Antibalas

by Antibalas

Fela Kuti is alive and well, and curiously, living in Brooklyn.  That's what you might think, were you to listen to Antibalas's latest, self-titled album, without knowing what you were listening to.

The band, having made the move to Daptone Records, continue to channel the Black President in all that they do, while also modernizing his sound, and singing about contemporary issues which Fela would probably be tackling himself, were he still with us.

The album starts with 'Dirty Money', a horn-drenched commentary on our wealth-obsessed culture.  'Rat Catcher' tells a story that also sounds like one Fela would have told.  While the band is excellent and swinging, it is the presence of vocalist Abraham Amayo, who was raised in Nigeria, that elevates this music to a new level.  His lyrics and vocal mannerisms really bring all of these tracks together.  I love waiting for that point in each song (sometimes quite a ways in) where he joins the music.

I saw these guys play about a month ago, and I have to say, if you ever get the opportunity, make sure you don't miss them.  They put on an incredibly high-energy show.

What the World Needs Now

by The Sugarman 3

There is a certain sound that the listener has come to expect from a Daptone Records album, but the Sugarman 3 don't always fit into that exact style.

They are a funk band that mostly consists of three men (only the sax player has the last name Sugarman), although they are supported here by six other musicians, and from time to time, two vocalists.  Their music is funky, but also a little gimmicky, like it's being written for a cartoon or a commercial.  Reading that back, it sounds a little harsh - I mean that in the best way.

This new album, What the World Needs Now is much stronger than their earlier releases, such as the overly-gimmicky Soul Donkey.

The sillier outings on this record are the ones written by Mr. Sugarman, such as 'Your Friendly Neighbourhood Sugarman', and 'Witch's Boogaloo'.  The covers, such as their take on Burt Bacharach's title track, come off stupendously.

Soul Time!

by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones's new album with the estimable Dap-Kings, Soul Time!, is her strongest to date.  On her previous albums, I've enjoyed her rich voice and the ability of the band, but things seem to click on this album in ways they haven't before.

Jones is making good use of her age and experience in life, allowing her perspective to come through clearly on tracks like 'Genuine' (which has two parts), or on 'Longer or Stronger'.  It's rare to find musical artists who a) admit to their age, and b) see the strengths inherent in that age.

Jones shows a little more social conscience on tracks like 'What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes?' and 'Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects', but really, this album is all about the soul and funk.  The band comes hard on every track, and together, we're given an album steeped in the past but very much a product of the present day.  Recommended.

No Time For Dreaming

by Charles Bradley

This album was another recommendation from my favourite music store, where once again I was happy to defer to someone with superior musical tastes.

No Time For Dreaming contains twelve tracks with vocals by Bradley (on most of them) and music by the Menahan Street Band .  Bradley looks to me a lot like Yaphet Kotto, had Kotto had a tougher life, and his lyrics on songs like "Why Is It So Hard?" echo that sentiment.

Many of the songs here, such as the title song, and 'The World (Is Going Up in Flames)' confirm the notion that life is difficult, but very much worth living.  Bradley's voice is soulful and rich, and this whole album sounds like it could have come from another era.

III

by The Budos Band

As I find myself listening to more and more funk bands, there is one thing that becomes abundantly clear:  they kind of all sound the same.

I'm sure that such a statement would send the hardcore fans into a tizzy, but to my unschooled and mostly ignorant ear, it's a very true statement.  This stuff all sounds the same to me, but I like it anyway. 

The Budos Band are made up of some twelve musicians, and with this, their third album, they demonstrate skill, swing, and funk.  This album has eleven tracks, but is just under thirty-nine minutes long.  With each track, the listener dives in quickly, and is swept up for a short while in their groove.  The album is solely instrumental, so there is not much to write about, other than to say this is a fun, cool piece of work.