, some great soul vocals from Brown. The music is available online, and the vinyl is out this week. Highly recommended.

Dope Sagittarius at Bandcamp

Dope Sagittarius at Buddhabug Records

“Cold as Weiss” by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio (henceforth, DLO3), has released a new single track, recorded at Colemine Records HQ, with their new and permanent drummer, Dan Weiss. They’ve quickly become a favorite of mine, and I’m happy to share this - all three of these guys deserve more exposure. On this track, we have some creative, slinky Jimmy James guitar lines weaving in and out of the pace set by Weiss’s drums and Lamarr’s B3. It’s short and snappy, and you’ll want to spin it again and again:

 

They've also announced a few live dates upcoming, and you can buy downloads or order other music at their site (or via the Bandcamp track above - just click through for the site). 

DLO3 Website

änsendå - änsendå EP

Nico Chavez has returned to Stockholm after an extended period in the indie rock and psychedelic music scene in London. The change in location also brings Nico's solo project as änsendå. The self-titled EP is an energetic and playful merger of pop and psychedelia, it is a fun EP that brings a smile to our faces and a bounce to our steps, even though we don't speak Swedish. Give it a try! 

änsendå is out now via Rama Lama Records.

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Rama Lama

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Breathe

Out now on Blue Note is Dr. Lonnie Smith's fine set of live jazz tunes bookended by a couple of wonderful collaborations with Iggy Pop, on which Iggy's distinctive baritone renders the lyrics of a couple of great Summer of Love standards into almost spoken word pieces. The first one, "Why Can't We Live Together", is a pretty inspired choice. The original was not a pop tune in a conventional sense - Timmy Thomas anchored the song with a drum machine and then did a lot of improvising on the keyboard. They took over a minute out of the song to get to a radio version. Here, Smith takes the improvising to another level, stretching it out to over 6:00. I'm so glad to have this version of this song:

 

"Sunshine Superman" is another quirky tune that these guys take on to create a distinctive version of their own. Donovan's sort of behind the beat, swaying vocal makes a good take off point for Iggy's unhurried, warm vocal:

 

In between these two are some well-played tunes, covers like "Too Damn Hot" and "Epistrophy" and Smith originals like "Bright Eyes" and "Track 9". Smith's band features some stars in their own right: Jonathan Blake (drums), Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar), Robin Eubanks (trombone), John Ellis and Jason Marshall on saxophones and Sean Jones on trumpet, with Richard Bravo adding percussion on the two bookend covers. Don Was produced the record and it's an example of quality-meets-quality, with great results. 

Here is Smith, on how the record got done: “I was playing with my trio at Arts Garage in Delray Beach in Florida. Iggy would come by and say he wanted to play with me. I let him play slaparoo and he loved it. He enjoyed playing with us. We thought about recording a few songs, so we went in with my trio backing us up, and it worked.” I'll say it worked. 

  Dr. Lonnie Smith at Blue Note Records

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - “Jimmy’s Groove” - out today

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio is a tight three-piece playing impeccable funk/jazz. Their latest single, “Jimmy’s Groove”, is available right now - it’s an outtake from their recent album and is part of two non-album singles being released to supplement the record. It’s a rollicking six minute instrumental - just try to sit or stand still while you’re listening, and tell me you don’t feel that bass line right from the start:

   

 An added treat - when doing a little research on these guys I found a live version of one of my favorite songs, so you get this thrown in. Definitely stick around for the part where Delvon takes it up a notch on the keyboards at about 2:30:

 

These guys are incredible, expect to hear much more from us about them. The track is available at Bandcamp, you can clidk through the track above. On Colemine Records.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio at Colemine Records

Oneness of Juju - African Rhythms 1970​-​1982

We aren't given to grand statements. After all, our mission is to alert you to music that we like. But we are going to step out of our lane a bit and tell you that African Rhythms 1970-1982 is an essential album. The band is Oneness of Juju, led by James "Plunky" Branch, which fused funk, jazz and African rhythms into an irresistible stew of sound. This album, which was originally released in 2001, collects the band's output for a 12-year period in San Francisco, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. This collection of music would be welcome any time, but its re-release is especially appropriate for the current focus on the status and travails of our Black fellow citizens. Check it out below, and explore further at the Bandcamp link.

African Rhythms 1970-1982 is available in digital, double CD, and triple LP formats via Strut Records.










Bandcamp for album
Plunky's Facebook

L'Eclair - Sauropoda

Sauropoda boast deep grooves, multi-layered atmospherics, and an appealing playfulness.  It most likely sounds like nothing else you are listening to, but we strongly urge you to regard its distinctive nature as a feature, not a bug.  The music audaciously melds funk, dance grooves and chillwave electronica into a late-night summer soundtrack. Cue it up, wiggle your hips, move your feet, and let that smile show itself to your world.  This little delight -- five tracks in under 38 minutes -- is the creation of Geneva, Switzerland's L'Eclair.  Frankly, we knew nothing about this band until a few days ago, but they now are on the list elegantly titled "listen to anything they send us from these guys".  And since the Sauropoda was largely recorded live with few overdubs, you can treat it as your own private concert from the band.

L'Eclair are Sebastien Bui, Elie Ghersinu, Stefan Lilov, Yavor Lilov, Quentin Pilet, Alain Sandri, and DJ Laxxiste.  Sauropoda is out now via Bongo Joe Records.





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Bongo Joe Records

Floating Action - Is It Exquisite?

You likely have heard Seth Kauffman before, even if you weren't aware of him.  Perhaps it was with Jim James, or Dan Auerbach, or Angel Olsen.  And if you pay attention to music, you know that good musicians attract and choose to work with other good musicians.  So you might be tempted to think that Kauffman is good at this music thing even before you hear his solo work.  You would be correct, but of course in a world of 'fake news', you want proof.

And your proof is right here, under the title Is It Exquisite?.  Written, played, sung and recorded by Kauffman under the name Floating Action, the album is a veritable celebration of pop music.  The set includes southern soul, a bit of funk, vintage rock, some sunny psychedelic pop and even some dub effects.  Kauffman doesn't recognize traditional boundaries, but his has superb instincts and proves himself to be a top-quality musical brewmaster.  Everything he throws into the hopper on this album works, and works with style.  It is a truly rewarding listen.

Is it Exquisite?  is available via several labels, including PIAPTK and OK Records.  The only remaining question to answer is whether the record is exquisite.  Why yes, yes it is exquisite.





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PIAPTK site for Is It Exquisite?
OK Records site for Is It Exquisite?

Ibibio Sound Machine - Uyai

If you like the bright pop/rock sound and poly rhythms of West African High Life, electronic dance music, Afrobeat, and pulsing, grinding funk, London's Ibibio Sound Machine delivers it all simultaneously in fine style on their new album Uyai.  Led by London-born Nigerian-raised Eno Williams and a proficient and energetic supporting cast, the music is exuberant, enticing and, ultimately, sexy.  Most of the lyrics are voiced in the language of the region of Ibibio in southwest Nigeria, but we don't think that affects enjoyment of the music at all.  As we head into spring, this is a non-stop party soundtrack as we needed.

Uyai is out Friday, March 3, via Merge Records.

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Bandcamp for Uyai
Merge Records page for Ibibio Sound Machine

alansmithee / Menage a Trois (split album)

Here is an unusual split release consisting of five songs from WYMA favorite Scottish slop pop/psychedelic band alansmithee, and five songs from their friends Menage a Trois.  You can buy each "side" of the release at respective Bandcamp pages (links below), or perhaps download all ten from a digital retailer.  They hope to have physical CDs available soon.

The alansmithee side is the dreamy, psychedelic guitar pop we count on them to deliver.  The side provided by Menage a Trois takes a more groove/funk-oriented approach to psychedelia.  Together, this may just be your find of the week.  Stream below to hear for yourselves.  The Bandcamp links are provided.  I've also included links for alansmithee.  I was unable to find anything useful for Menage a Trois, but I'll warn that the name in a search engine may not be a good idea.







Bandcamp for alansmithee's five songs
Bandcamp for Menage a Trois' five songs
Facebook for alansmithee
Twitter for alansmithee