Here’s another hotly anticipated forthcoming release. Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears are a melting pot of funk, soul, garage rock and blues and their new album “Scandalous” is set to drop on 15/03/11. Going on their excellent first album “Tell ‘Em Like It Is” (2009), this is set to build on their highly explosive mix of grooves. This taster features a snippet of the first single “Booty City”. Cool, cool, cool.

www.blackjoelewis.com

The Excitements are a new act from Barcelona with a hard hitting rough R&B sound. And excitement is indeed the word. Think Ike & Tina, think Sugar Pie DeSanto, think Etta James and you’ll have some idea of the raw edged sound coming from this outfit. With tight backing by the Excitements band, Mozambique born Koko Jean Davis proves she is a bold soul sister with the raw vocals laid down on this here taster for their forthcoming album on Penniman Records.

Read the full review here

Message driven “The World” has been floating around on 45 for some time now, so why a video now? Well, we are about to get an albums worth from Bradley, released on Daptone subsidiary, Dunham Records it is the latest record to come from the extended Bushwick soul stable.

Brooklyn-raised Charles Bradley has lived a lifetime of hardship, from surviving living on the streets to barely scratching a living, family tragedy and now a chance to show his passion and talent for raw, uncompromised, hard hitting soul.

Produced by Thomas Brenneck in the Dunham studios in Bushwick, and featuring the Menahan Street Band, the album is promising to be another slice of thoughtful, genuine soul as the video, recorded in the side-streets and roof-tops of Brooklyn reflects.

Charles Bradley “No Time For Dreaming” will be released on January 25th 2011 on Dunham Records.

www.thecharlesbradley.com

If you are yet to hear Kings Go Forth, now is the time to check them out. The Milwaukee group play a spectrum of soul from thundering funk to sweet northern soul and come highly recommended from us as our review of their album will testify.

But just in case you need further evidence, check this out…

Kings Go Forth
Thursday 13th January
At the Jazz Cafe
5 Parkway, Camden Town
London NW1

Facebook event

Real funky heavy stuff from Lefties Soul Connection, based in Amsterdam. I’ve recently heard some great stuff from them with a couple of singers, including an incredible version of “Sunny” but no news on a new album yet. Two things you can be sure of though, it’s gonna be in the pipeline; and its gonna be funky.

Directed by Alan Algee, this video for Aloe Blacc’s cover of the Velvet Underground & Nico’s “Femme Fatale” is just as gorgeously cinematic as the track itself, the centrepiece of Blacc’s stunning album “Good Things”. Enjoy.

More than just a straight cover, Speedometer have married Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham’s classic track to an arrangement of “I Got The Feelin’” by James Brown with great results. With a new album “The Shakedown” to be released on Freestyle Records on 27th September, judging by this track alone it looks like the album is going to be hot too.

This 43 minute video was originally broadcast on Santa Monica radio show “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on KCRW, Monday November 9th 2009. Sounding great, Orgone play a mix of funk, soul, rock, jazz and afro beat. Click the yellow play button to watch.

HOT track from L.A. based Breakestra’s equally hot album Dusk Till Dawn. Funky!!