Review: Alzo's 1973 hit single 'Lover Man' is heard reissued by the amorous hommes over at Elznavour. Hailed by the label as two romantic bangers - selectly chosen from the American soft rock musician's second LP Takin' So Long - Elznavour are keen to highlight the songs' equally tragic pull, for Alzo sadly passed away in 2004. Echoing the muted hey-heys of Sixto Rodriguez on the A, before launching into a cinematic psyche-soul number predictive of much modern pop music , 'Come On, Come On', on the B, this is a premium slice of well-cured rock music on 7", recalling the music of an unforgettable musician.
Review: Indonesia-based Babon was founded in 2023 by longtime friends Wahyudi T. Raupp and Rayi Raditia and craft instrumentals addressing environmental issues. Their sound fuses Melbourne's vibrant music energy with dangdut rhythms, gamelan percussion, and melodic keroncong folk styles. Here they debut on Batov Records with the wonderful 'Tropical Desert Music' which blends Indonesian traditions with Afro-Latin funk, Morricone-inspired grooves, Bollywood breaks and blues. It's the sort of sound that is perfect for fans of Khruangbin or Sababa 5. The A-side 'Desert Rose' is a spaghetti blues anthem, while the flip 'TNT' tells a miner's tragic tale through cinematic, explosive instrumentation.
Review: Bamma Gamma returns with a sizzling slab of funk in the form of 'Omelette' via Detroit's renowned Funk Night Records. This one is a digger's dream, raw, gritty instrumental funk with break-heavy drums, tight guitar licks and basslines so greasy they practically drip off the record. True to Funk Night's underground sound, Omelette is unapologetically retro and authentic and serves up irresistible dancefloor heat that feels like a lost '70s cut that has been newly rediscovered. For DJs looking to inject some analogue soul into their sets, it's a no-brainer.
Review: Turkey has always had a fascinating funk scene and Beybonlar has been at the heart of its contemoorary scene. HIs 2019 album Gelin Aysem on Arsivplak is a gold standard from the genre and one of its key singles gets serve dup on its own 7" with a special insert. The title track 'Gelin Aysem' opens up with psyched out guitars, plenty of lo-fi drums and wailing Turkish vocals that bring the exotic flavours. On the flip, 'Nenni' is a little harder and darker in its mood and groove.
Review: The latest addition to Echo Edits keeps the funk coming courtesy of Break Character who delivers two powerful tracks that are indicative of his unique approach, names to enhance each edit with extra layers of FX and beats. 'Cosmic Freaks' takes a 60s go-go rock groove and infuses it with Moog and Space Echo effects while paying homage to the psychedelic club sounds of Pierre Henry and JJ Perrey. 'Cherie Boca' then transports you in an instant to the funky samba rhythms of 70s Brazil with an extended edit and added beats to guide dancers from the favela to the beach. Two distinct styles, perfect for different vibes.
Review: The 60s Liverpudlian rock quartet are famed for their song '6 Day War', which has been sampled from the likes of DJ Shadow in Tokyo Drift and Pusha T on his album released earlier this year. This track is undoubtedly a classic, written in the aftermath of the ongoing Arab-Israeli war of 1967, '6 Day War' is one of the best anti-war tracks of all time. The slow jam-rock ballad comes from the band's album 'Oh What a Lovely War!' released in 1973 which has not been released in Britain until now, making this a landmark pressing. The record is a psychedelic soft-progressive rock LP with emphasis on heavy guitars like in 'Lay it Down' and even pulls from folk rock in 'Dirty Delilha Blues'. Colonel Bagshot were almost criminally overlooked, though their music seems to consistently stand the test of time and it's easy to hear why. The sound is quintessential Liverpool rock, even down to the naming conventions being evocative of The Beatles.
Review: Estonian rock band Centre El Muusa hail from Tallinn and in vitally started out as experimental electronic duo Centre Electronique Muusa before evolving into the current set up in 2018. They have dropped a couple of tasty albums since 2020 and now contain with their explorations and fusions of the worlds of jazz, rock, folk, world and country with hints of kraut on the new 7" for Funk Night. 'Moonlight Horses' is a psyched out world of campfire guitars and star gazing riffs that leaves you feeling fully hippie-d up. 'Catching Stars' then heightens the trip with more angular guitars and a big wall of garage-rock sound.
Review: A five-track EP of rarities by Alex Chilton, the American singer and songwriter best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star, but whose later efforts led to an extended ambassadorship of the US avant-garde underground. The bulk of the tracks on ‘My Rival’ originate from Chilton’s earliest days, circa. 1975; at this critical juncture, Big Star was no more, and Chilton was teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Saved by his former bandmate, but still confidant, Chris Bell, they soon found themselves re-roused by the power of music, holing up together in Chilton’s bedroom and recording this short but wild set of bluesy experiments. Easily mistaken as the early murmurations of a Big Star reunion, this project should be taken as an eccentricity unto its own, and wholly deserves its 12” debut after an initial RSD run.
Review: The Cromagnon Band introduces 'Bad Night' as the lead single from their upcoming album Mode, which marks their second LP and debut on BBE Music. The album blends cinematic, psychedelic dark funk with Nordic psych-jazz, classical, boom-bap hip-hop breaks, and riff-heavy rock. Accompanied by the exclusive track 'Quadrant,' not featured on the album, the vinyl 45 release adds a unique gem to collectors' shelves. Both tracks provide a glimpse into the band's forthcoming album, showcasing their eclectic musical influences and distinctive recording style-capturing live jam sessions that evolve from sampled breaks, riffs, and melodies into intricate instrumental compositions.
Review: The mighty DFA label has always come at dance music from a rock and indie perspective and for that reason has always brought plenty of new ideas to the dancefloor. Fernando Pulichino has long been at the heart of the operation with his fusion of rock, funk, and electronic beats and here he is again with more of the same. 'I Got, She's Got' is a raw, energetic track, while the remix offers clarity and rich arpeggios. 'She's Playing With Fire' with saxophone by Gustavo Buchiniz, meanwhile, adds another explosive element meaning that all three tracks deliver pure club-ready firepower.
Review: The Flaming Lips' The John Peel Session of October 17, 1996, marked a pivotal moment in the trajectory of the Flaming Lips. Just before their rise to international prominence, the session captured their essence through four tracks that showcased their eclectic blend of neo-psychedelia, experimental rock, and indie influences. Peel, renowned for his astute ear for new talent, played a crucial role in introducing the band's unique sound to a broader audience. The session serves as an audio bookmark to their innovative approach and the impact of Peel's support in propelling them towards global recognition.
Review: Brooklyn-born Dennis Harte might only have been eleven when he picked up a Sears Silvertone, but the music on this anthologyirecorded between 1973 and 1974iis anything but juvenile. Collected here for the first time on a single release, these four singles originally appeared under shifting monikers (Dennis Harte, Harte Attack, Harte Brothers and Pure Madness), a strategy cooked up by mentor Carl Edelson to maximise industry exposure. The sound veers between garage soul, basement psych, and scrappy blue-eyed r&bian adolescent echo of The Rascals, The Youngbloods or early Spoonful. 'Summer's Over', written by Edelson, is the emotional peak: a world-weary soul lament, rendered uncanny by Harte's teenaged delivery. 'Running Thru My Mind' plays it cooler but still flickers with melodic instinct and wiry guitar interplay. 'Freedom Rides' charges out with organ-stabbed garage grit, a protest anthem wrapped in biker-jacket energy. 'Treat Me Like a Man' flips a Beatles-influenced B-side by Long Island group The Shandels into something looser and more ragged. Harte would go on to tour with Wilson Pickett, but these early 7"sinever before compiledishowcase a raw, regional talent teetering on the edge of real experience. Efficient Space lands another killer excavation from North America's fringe.
Review: We aren't sure who Inner Space Quartet are be we are sure you will like them. This is the second new music from them this month and it follows a busy 2022 in which they put out three head-turning 7"s on different labels. They seem to be settling for Funk Night as their home this year but soundwise are harder to pin down - there is Thai funk, space rock, jazz, psyched-out guitars and much more all contained with these two expansive and immersive sounds. 'Paranoia Party' is the really 60s-tinged narcotic opener then 'Delay' brings more rock guitar sounds as if from some secret and tripped-out Stones concert in the desert back in the day.
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