Rhythm & Booze An online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.

5 December, 2014

New Town Kings-Pull Up & Rewind

Filed under: Recorded Reviews,reggae,ska — Tags: New EP, New Town Kings, pull up & rewind — willmunn @ 16:48

New Town Kings are a nine-piece Essex based band that combine ska, reggae and rocksteady to create a potent, infectious sound unites both the traditional Jamaican sounds and a more modern UK twist.

This year New Town Kings have been hard at work, performing live and bringing their sunshine grooves to the likes of Boomtown Fair and the Rebellion Punk Festival winning over new fans with their contagious summer vibes.

Four track affair, Pull Up & Rewind is a stunning showcase of the band’s unique and genre straddling vision from the political and socially aware lead track Change to the laid-back groove-laden Grabbed My Hand, New Town Kings prove their equally adept at addressing the nation as they are winning over the ladies. Change is a rousing, fiery ska infused number fueled by a driving bassline, a flurry of horns and frontman’s Dabs Bonner’s chant like vocal urging us to change, the track could be lifted straight out of the Specials song book. whilst in direct contrast Grabbed My Hand is a wonderful soulful reggae love lament with Bonner’s vocals becoming a Dennis Brown like croon, whilst the band create a delicate background of bubbling bass, uplifting horns and choppy guitars.

Between the lovers lament and the political fire of Change, the band also offer up a glorious sub two and a half minute Luna Rosa, a frantic, vibrant, latin inspired, funky ska number complete with rapid fire verses and hook heavy chorus, whilst Cool The Pressure brings the EP to a close with a lovely mild and mellow slice of rocksteady enriched by a brief yet enthralling saxophone solo, and a suitably easy-going, placid lead vocal asking for calm in a high pressured world.

Pull Up & Rewind is a brilliant and addictive affair from start to finish, bringing some much needed sunshine into our lives over the cold winter months ahead, forget the outside world you can now have the sound of the summer inside your homes all year round!!!

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.facebook.com/newtownkings

5 October, 2012

Phoenix City All-Stars Present 2 Tone Ska

Filed under: Recorded Reviews,reggae,ska — Tags: 2 tone gone ska, new album, phoenix city all-stars — willmunn @ 15:19

Ok so we’ve not had much of a summer in this country and we can moan and groan as much as we like, but you know we all know what’s like, we know what to expect so it’s about time we all found our inner sun. Basically what I mean by that is what makes you feel all warm and summery inside? for me it’s music and in particularly ska, for some reason the sound of that glorious elastic bass groove has me dreaming of supping in the sun and guzzling down barbecue food, I think it’s just because I personally find ska (and reggae for that matter) gloriously uplifting and fun.

The Phoenix All-Stars (various personal taken from a variety of acts on Phoenix City Records) understand all this and they also understand that the legendary 2 Tone Records (home to all of the most important UK acts at one time or another) owes quite a debt to the blissed out reggae grooves of the paradise island (Jamaica) and with all this in mind the band decided to pay tribute to both 2 Tone and their forefathers by replanting one UK’s most iconic labels back into 60’s Jamaica and the sunshine (hope you’re all following me here). So basically this means that this all star band reinvent the likes of One Step Beyond, Tears Of A Clown and Ghost Town by giving them a rocksteady, reggae and dub makeover.

On the whole what you get here is a stunning blissful album full of rolling reggae grooves, clever instrumentation and heartfelt interpretations of 2 Tone’s biggest hits. Deep organ collides with guitar and melodica, whilst bursts of loving horns pepper the already potent mix, whilst the aforementioned infectious elastic bass and groovesome percussion create that ever contagious rhythm.

The majority of the tracks on here are twisted into infectious hazy day instrumentals that slowly seduce the listener like the slow descent of a magical sunset with the likes of One Step Beyond, The Prince and Too Much Too Dub particularly finding favour round these parts. But if that wasn’t already enough of an incentive to part with your hard earned cash, the band rope in legendary frontman Dave Barker (the voice of Dave & Ansell Collins) to provide lead vocals on a mesmeric rendition of Tears Of A Clown and I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down. Whilst I can’t leave without mentioning the sumptuous instrumental version of Ghost Town that has to be heard to be believed.

So there you have it Phoenix City All-Stars manage to raise the sun and the spirits (even on a dreary October day) on a beautiful collection of classic ska tracks done the Jamaican way, if you like ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub or just like a decent groove to move to you’ll love this sun-kissed beauty.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.phoenixcityrecords

31 July, 2012

Porter-Can’t Keep Still

Filed under: blues,easy listening,jazz,Recorded Reviews,ska,soul — Tags: album, can't keep still, porter — willmunn @ 12:29

Now here’s an aptly named album if ever there was one, Porter mix up a combination of jazz, blues, swing and ska to create a moving, ever infectious sound that has already seen the band support the likes of the acclaimed and Grammy nominated James Hunter among others.

Porter’s (named after frontman Gary Porter) latest album, Can’t Keep Still is one of those collections that makes you want to stop what your doing, clear a path in your living room, grab your partner and throw some shapes, or perhaps turn the lights down low and allow Gary’s smooth croon to seduce, either way there’s no way you’re going to be able to stay still, this is music to ignite passion, to incite dance, to light romance, this is an album that you can’t possibly deny.

Can’t Keep Still kicks off with the all swinging ska flavouring of Ten Days, a track that introduces you to the creamy croon of Gary Porter and the band’s ability to make you want to bounce, strut and pose all the space of three minutes. From the opening combination of horns and bass groove the band have you in the palm of their hands and don’t let go until the final few seconds of album ska friendly hammond organ fuelled closer Bridge Too Far.

Highlights ooze from the speakers every step of the way, from the elastic ska soul of Emily, with its jumping ska beat, choppy guitar and soul croon to the late 50’s styled easy listening, crooner Hanging On complete with it’s gorgeous, fluid, mournful sax solo to the laid-back reggae grooves of the slow groover, Happiest Day, with it’s warm horns and pumping piano melody and the Latin tinged River.

Can’t Keep Still is a silky smooth contagious journey through all that’s good in jazz, blues, swing and ska, if you have any affinity with those genres or just enjoy well structured, beautifully performed music and deep soulful vocals, you’ll get a real kick out of the delightfully delicious sounds of Porter.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.garyportermusic.com

22 May, 2012

Ben Dalby-Tact

Filed under: indie,pop,Recorded Reviews,ska — Tags: Ben Dalby, tact — willmunn @ 16:35

Ben Dalby maybe something of a new name to most of you out there, he certainly is to me, however the eclectic singer-songwriter’s profile is on the rise, in recent times he’s been featured on Steve Lamacq’s Radio Two show with fomer single Doctor Can, whilst the likes of 6Music and Unpeeled have got behind Ben Dalby support.

As singer-songwriters go Ben is something of an anomaly with comparisons varying from the likes of everyone from Jonathan Richman to Lou Reed and Gary Numan, an eclectic mix I’m sure you’ll agree whilst others have mentioned synth-pop and satire, however on the evidence of this and brand new single Tact, Ben Dalby is something of a difficult artist to pin down to one genre.

Tact sounds nothing like those aforementioned artists or genres, Ben’s new single is actually a gloriously frantic slab of horn assisted ska-tinged, indie-pop, delivered with a dose of biting attitude and a hook that nags for repeat spins. The urgency of Ben’s vocal and the bouncy horn and guitar interplay are just perfect for those hazy summer days and hedonistic nights and could well score Ben Dalby something of a festival anthem, whilst the driving rhythm is perfect for those “crank it up loud” in the car moments.

As my opening gambit of the review may suggest Ben Dalby maybe something of an unknown quantity but if he keeps releasing singles of the quality of Tact, he may well become a household name.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

http://www.dalby.net

 

24 April, 2012

Benson-Benson EP

Filed under: blues,indie,punk,Recorded Reviews,rock,ska,soul — Tags: benson, benson ep — willmunn @ 16:37

What do you get when you cross a gravely blues rock singer, a couple of former punk rockers and a parping slab of brass? Well obviously you get the genre straddling brass driven urgent indie rock of Benson, you also get one of the most exciting sounds to come out of Yorkshire for about……well for a fair bloody whilst.

After just a couple of low key warm-ups, Benson took the roof off the acclaimed venue, The Cockpit and since then the six-piece band have welded smiles on strangers faces and given their dancing shoes a full workout with their unique, frantic and ultimately fun sound.

The band’s self-titled debut EP manages to capture the bands vibrant energy, showcase their massive stabbing brass hooks and introduce their stunning secret weapon, lead singer Jordan Clark’s raw, contagious vocal tones.

From the band’s opening number, Days Like These, the band grab you by the lapels and don’t let go til they’ve shaken your very core. The lead track is a glorious statement of intent, complete with punchy guitar riffs, pumping bass and the aforementioned brass all topped with those gritty vocals. From there the band don’t let up for a minute, the two subsequent numbers, From Here and Don’t Wannabe You, are both frolicking,  ballsy affairs with swaggering soul licks colliding gloriously with hard hitting indie rock riffs with a side order of ska influenced bounce.

Benson are a throbbing, attitude fuelled swaggering six-piece that weld together all the best elements of indie, rock, soul, punk and ska to create the essential soundtrack to all of your hedonistic summer parties.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.thisisbenson.com

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