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

25 July, 2012

Dreamstealer-Girls Are Fun Again

Filed under: blues,funk,Recorded Reviews — Tags: dreamstealer, girls are fun again, single — willmunn @ 13:04

Dreamstealer is the work of one Arno Guveau who has served time as a busker on the London Underground, a producer/mixer to the likes of Manfred Mann and Bob Weston and a musician who’s served time with the likes of Little Tony and Greyhound Levi, performing with the likes of Champion Jack Dupree and Louisana Red among others.

Arno releases his debut solo album, Son Of The Big Smoke, under the Dreamstealer monicker in September drawing influences from the likes of JJ Cale, Neil Young and Tony Lee White among others. Girls Are Fun Again is the first taster to be lifted from the album and proves to be a solid, if nothing else introduction to Arno’s style.

Girls Are Fun Again is a half decent funky blues number, with a relatively catchy yet quirky half-spoken half sung vocal and a nice line of funky horns, the problem is that the track isn’t memorable enough to really hit home, it’s pleasant but fairly forgettable. The track is backed with the album’s title track, Son Of The Big Smoke and once again it’s a little mediocre, the vocal maybe slightly reminiscent of the aforementioned JJ Cale this time around, but the instrumentation is simply not interesting enough to really grasp the listener, whilst the melody just doesn’t have enough bite for my liking.

For a first single you really want to be gripped and left baying for more, this just left me a little indifferent, it’s not bad, it’s not great, it’s just there, perhaps the full length album might unveil a few unexpected treats.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 6

www.guveau.nl

19 June, 2012

Presley Johnson-Anita’s Last Dance

Filed under: blues,funk,Recorded Reviews,rock,rock n roll — Tags: anita's last dance, presley johnson — willmunn @ 14:52

Presley Johnson are a Northampton based four-piece who mix a combination of blues, country, folk and 60’s influenced rock to create a rootsy, retro sound that has already found mass appeal on the live circuit.

The band released their debut self-titled album back in 2011 and since then they played a number of high profile shows across their native East Midlands as well as branching out into London and strangely enough Marburg over in Germany. Presley Johnson are currently in the process of recording their second album, with new single, Anita’s Last Dance, the first taster of the forthcoming release.

Anita’s Last Dance is a timeless rootsy mellow rock number complete with acoustic guitars, tight rhythmic patterns, contagious keyboards and a wonderful use of vocal harmonies that help the track build into a Beatles-esque sing-a-long. The track is backed with the equally impressive, yet rowdier My Muse, a blustery bluesy number that see’s the band flex their muscles and cut loose a little whilst retaining the aforementioned wall of vocal harmonies.

My copy of the single (or is it an album) also contained a handful of untitled numbers, the first of which (possibly called Drinking Alone) is a stripped back folky number, the following number is a brilliant taut, driving rocker full of bombastic drums, frenzied riffs and almost howled vocals. Josie B (?) is a delightful Small Faces (Ogden’s Nut Flake era) influenced, eccentric little number complete with pounded piano and a near theatrical vocal delivery. Next up is a track quite possibly entitled Hazy Days, which turns out to be a catchy indie rocker complete with a lovely hum along vocal refrain and a punchy chorus, elsewhere the band offer up a piano led ballad, as well as a dark brooding rock indie number (that brings to mind The Doors) showcasing the widescreen vision of the band.

I get the impression that the untitled tracks on here are lifted from the band’s debut album and if that does prove to be the case, I can highly recommend grabbing hold of a copy (it sounds like something of an unhearalded classic) along with the brand new single, Anita’s Last Dance, Presley Johnson weave a myriad of influences to create a glorious, diverse take on the rock n’ roll genre, bringing to mind many of the greats, whilst retaining their own identity.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

http://www.presleyjohnson.co.uk/

29 May, 2012

The Black Seeds-Dust And Dirt

Filed under: disco,funk,Recorded Reviews,reggae,rock,soul — Tags: dust and dirt, the black seeds — willmunn @ 15:20

The Black Seeds are a New Zealand based reggae seven-piece who combine elements of funk, rock, disco and dub to create a unique and infectious take on the reggae genre.

To date the band have sold over 125,000 records world wide as well as performing at some of Europes leading music festivals (Roskilde, Lowlands, Big Chill, Lovebox, etc) on the back of the band’s previous acclaimed albums, The Dojo (2007) and Solid Ground (2008).

Dust And Dirt is the group’s first album to be released on their own record label, Proville Records as well being self-produced in the band’s own studio (situated in a condemned building in their native Wellington). The Black Seeds consider Dust And Dirt to be the best representation of true sound, having spent longer in the studio honing the songs and trial new techniques.

From the opening track, Out Of Light the band lay down a tight psychedelic tinged groove complimenting the swirling keys, pulsating bass and trippy vocals, showcasing a far more widescreen sound than the genre classification of reggae may suggest. It’s a mellow yet addictive opening salvo that eases you into the album nicely before they add delicate twinkling piano, funky rubber rhythms, harmonised vocals and sun-kissed horns on the stunning title track, Dust And Dirt, bringing to mind the likes of the Easy Star All Stars among others whilst retaining a sound all of their own.

The band offered up Pippy Pip as the album’s first single and it’s easy to see why, patted percussion collides with an effortless melody and soulful combination of the heartfelt lead vocals and the aforementioned funk ridden horns to create an easy on the ear, memorable bouncy reggae number that’s just perfect for those hazy, languid summer day festivals.

Elsewhere the band weave a shimmering disco dub groove into proceedings on Wide Open, whilst The Bend showcases the band at their loosest as they lay down a delightfully infectious horn assisted funk drenched number. The band really cut loose, showcasing that aforementioned rock influence on the sprawling, riff friendly instrumental, Loose Cartilage, that comes complete with molten guitar licks, delicious Hammond organ and the obligatory horns, whilst Frostbite reminds me of baggy era indie with it’s drawled out vocals and rolling groove.

Clash Magazine once called The Black Seeds “one of the best reggae acts on the planet” on the evidence of Dust And Dirt, I’d say they got it half right, I think you can remove the word “reggae” from that statement, the band have a great deal more going on than a simple genre classification. Dust And Dirt could well be the first essential summer album of the year, it’s hot, it’s contagious and it’s so goddamn funky.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.theblackseeds.com

 

9 April, 2012

The Red Inspectors-Are We The Red Inspectors? Are We?

Filed under: funk,instrumental,jazz,lounge,pop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: are we the red inspectors? are we?, the red inspectors — willmunn @ 10:16

Back in the 90’s hot label Acid Jazz delivered a stream of brilliant funk ridden albums from the likes of Corduroy, Mother Earth, The Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai, electric albums that urged you to put on those dancing shoes and throw out a few shapes, around the same time Pete Twyman, Miles Chapman and Andy Lewis were treading the boards as Brit-pop darlings Pimlico. Since then the trio have been seen spinning the decks for Blur, backing Paul Weller and performing with the likes of Mohair and The Bluetones whilst continuing to make music together.

Now the trio along with Alex Richards have signed to Acid Jazz to create an album as The Red Inspectors, that pays tribute to the glory days of the label by creating a combination of deep funk, bossa nova, jazz and electro-pop.

The mainly instrumental twelve track affair is a brilliantly fun, floor filler for anyone who love’s a bit of elastic bass, hard grooves, infectious instrumentation and pumping hammond organ.

Right from the opening number, Spectrum Boy we’re taken into the heady world of TV detective theme music, exotic porn and funked up cocktail parties. The musicianship is simply stunning with hammond organ trading licks with funky riffs whilst the rhythm section supply more bounce than a pogo stick on a trampoline.

Elsewhere we get added vocals on the undeniable funk rock of He’s a Menace, flutes, wah wah guitars and a seductive female countdown on future porn classic, Red Mercury. Elsewhere we’re dealt a hand of Swirling psychedelic funk on Monochrome Sunrise a middle eastern influence on the fantastically twangy Clutching At Straws.

Are We The Red Inspectors? Are We? may and nod back to the many past glories of the Acid Jazz label, but this is no mere pastiche, the band weld so many influences into their sound, The Red Inspectors still manage to sound fresh and invigorating. If you want an album that’s full of imaginative musicianship and manages to be  both retro-tastic and a modern day floor filler you could do a lot worse than splashing your cash on this hot little nugget.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 8

www.acidjazz.co.uk

2 February, 2012

Suen Kuti & Egypt 80-Rise

Filed under: afro-beat,funk,Recorded Reviews,reggae,world music — Tags: rise, suen kuti & egypt 80 — willmunn @ 19:59

Around Christmas, here at Rhythm & Booze CDs seem to fall through the floorboards only to be discovered a month or so after the silly season is done and dusted.

One such single that got a little neglected under the heavy workload (of the day job) was the stunning single, Rise by one of current kings (and son of the legendary Fela Kuti) of Afro-beat Suen Kuti and his band Egypt 80, having rediscovered the single I thought I ought to write a few words in retrospective appraisal.

For those of you who’ve never heard the gloriously funky sounds of Suen Kuti & Egypt this serves as a stunning introduction to the man and the band, imagine if you will, infectious African percussion colliding with political (Marley like) near-reggae, funky horns and a biting yet irristibly contagious vocal that’ll have you on your feet dancing in defiance whilst shaking your fist in unsion to the tight grooves.

Rise is backed by a couple of remixes including an intoxicating remake by US DJ and Rapper Swizz Beatz, who strips the track down to glitchy beats and vocals, enhancing the impact of the delicious backing vocal harmonies further.

If you need further encouragement or convincing to checkout Suen Kuti & Egypt 80, checkout the band’s brilliant and exhilirating performance on last years Later With Jools Holland show to capture the band in full flow or trust me and take a punt on one of the fnkiest and stirring bands on the planet.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.myspace.com/seunkuti

 

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