Mr Lee Fields

Not since the early days of Desco have we been looking forward to such an exciting double bill of genuine funk and soul. Get ready, its-a-coming on Friday 5th February!!

Brooklyn record labels Dunham Records and Truth & Soul are regular collaborators and offshoots of Daptone Records and it’s earlier incarnation, Desco – one big, creative, extended family.

Lee Fields should need no introduction to funk fans but in case you are yet to hear it, his 2009 album with The Expressions “My World”, released on Truth & Soul is a masterpiece of soul – beautifully orchestrated and heart-felt, Lee’s raw vocals ride a blissful summer city sound over topics dealing with life, love and social issues. It is quite simply one of the best albums of the last decade in our opinion and my personal favourite album of last year.

Support comes from the Menahan Street Band – comprised of members of the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, The Budos Band and Antibalas and raw soul funk vocals from Charles Bradley, his first appearance in the UK!! All this, set in London’s incredible Art Deco venue, Bloomsbury ballroom. True soul excitement!!!

Mr Charles Bradley

Lee Fields & The Expressions
The Menahan Street Band & Charles Bradley

Friday 5th February 2009
Bloomsbury Ballroom
Victoria House
37 Southampton Row
London WC1B 4DA

http://www.bloomsburyballroom.co.uk/

The Menahan Street Band

http://www.myspace.com/leefields

http://www.myspace.com/dunhamrecords

The sample classic “Hung Up” by Salt has been covered with a big difference by the supertight funk orchestra Osaka Monaurail and now available as a 45 and digital single. The big difference is it now has lyrics for the first time – and great lyrics they are too, warning of the trappings of getting “hung up on my bad-self”. The original is perhaps best known for being cut-up by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist in “Brainfreeze”. I got mine, go get yours:

http://www.soulseduction.com/common/item_detail.php?ItemCode=B311750

Our mate Corrina Greyson has teamed up with the Haggis Horns for a show at the Jazz Cafe this Saturday 16th January. Corrina’s raw soul vocals will go mighty well with the Haggis Horns punchy funk and also to hand, will be DJ Guy Hennigan spinning Northern Soul.

Whilst we’re here, I’d really like to recommend the single Corrina did with Amsterdam’s Lefties Soul Connection, entitled “You Don’t Know” b/w “Cover My Eyes”, its a real groover.

Listen here:
http://www.mpmsite.com/index.php?area=records&view=detail&id=681

www.myspace.com/gspotevents

What’s that? Who is Gizelle Smith, I hear you ask? Well, originally from South London, Miss Smith has now relocated to Hamburg where she is making beautiful music with The Mighty Mocambos. Together they have released an album that was released last year on the Record Kicks label.

Thursday 28th January at the Spice of Life, 6 Moor Street, Soho is our first opportunity to catch them live and should prove to be an intimate gig. Nice to see a new soul / funk band on the scene.

http://www.myspace.com/gizellesmithmusic

www.spiceoflifesoho.com/

Following last month’s excellent “The 60’s Soul of James Brown”, DJ Pari, over at Richmond US radio show: Midnight Soulstice on W-RIR 97.3 fm has followed this show with a 2 hour showcase of J.B.’s seventies output. Packed full of some of J.B.’s big tracks of the decade, there are also some of the rarer productions from his stable too. Check it out.

http://midnightsoulstice.podbean.com/2010/01/09/the-70s-sound-of-james-brown/

A new album from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings is always an eagerly anticipated event. Any regular at Funkalicious will know how much we appreciate these guys – we just can’t stop playing their catalogue. So what do we know so far about this? Not much. Only that it is titled “I Learned The Hard Way”; The Impressions style cover shot is taken in the yard of the “House of Dap” recording studio in Brooklyn; it is slated for a May 4th release; and that it is likely to be a mixture of both soul and funk styles, played to perfection by craftsman-level musicians, sung by the strongest female voice in the business and produced to a standard reflecting, but seldom achievable back-in-the-day by expert analogue producer Gabriel Roth. Oh yes, we can expect greatness!

Oh and we have a tracklisting too:

I Learned the Hard Way:

01 The Game Gets Old
02 I Learned the Hard Way
03 Better Things
04 Give It Back
05 Money
06 The Reason
07 Window Shopping
08 She Ain’t a Child No More
09 I’ll Still Be True
10 Without a Heart
11 If You Call
12 Mama Don’t Like My Man

How to describe the sound of Eli “Paperboy” Reed And The True Loves?

SOUL!!

Actually it is really not easy to define, the sound is inflected with classic rhythm and blues, rock and roll and gospel too. All I really need to say that if you are a fan of great music, this show is not to be missed. Just witness his appearance on Jools Holland…

Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves
Wednesday 13th January
The 100 Club
100, Oxford Street, London

The 100 Club

Feeling the cold snap? Come and warm your soul ’round our boiling pot of grooves. Welcome back to DJ Popcorn, who has been on “funk paternity leave” for a few months, who along with DJ Philster will be chucking on another log of superheavy funk and burning off that extra turkey and cake on the dance floor. Free entry and sensible drinks prices as always. Come get some.

White Horse web site

Click for map

In loving memory of our beloved friend and soul sister, DJ Solange Reverend Soul xxx

It’s with a very heavy heart that I regret to announce the sad loss of our friend, sister and beloved Solange, also known as DJ Reverend Soul. This happy, lively, wonderful person was taken way, way too early leaving her friends and loved ones devastated. Solange lost her life in a traffic accident on 13/12/2009 aged just 33. Her beautiful nature touched the hearts of so many and she spread the funky word with her supercool DJ sets. The world will never be the same without her. Words cannot adequately express how much she meant to those who knew her. Rest In Peace, our beautiful Solange. We love you x x x

Okay so we know you’re going to be hung over right? But we are continuing the New Year party with Funkalicious on New Year’s Day. So take an opportunity to celebrate SOME MORE, catch up with those you may have missed on NYE and get your groove on with us o this special party weekend. As usual there is no entry charge and drinks are sensible prices, so now you have all the excuses you need. Come on, start it off right – after all, you got to go back to work on the Monday.

Shake off your hangover with heavy, heavy funk

Hair of the dog with sweet, sweet soul

http://www.whitehorsebrixton.com

Our friend, DJ Pari, over at Richmond US radio show: Midnight Soulstice on W-RIR 97.3 fm – has produced this excellent 2 hour showcase “The 60’s Sound of James Brown”. The set includes many lesser known tracks from this period and comes as highly recommend listening.

http://midnightsoulstice.podbean.com/2009/12/05/the-60s-sound-of-james-brown/

A really nice little animation this, would be great to see a whole video featuring the Dap-Kings too perhaps?

http://www.saltygraphics.com/sj.html

A showcase of some of the great funk and soul bands of recent years from a very funky Worldwide scene. Some of our favourite new acts are here including Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Osaka Monaurail, Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, Breakestra, the Poets Of Rhythm and more.

Download it here. Right click to save (128kbits/s)
Funkalicious Podcast

If you like what you hear, please support these hard working artists by purchasing their releases

1. Orgone – Duck and cover
myspace.com/orgonemusic

2. The New Mastersounds featuring Dionne Charles – All We Can Do
newmastersounds.com

3. Osaka Monaurail – Quick Sand
osakamonaurail.com

4. Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators – Feeling Free
timmion.com

5. Lefties Soul Connection – Funky Chick
leftiessoulconnection.com

6. Lee Fields – You Made A New Man Out Of Me
myspace.com/leefields

7. Lack Of Afro – When The Sun Goes Down
lackofafro.com

8. Binky Griptite & The Mellomatics – Mellomatic Mood
daptonerecords.com

9. Joseph Henry & The Mighty Imperials – I’ve Never Found A Girl
daptonerecords.com

10. The Dap Kings – Nervous Like Me
daptonerecords.com

11. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Natural Born Lover
daptonerecords.com

12. Charles Bradley & The Bullets – Now That I’m Gone
daptonerecords.com

13. Quantic Soul Orchestra featuring Alice Russell – Hold It Down
quantic.org

14. The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker – Come On In
thedynamites.net

15. The Poets Of Rhythm – The Plan
daptonerecords.com

16. Soulphonics & Ruby Velle – Fever
myspace.com/soulphonics

17. Breakestra – Deuces Up Double Down Pt1.
breakestra.com

Anyone who has seen Japan’s Osaka Monaurail live can testify to their mighty force onstage. Easily one of the best modern funk acts around. And while I pine for a new studio album from them (despite a couple of nice side projects, their last studio album proper was 2006’s excellent “Reality For The People”), this does serve as an excellent showcase of what the band are capable of and a nice memento for fans to take home from a gig. In fact I’d also recommend their first live album, 2005’s “Eyewitness To The…” a powerful set of live grooves.

“Live In Spain” is a CD only album, which may annoy vinylheads, however it comes with a bonus DVD with live performance clips and some nice behind the scenes tour footage too. Together with the CD, a perfect showcase for one of the worlds’ #1 funk bands.