If you need a bit of funk in your life, there's quite a bit of it out there for people to tap into. If you have become a fan of the classic funk and hard soul sounds of the late 60's, and mutated through many of the bands on Daptone Records, you'll want to scrape together a few seeds for a band out of Amsterdam who create the kind of funk that makes people long for the goosh.

They call themselves Juicebox, and their Popcorn 69 album (Hippo) honors those who love soul, funk, and the good ol' boogaloo. All of the songs have been favorites for years, whether in their original form or when they have been sampled in hip-hop and electronica. Tracks include "Different Strokes", "Popcorn '69", "Heart & Soul", "Cleo's Mood", "It's Gonna Rain", and even a nice take of Bernard Purdie's "Soul Drums". The group also went out of their way to find a studio with a tape machine, so it has that nice, fresh analog richness you know and love. Juicebox do it for the love of the original songs, so it's not hip-hop revisions of the old breaks, but they hold true to the spirit of what those old 45's were about. The great thing is that each song was mixed like a 45, in that none of the songs go over 3:30. They say when it comes to a solo, all you need is 16-bars or less and move on with keeping the groove solid, which they do from start to finish.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
I was just reading an article proclaiming the return of the Stax record label when this came along, another sign that this modern world of ours will, with any luck, never be able to let go of the indelible pop, soul and R&B sounds of the sixties. This is a collective who is doing their part to a staggering degree. More than just a group content to pay their respects and move on, these are musicians who have worked (I must imagine, extremely hard) to faithfully replicate these classic numbers and truly create an album that stands up, in heart and musicianship, to the originals. That is not to say that this is a cover band, because there's more going on here than that. This is both honoring and adding to the form, with a newer generation of artists lending their skills and passion to a genre that remains as exciting and affecting as it was 40 years ago. These are songs of sly complexity and vigor, getting in and out within 3 minutes running time but sticking with you for the rest of the day. Short (but present) guitar and horn solos make appearances throughout, but mostly these tunes remain heavy on groove, feel, and genuine soul. It's fun, timeless, and a must for any fan of 60's R&B and boogaloo.
                            Read more...