NICK PRIDE & THE PIMPTONES feat. JESS ROBERTS: Waitin So Long (Smoove remix) video (2011)

NICK PRIDE & THE PIMPTONES feat. JESS ROBERTS: Waitin So Long (Smoove remix) video (2011)
Here we are then – Smoove’s drums of death, coal funk reboot of the Jess Roberts featuring debut single and best track off Nick Pride & The Pimptones’ new long player Midnight Feast Of Jazz. It’s shot on a rooftop for added drama, not sure where though – the derelict cargo cranes in the background speak perhaps of Newcastle’s industrial past but the sun’s shining so…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

SAVANT feat. Dibbz Dreek: Fresh She Is (Satchill Head’s Reprise) (2011) – free download

SAVANT feat. Dibbz Dreek: Fresh She Is (Satchill Head’s Reprise) (2011) – free download
The indefatigable MC Savant a.k.a. Stanstro is on it again, this time with Dibbz Dreek of Fresh Life Curriculum and a paean to this chick they both fancy. And it has to be said, she sounds rather attractive having: a “body like a poem, written in calligraphy,” rather well-off but still a bit street, “the type to have a two car garage go to work/ And still keep a doobie in the…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

HERO No. 7/ GUMBO YA YA: Balacava Man (Hero No. 7 remix)/ Black Mountain (Gumbo Ya Ya remix) - (2011)

HERO No. 7/ GUMBO YA YA: Balacava Man (Hero No. 7 remix)/ Black Mountain (Gumbo Ya Ya remix) - (2011)
Hero Records mailed me the details of this three weeks ago with profuse apologies about the fact that they meant to send it to me a month previously (i.e. when the release actually came out) but didn’t because there was a bit of a fail on the promotional side of things. Full of swift posting intentions I then inadvertently returned the favour by forgetting this was in my inbox for the aforementioned three weeks like a colossal bumblefuck. Shame really seeing as what we have on this slice wax is, not one, but two finely crafted slices of b-boy action. As with…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

BLACK FEELING 2: Burning Spear/ Shaft In Africa 45 sampler (2011)

BLACK FEELING VOL. 2: Burning Spear/ Shaft In Africa 45 sampler (2011)
Lance ‘funk is my middle name’ Ferguson of Bamboos/ Cookin’ On 3 Burners fame brings forth the second volume of the Black Feeling project. The central conceit behind this (as with the original) is that Lance and buddies get to cover funk-soul and jazz-funk classics but each one under a different pseudonym. On this album taster, S.O.U.L.’s Burning Spear gets a frantically percussive makeover by ‘The Polytones’ with a Blue Note-style guitar while ‘The Mighty Show-Stoppers’ give Shaft In Africa slightly harder and faster seeing to than Johnny Pate’s original. Anyone familiar with the original funk compositions of…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

SOUL REVOLUTION: One More Time (2011)

SOUL REVOLUTION: One More Time (2011)
Soul Revolution are ‘The Lion Of Bordeaux’ and Don Argentino (no, really) – two heads brought together by the lure of the smoky basement clubs of the capital of Aquitaine who discovered a shared love of the U.S. West Coast hip-hop underground. ‘Le Lion de Bordeaux,’ in particular, may sound familiar to UK funk heads, probably because he’s the lead singer in a band with one of the best names (and some of the best sounds) in contemporary funk – The Shaolin Temple Defenders. One More Time recalls the more soulful side of the Quannum crew…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

CMC & SILENTA: Funky Town (2011)

CMC & SILENTA: Funky Town (2011)
Manmade Records’ big boss men, CMC and Silenta have just dropped this party cut on their other label Roca which revolves around the old Banbarra Shack Up beat made famous by (among others) Stetsasonic on Talkin’ All That Jazz. This is the fastest I’ve ever heard it used though and it triggers the bpm radar at a nu funkin 127 bpm or thereabouts. Keeping up is MC Penny wryly observing, “Too sick, comin’ through with my toothpick/ Any style old school, except on the new shit,” among the…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

DJ MOAR: Cumbia’s Beat / B-Batucada (2011)

DJ MOAR: Cumbia’s Beat / B-Batucada (2011)
More from Parisian funky breaks afficionado DJ Moar in the shape of this sweet little mid-tempo, latin b-boy breaks gem out (correctly) on seven inch at the start of next month. As the title might lead you to believe, this makes full use of some dusty old Cumbia track and some funky breaks that – as luck would have it – Moar just happened to have lying around. With the bonus latin beats of B-Batacuda on the flip, Cumbia’s Beat is definitely…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

FIRST WORD RECORDS: First Word Is Seven (2011) – free download

FIRST WORD RECORDS: First Word Is Seven (2011) – free download
“Funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, beats and beyond” – here’s a drop that’s right up the monkey’s street and it’s freer than Mr Humphries from Are You Being Served on his day off. Leeds-based First Word Records is seven years old (hence the title First Word Is 7) and by way of celebration they’ve put up an album for download gratis.
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

VARIOUS: Soul Braza - Brazilian 60's & 70's Soul Psych Vol 1 - Album (2011)

VARIOUS: Soul Braza: Brazilian 60's & 70's Soul Psych Vol 1 - Album (2011)
RATING: 5/5
Couldn’t let this puppy go by without a mention - the label releasing this isn’t called No Smoke for nothing. Soul Braza is fire and yet another reason why this May is a five star month for music. How can you not love a female vox funk-soul version of Hey Joe where the only recognisable words are Hey Joe? Finally, native English speakers get to see what it’s like to have to mumble along to a song with incomprehensible lyrics, except the chorus which they can joyfully shout instead since it’s only two words and they recognise them…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

EWAN HOOZAMI: Straight Out Of Charleston (2011) – free download

EWAN HOOZAMI: Straight Out Of Charleston (2011) – free download
In which Bristol’s Ewan Hoozami enthusiastically wheels his trolley down the ‘genre aisle’ of the music producer’s supermarket helping himself liberally to dubstep, jazz, ghetto funk and a couple of special offer acapellas from Masta Ace and MJ, among others. The result is Straight Out Of Charleston an entity which
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

THE BEEKEEPERS: Queen Bee – Single (2011)

THE BEEKEEPERS: Queen Bee – Single (2011)
Queen Bee is the latest single off the recently released Beekeepers LP Apiculture and a bit of a banger. Musically coming off like a collision of The Freestylers and The Heavy, it finds rapper Mystro exploring the growing distance between him and the missus (“Oh I should have put a ring on it?/ Well, you’re lucky if I even put a fake bit of bling on it”) and one of the album’s highlights. I was going to continue the monkeyboxing embargo on bee-related gags (not because I’m above such cheap journalistic tactics
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

ATMOSPHERE: The Family Sign – Album (2011) + ‘Just For Show’ video

ATMOSPHERE: The Family Sign – Album (2011) + ‘Just For Show’ video

Angstie Boys alert! Minneapolis emo-rappers will shortly be dropping what is something like their tenth studio album. As with the last few albums from the group it pushes the boundaries of the Atmosphere sound and this time they’ve gone all nu-disco. Nah, just kidding
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

DANIEL WANDERS & TOBIAS KIRMAYER PRESENT: Feeling Nice (Tramp Records)(2011) + tracklist

DANIEL WANDERS & TOBIAS KIRMAYER PRESENT: Feeling Nice (Tramp Records)(2011) + tracklist
There’s a rich irony to be enjoyed in the fact that the word ‘rare’ is one of the commonest words in the titles or subtitles of funk compilations. However, since Daniel Wanders and Tobias Kirmayer have come up with 12 hot dancefloor cuts for Feeling Nice that haven’t already been compiled to within an inch of their lives (far from it, in fact) you can take these two very much at their word. This means that the stuff on this release is very rare indeed.
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

ALDO VANUCCI: Party Breaks Vol. 2 – EP (2011) + ‘Mysterious Sneakers’ free download

ALDO VANUCCI: Party Breaks Vol. 2 – EP (2011) + ‘Mysterious Sneakers’ free download
‘Fatboy Slim’s crate digger’ Aldo Vanucci, known far and wide as Plymouth’s 14th best DJ, is back and this time, Matthew, he’s come as pop slag. Is that Sean Paul I can hear? Crooklyn Clan? A bit of Duck Sauce? KC & The Sunshine Band? Yup, it all goes in the blender with some rather large beats. Vanucci, you have no shame. When playing out, out, it’s probably best to save these until everyone’s really hammered for maximum effect
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

SERGE SEVERE: Back On My Rhymes – 2011 (Album) + ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’ video

SERGE SEVERE: Back On My Rhymes – 2011 (Album) + ‘Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’ video
RATING: 5/5
Ok, so not covering Back On My Rhymes, the second album by Serge Severe, might be the second glaring oversight I’ve made this year following my recent discovery of a T Bird solo album which, like this, also came out in January. Mind you, given that I’d never heard of Serge Severe prior to two nights ago when I stumbled across him on hiphopdx.com and given that after a sound googling, he seems to be almost entirely below or beyond the range of the UK rap radar, I might be forgiven. I’m starting to think that the Yanks are keeping all the good shit to themselves. It’s like the French with wine isn’t it?

The short version is that this Portland, Oregon, MC (that’ll be West Coast for the geographically challenged) is setting hip-hop alight with back to basics beats and rhymes
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

RORY HOY: Tonite EP (2011)

RORY HOY: Tonite EP (2011)
Rory Hoy comes straight outta Knaresborough (no, really) again, sidesteps the temptation to go ghetto and wobble up the bass and comes through with some booming nu funk heat on this latest drop from Big M. Old school funk and hip-hop samples aplenty vie with Rory’s nutty production stylings and are all set to ensure (as always) some fairly pneumatic dancefloor action. He even somehow manages to get old school producer Freddy Fresh (who just happens to be label boss for Hoy’s releases on Howlin’ Records) to collaborate on the big beatisms of Trump. Arguably it’s the stop/starty nu funk/ nu disco animal of a title track that
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

RAY LUGO & THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS: Mi Watusi – Album (2011)

RAY LUGO & THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS: Mi Watusi – Album (2011)
Following recent hot boogaloo single Swingy Boogaloo, Ray Lugo is back
in full salsa caliente de New York mode here and channelling the spirits of the likes of Ray Barretto, The Lebon Brothers and king Tito. Honestly, it’s like the golden era of Fania Records resurrected. And why wouldn’t it be since what the man’s done here is cover a ton of old classics with the odd revised set of lyrics and a bit of rearranging here and there?…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

T BIRD: T Bird Is Good For You – Album (free download) - 2011

T BIRD: ‘T Bird Is Good For You’ – Album (free download) - 2011
Amazingly, this has been out since January. For those not in the know, let me explain that T Bird a.k.a. Tim Crane is the gravel-voiced front-man of criminally underexposed Texan heavy funk and soul outfit T Bird & The Breaks whose funky soul bomb Esmerelda from the 2009 debut, Learn About It recently featured on the monkeyboxing mixtape Filthy Rhythm, Dirty Soul. The band have dropped a number of breaks-heavy funk nuggets since Learn About It’s release and now T Bird Is Good For You sees Crane stepping out on his own.
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

MR FANTASTIC: Harvey’s Bristol Cream – Album - 2011

MR FANTASTIC: Harvey’s Bristol Cream – Album - 2011
Ahhh Bristol! Famous for riots, slavery and talking like a pirate. Not to mention scrumpy, the mere vapour of which can remove paint and for sherry that according to local legend tastes smoother than the local milk – hence the name ‘cream.’ Oh yeah, and quite well known for beats too, usually heard emanating from clouds of herbal smoke. Enter Bristol-based producer Mr Fantastic, a.k.a Justin Harvey, with the cream (that LP name making sense now?) of the boom-bap beats at which he’s been slaving away.…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

KUHJO: Habanera Swing/ Lazy Finley - 7” single – 2011

KUHJO: Habanera Swing/ Lazy Finley - 7” single – 2011
RATING: 5/5
Mind your fingers when you pick up your copy of this since it’s hot in every way possible. And you will want a copy. Only to be available on limited 7”, what we have here is the mysterious Kuhjo’s grand entrance to the cheeky mash-up arena armed with some ridiculously heavy weaponry. Essentially a brace of obscure rap-toting bangers, one of them, Lazy Finley, finds Doug Lazy …READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

THE EXCITEMENTS: The Excitements 'album' – 2011

THE EXCITEMENTS: The Excitements – 2011
RATING: 5/5
This LP'll be this year’s first full-length antidote to the slew of noodly-jazzy-white-boys-playing-funk-masquerading-as-‘deep funk and soul,’ and not a minute too soon. But – hang on – these songs aren’t original – they’re old soul/ rnb numbers by the likes of Little Richard and Barbara Stephens – aren’t The Excitements just a covers band? Fuck off! They ain’t just anything.
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

DJ SHEPDOG: Nah Shutterbug – Free download - 2011

DJ SHEPDOG: Nah Shutterbug – Free download - 2011
It seems like only the other day I was extolling the virtues of Shepdog’s reggae refix of Adele’s Rolling In The Deep and damn if he isn’t back already with another free download. Marrying Outkast rapper Big Boi’s Shutterbug acapella with Nas and Damian Marley’s Nah Mean beat means he can chalk yet another reggae remix victory up on the mash-up wall of fame. Indeed, so effortlessly do these roll off the …READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

NICK PRIDE & THE PIMPTONES: Midnight Feast Of Jazz + ‘Waitin So Long’ video - 2011

NICK PRIDE & THE PIMPTONES: Midnight Feast Of Jazz + ‘Waitin So Long’ video - 2011
Midnight feast of jazz? I’d rather have a 3.a.m. dirty funk kebab but go on then… My first experience of Newcastle jazzbos Nick Pride & The Pimptones was the Smoove retouch of their Deeper Pimp thing on Wack Records featuring an Aretha acapella. You might have thought that with a band name like the Pimptones that their releases would be rich in wah-wah licks and hot-buttered basslines but over half the musicians in the band tote some kind of metal wind instrument. So Midnight Feast Of Jazz is literally awash with horns. Now don’t get me wrong,
…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

MC ADAD vs TENSEI: Smoke It Out – 2011

MC ADAD vs TENSEI: Smoke It Out – 2011You know when your day job gets in the way of real stuff? Yeah? This has been languishing in my mailbox for days now while deadlines stalk me. Funnily enough All Natural-affiliate ADaD’s mood chimes with mine here exploring how miserable he feels and concluding that the answer is to ‘smoke it out.’ Could he be on about having a bifter?

CHART - May 2011

CHART - May 2011
1. (NEW) Joe Driscoll – Mixtape Champs (Mr Benn remix)

Mr Benn applies his boom-skankin’ Midas touch again…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

SMOOVE & TURRELL: Eccentric Audio – 2011 + ‘Slow Down video’

SMOOVE & TURRELL: Eccentric Audio – 2011 + ‘Slow Down video’
Nu-northern soul boys Smoove and Turrell (a.k.a. Berry Geordie and Smokey Turrell) are due to return shortly with second album Eccentric Audio which is all set to propel them into mainstream consciousness. As always Turrell rides as classic-voiced vocal shotgun to Smoove’s driving force behind the beats. And (it has to be said) Smoove (or rather ‘smoove’) is frequently the word this time around as their bid for more widespread (and well-deserved) recognition finds Eccentric Audio featuring more than a few…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM