Big Crown US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Nicole "Lady" Wray has reinvented herself in recent years, swapping the contemporary, radio-friendly '90s R&B of her youth for a sound heavily influenced by vintage, 1960s and '70s soul and funk. It's a blend that was explored on last year's superb Queen Alone full-length. The two tracks showcased on this 7" were both featured on that album. "Underneath My Feet" is particularly potent, with Wray offering a rasping, impassioned vocal that seems to soar above the triple-time backing track. "Guilty", with its sweet guitars, harmony backing vocals and rock solid funk breakbeat, sounds a little like some of Sharon Jones' more poignant moments.

Review: Five years after her last album on the Big Crown label, Lady Wray is soon to serve up a follow up in the form of Piece of Me. That arrives in January next year and is proceeded by this taster 7" featuring two singles from it. They showcase Wray's take on classic soul: her vocals do plenty of heavy lifting, and the instrumental funk all around her is steeped in the classic traditions, but it all comes with an extra raw edge, an urgency and crispness that brings it right up to date. 'Through It All' is a confessional that is powered by tight drums, where 'Under The Sun' is a more blissed out vibe.

Review: Longstanding New York troupe El Michels Affair bite down on 2017 with two on-point left-sided soul jams. "Tearz" is a biggie, not least because it features Lee Fields and The Shacks. A warm, organ groove with loose breaks and drops into pure harmonic bliss, it's another spellbinding affair from the Wu-approved crew. "Verbal Intercourse" takes more of a slinkier, subtle approach with clipped horns spitting an insistent hook over sparse, twanging instrumental elements. Stunning, as always.

Review: A low-key 7" split single, this stripped back soul beauty is El Michels Affair's latest in a slew of new singles and EPs. The sultry A-side 'Stack The Deck' is a mood-resetting embrace of chance. The B-side, 'Things Done Changed', is a smooth, gorgeous take on The Notorious B.I.G.'s original, curtailing its suicidally string-laden confidence for a much more soulful, horn-laden rendition.

Review: Throughout the 1960s and '70s, Sunny and the Sunliners were one of Texas's most successful groups. They specialised in "Tejano music", a Tex-Mex fusion of popular American and Latin American styles. "Should I Take You Home", which was first released on 7" single in 1969, is arguably one of the group's "straightest" tracks; a sweet, laidback soul ballad full of Stax style horns, close harmony backing singing and a sublime, emotion-filled lead vocal. Flipside "My Dream" is similarly heartfelt and saccharine in feel, with bandleader Sunny Ozuna's vocal alternating between impassioned sweetness and world-weary melancholy.

Review: Still scorching from the heat of their debut album 55, Hamburg's mysterious steel pan handlers return with a dope little 45 that features one of the excellent covers from their album plus an exclusive that we guarantee will drive your next floor crazy... Dennis Coffey's "Scorpio" takes the lead with its instantly distinctive break and pace. Flip for Sugarhill's "8th Wonder" that's riddled with confidently swung drums, smoky trumpets and a groove so funky you might just have to drop it twice. Give the drummer some.

Review: Big Crown is one of our favourite labels here at HQ. The funk and soul they serve up is perfectly aged yet never overly nostalgic and this new one is another case it point. It's the latest from the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and features two singles take from their latest and greatest album Expansions which landed back in June. As always they bring their own unique steel drum sounds and tropical Caribbean vibes to funk music. 'Raise It Up' is a deep cut joint with big horns and rippling steel drums puddles while 'Space' is a more lumpy groove with the drums more front and centre.

Review: Lady Wray's Piece of Me is a second sizzling album of superb soul. It marked something of a homecoming for the artist as she debuted on this label back in 2016 and found her leaning towards her usual soul and r&b as well as more hip-hop influences than ever: classic boom-bap drums and chunky bass hist loud and proud and for that reason the originals are ripe for remixing as they are here. Two legends of the game in Pete Rock and Ghostface Killah step up and bring their own signature sound and dusty drum beats to make for a crucial little 7".

Review: Thee Marloes are next up on the popular and brilliant Big Crown label with two seductive soul sounds. This is a 45rpm debut from this band and a fine one too that comes all the way from their homeland of Surabaya, Indonesia. As such this is a wide mix of sounds from American soul, jazz, and pop with plenty of local culture and influences. The A-side is an upbeat jam with dancefloor grooves and ear worm melodies while the flip is a different vibe entirely with wide open space used beautifully and great Indonesian vocals.

Review: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is an enigmatic steel pan collective from Hamburg that has a hardcore fan following around the world and a new album on the way that is superb. They are loved for their covers of hip-hop classics and last year served up a version of the Stranger Things theme tune but this time out we get 'Love For The Sake Of Dub' of 45 rpm. It is another pair of funky tunes with the signature brass sounds front and centre as the fat bottom rhythms roll deep and fleshy. Another gem from this leftfield outfit.

Review: Building on the triumph of Les Imprimes' inaugural album, Reverie, Big Crown Records presents two standout tracks from the album pressed onto this 7". For the A-side, Morten provides an edit and infuses the mix with an extra dose of depth reminiscent of Larry Levan's style. The result is striking and hits harder, igniting the dancefloor with its infectious rhythm while delivering a resonant message about the consequences of investing too much in the wrong relationships: On the B-side, 'You' bursts forth with a captivating crescendo, setting the stage for a sublime sweet soul melody. This beautiful declaration of love and reassurance is equally enchanting both musically and lyrically. Morten Martens' talent for arrangement shines through on both of these lovely tunes.

Review: The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band has become the latest jewel in the Big Crown. Lead by Bjorn Wagner, they have stopped several essential recordings not he label, all defined by their famous steel pan sound. Often they turn to covers of the classics such as they did back in March and this time around they take aim at the much loved and low slung hip-hop classic 'Nuthin' But A G Thang' by Dr Dre. In their hands it becomes something else entirely but still delightfully low slung and sleazy. This one is backed with 'How We Do' which is another loveably fresh sound.

Review: Cinematic soul legend El Michels Affair has written a superb album Glorious Game which is due for release later in spring. Before that full-length with Roots co-founder and lyricist Black Thought - which is a meditation on the state of the hip-hop scene in the early 2020s - we get this taster single from it. 'Glorious Game' as you would expect as all the lush instrumentation and dark soul sounds you'd expect from this artist by now with the added extra of some superbly thought-provoking mic work. 'Grateful' is another heart-wrenching and alluring sound that more than gets us excited for the full length.

Review: Big Crown bring the beat heat once again with two raw funk / soul gems. The Sonics' rare-as-hens-teeth northern soul anthem "Find Myself Another Girl" gets liberated from its high ticket collector price with this much needed reissue while an old master tape prowls to life on the B as Texan troupe S.C.A.M's take on the well-covered Classics IV 1968 standard "Spooky" enjoys a release for the first time. Divine.