Funk & Soul

Music Year-End List || Dennis’ Favorite Albums of 2020

OK, let’s start with the obligatory cliché intro text. The only good thing about 2020 was that by being at home more often you could listen to even more music and for those who want to hear it, enough good music has been made. Since January I have checked out 1,100+ new albums. Sometimes after half a minute I knew it wasn’t for me, sometimes I just couldn’t get enough. No doubt I missed a few things that I should not have missed, but right now this is what it is. And it doesn’t really matter either. Music lists are by definition debatable, because they say something about taste and taste is personal. What follows does not really say anything about quality, but simply reflects what I have played and enjoyed the most. In my list guitars and distinctive voices predominate, it’s mostly rock orientated (alternative, garage, jangle, roots, post-punk, …) plus a little bit of soul, with both debuting bands and old rockers with renewed energy who could have been their grandfather. It turns out that 2020 was not that bad at all!

New 7″: Night Beats ft. Robert Levon Been || That’s All You Got / Never Look Back

Interesting to follow how Night Beats slowly but surely changes from a psychedelic / garage rock band into a soulful R&B party. On new single That’s All You Got, the shoegaze-like raw, dark edges have disappeared, exchanged for a polished sound carried by an organ (click here for the video on YouTube, in which founding member Danny Lee Blackwell strolls through an abandoned city). On the B side, screeching guitars predominate, listen below. Both songs are a collaboration with Robert Levon Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, whose biggest hit is applicable to Night Beats’ development: Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘N’ Roll? Blackwell explains: That’s All You Got is a reminder that at the end of the day, we’ll always have the SOUL.” Point taken. The 7″ is out now on Fuzz Club Records. 

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp  || Fuzz Club || Night Beats 

New album: Veronica Bianqui || Veronica Bianqui

I totally forgot about Veronica Bianqui. So, when I heard the opening track of her just released self-titled debut, two things came to mind. One, I freaking love this song. And two, I know this song! I am referring to If Love’s a Gun, a song she released  5 (!) years ago. What took her so long? In this Buzzbands.la interview she talks about finding her voice, and dealing with personal loss and heartbreak, In spite of these struggles, this is a very confident sounding debut. Veronica’s songs are instantly likeable, but leave plenty to discover upon further listens. Veronica has an amazing voice, and these songs are pop enough and strong enough to katapult her into stardom.
Update: Almost Halloween Time Records has a limited edition of 50 copies with individually designed and hand drawn sleeves.


Add to Wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: The War and Treaty || Hearts Town

Sometimes you discover new music that turns out not to be that new anymore (actually, that happens quite often, simply because too much new music appears to keep up with it all). This one was released two months ago via Rounder Records, but is too good not to mention. The Nashville husband and wife duo Mike Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter mix elements of soul, gospel, country and rock and roll in their songs, but it’s mostly their powerful voices that keep your attention. Watch and listen to Beautiful below, a track from new album Hearts Town, featuring Jason Isbell. Impressive. I would love to see the couple live with their band.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || thewarandtreaty.com

New album: Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar || The Reckless One

Last week, MOJO, Uncut and Rough Trade, among others, already published their music year end lists. With six weeks or so to go in 2020, there is of course the risk that they will miss some new albums. Like this one! The combination of the singing skills of songwriter / arranger / band leader / ‘vocal powerhouse’ Samantha Martin and the soul / funk sound of Delta Sugar make The Reckless One an album that would not have been out of place in the aforementioned lists. My favorite song is original Don’t Have To Be – see below – but you should at least also check out Bob Dylan cover Meet Me in the Morning.

Add to wantlist: Gypsy Soul Records || samanthamartinmusic.com

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