Combine some funk, and a bit of folk, mix well with some pop hooks and a fun lyric, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Or you do if you are JJ Slater and your song is Good News (seen/heard here). Good News is the leading track on his latest EP, titled simply JJ (October 2023), featuring JJ and a host of collaborators. Good News is full of fun, and a joy to listen to, but the entire collection features well-written musical…
Read MoreFrom Snarky Puppy’s most recent LP, Empire Central, comes the latest single Mean Green. It is delightfully funky, and I love the brass on this track. Snarky Puppy pleases with each note and rhythm. They compose some of the most interesting, engaging jazz-funk out there. Mean Green starts with the simple keyboard, adds in the drums, the guitars kick in, followed by the brass, and then the jam really starts to kick in! Clocking in at just under five minutes, it…
Read MoreVodka has had this track in the queue for a while, trying to put the right words to it. Sometimes you just don’t get the inspiration you need when you need it! That said, it’s time that this track made it as a post. For those of you with young children that might be hovering over your shoulder, Vodka warns you that you might not want them watching. Think of the content here as PG-13. Funky, sexy, dance groove-laden, Whatcha Doin’…
Read MoreSince Vodka found Thing Of Gold back in 2012, I’ve been a fan of Snarky Puppy. Though it doesn’t fall neatly into the philosophy of shining a light on music that is mostly hidden from view, Snarky Puppy’s live ecosystem of music performance is a thing to marvel at (see video). Take It! (seen/heard here) from their new LP, Empire Central (coming October 2022) falls squarely in the jazz-funk fusion category as far as Vodka is…
Read MoreHailing from Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Noori & His Dorpa Band perform music reflected in the current state of the revolution there. Through their musical successes, the band tries to draw attention to the plight of the people, whose government over many iterations has denied the people the profits of one of the country’s natural resources, gold. The results for the listener are…
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