De Phazz is a delightful combination of jazz, hip-hop, r&B, soul and pop. The music is layered with strings, scratches and found sounds. The end result is beautiful and intriguing. Here on No Jive from the 1997 long-player Detunized Gravity, everything is evident. The brainchild of German producer Pit Baumgartner, the lineup of artists that appear on De Phazz offerings has changed from CD to CD, with some notable regulars given frequent billing. While this track dates back to 1997, the band continues to produce…
Read MoreNikki Jean sounds like she stepped off the sound stage in a time warp from the 60’s and 70’s R&B scene. It’s refreshingly retro and decidedly accomplished. Here on My Love, Nikki’s vocals bounce over the rhythm of piano and hand-claps, from 2011’s full-length Pennies in a Jar. This is excellent music no matter who you are. Nikki Jean’s tumblr site leaves a little to be desired. It isn’t rendering correctly on any of my browsers, but you can find her on MySpace, Facebook…
Read MoreDeep blues, hard pumping soul, and a band of passionate musicians. That’s the feel you get from Delta Rae and from Bottom Of The River, the first single from the bands debut full-length, Carry The Fire. The full and powerful voice of Brittany Holljes leads the bands raucous vocal delivery, while brothers Ian and Eric share song-writing and performing credits, and friend Elizabeth Hopkins fleshes out the vocals. From the first note, you know this is a band to be…
Read MoreBack in March 2010, on another blog, I reviewed the new full-length from Chicago based The Right Now called Carry Me Home. It was an excellent collection of music with Stephanie Berecz and the band grinding out a mix of R&B and soul influenced, pop nuggets. It’s been a few years, but The Right Now continues to sound as if they’ve visited the past and brought it all to the present. Here, He Used To Be, from the bands…
Read MoreMichael Kiwanuka is a British soul singer who’s parents were from Uganda and escaped from Idi Amin’s regime there. Here on the prayerful I’m Getting Ready, Kiwanuka shows his formidable pop-soul chops in a beautiful way. His voice penetrates the ether around you and calms your inner tortured spirit. You can find out loads of info about Michael Kiwanuka by visiting his web site, which includes all of the social links you would expect, an extensive bio and links to the music….
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