Eclectic Grooves

Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Multi Love The trajectory of Ruban Nielsen's career has never been predictable. After becoming completely disenchanted with the record industry when he was playing in the punk band The Mint Chicks, Ruban was really close to leaving music in his rearview mirror. While working as an illustrator for Jacob Portrait's brother, he was working on a self-recorded project that would eventually turn into UMO's self-titled debut record, despite his feelings that no one would be interested in hearing a bunch of guitar solos. Then, after a year of touring left him feeling alienated and desperate, he poured these feelings into the band's second record II, and toured the globe for another world tour.   Within the past year, his polyamorous relationship with his wife and another woman has provided the lyrical inspiration for the band's soon to be released third record entitled Multi-Love.  Even though the official street date for Multi...

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: Got To Be the Way It Is and Make It Good to Me From: Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings [Daptone, 2002] Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: Stranded In Your Love and My Man Is a Mean Man From: Naturally [Daptone, 2005] Sharon Jones: When the Other Foot Drops Uncle and Humble Me From: 100 Days, 100 Nights [Daptone, 2007] For those of you who are perplexed about the title of this post, the "#52" refers to the age of the talented lead vocalist Sharon Jones from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a ten-piece soul-funk band from Brooklyn who released a small pressing of their first album Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings on Daptone Records in 2002. The band consists of Sharon Jones on vocals, Daptone label-head Gabriel Roth on bass, Neil Sugarman (formerly of the Sugarman Three) on sax, along with core members of The Mighty Imperials and the Soul Providers. Sharon Jones and the ...

Chubby Checker- Chequered/New Revelation Chequered/New Revelation [Ariola, 1971] This is one of the many out-of print rarities that I've grabbed from the fabulous Mystery Poster blog. Sadly, the person who runs Mystery Poster has decided to call it quits. However, he has generously granted everyone permission to use his posts on their own blog. So, I am posting Chubby Checker's fabulous psychedelic relic from 1971- Chequered/New Revelation, that I grabbed from Mystery Poster months ago. His link for this is no longer up, so I have taken the time to upload it via DivShare Back in March, I posted a couple tracks and review for this album and Howlin Wolf's "This Is Howlin' Wolf's New Album" on Ear Fuzz . The complete Howlin' Wolf record was posted on Eclectic Grooves last July. Here is a link to that post, for those that have missed it, and the download link is still active. Here is the review posted on Ear Fuzz on March 9th, 2007: Chubby Checker became...

I've received a couple requests to have the Howard Tate "Get It While You Can" re-upped, so I hope you enjoy this soul classic originally released on Verve in 1966. Here is a link to the original post on Howard Tate from May. In other news, I plan on posting a Best Music of 2007 list soon. Hopefully, I can get it to you in time to purchase some great music for the holidays. My hope was to have this list completed by early December, but you know how life can get busy. I'm heading home to Peoria, IL for the holidays, so I'm trying to get everything wrapped up here before I leave for my trip. I will try to re-upload some Christmas blues and soul gems that I had on here last year, as well as a few more new ones. You're probably thinking that this blog is turning into a funk and soul blog, but I have plenty of free jazz and discordant improvisation stuff to fill the experimental music enthusiast's stocking too. Also, after the holidays, I plan on starting a new...

I first became aware of this rare soul gem after reading the article on Freddie Terrell and the Soul Expedition in the April/May issue of Wax Poetics. For more information on Freddie Terrell, here is a review I wrote about Freddie Terrell and the Soul Expedition on Ear Fuzz in August. Freddie was recruited as the guitar player in Lee Moses and the Showstoppers band before Lee had recorded anything on wax. I'm not sure which songs Freddie plays on throughout Time and Place , but there is no doubt that his spirit and grace was present during the recording sessions for the album. If anyone has any extra info on Freddie's contributions to Time and Place, please give a shout. Lee Moses recorded Time and Place on Maple Records in 1971, and it has stood the test of time as a soul/funk/gospel/psych masterpiece for the ages. It is considered by most reviewers to be one of the greatest unsung soul records ever. Peope who dug the Howard Tate record I posted on here several months a...

Howard Tate- Get It While You Can, 1995, Polygram I don't have a wealth of time or energy, but I wanted to post some new tunes on here. One of my friends mentioned to me that he would like to see more funk or soul on here. So, I'm pulling this one out of the archives. I had never heard of Howard Tate before his long lost classic S/T album from 1972 was reissued in 2001. Get It While You Can was originally released in 1966, but it was reissued on Polygram in 1995. Howard Tate possesses one of the most incredible falsettos in the soul pantheon and his lyrics cut to the bone with gritty tales of love and loneliness. Prolific and talented artists such as Janis Joplin, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix have covered his songs to great effect. With a spectacular rhythm section and horn charts to boot, Tate seriously brings the funk on Get It While You Can. I have posted a review from Amazon.com. The greatest soul singer ever to fall below '60s pop radar, Howard Tate remains a tantalizi...