F Spot US Vinilo y CD

Review: Night Owls are an LA-based group made up of members of The Lions and The Aggrolites, pooling their skills into a seriously slick stew which splits the difference between roots reggae and funky soul. Sonically, they achieve a perfect 70s sound with plenty of choppy guitar licks, cool organ and light dubby touches on the desk, but first and foremost comes the songwriting. These tunes have an instant classic kind of feel to them, helped no end by the revolving door roster of vocalists reaching from Kendra Morris to Malik The Freq Moore and so many more besides lending their croon to the exquisite musicianship.

Review: Night Owls are well known and loved amongst funk fans and dropped a superb album not so long ago. But they don't rest on their laurels and instead come back with more goodness in 7" form here on the F Spot label. 'I Only Have Eyes For You' (feat Chris Dowd & Tippa Lee) is more of their heavy-hitting funk and soul goodness with some uplifting vocal work next to the sound signature rhythms. The back side of this limited edition 45rpm is taken up by the equally fresh 'Live And Let Live', this time featuring Miles Tackett.

Review: Jungle Fire's 'Together' was released digitally in July 2020. It is s superb version of a Ray Barretto Latin funk classic that has been performed as part of the Jungle Fire live show for a while now so you might well be familiar if you have caught them play anywhere. It is usually an instrumental but for this version they hook up with the talented Jamie Allensworth to sing and he brings a message that unites any crowd. The record is released in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign with "every cent generated on our end by this recording going to support the movement."

Review: Straight from Producer Dan Ubick's Lions Den Studio, Night Owls presents two re-imagined soul classics here. First, soul sensation Eli 'Paperboy' Reed tackles Ray Charles' 'You Don't Know Me.' Ubick sought someone to infuse soul into the song once sung by 'The Genius' himself, finding it in Reed, whose journey from Massachusetts to Mississippi's Delta shaped his soulful style. On Side B, Jr Thomas & The Volcanos bring their Rocksteady flair to Eddie Kendricks' 'If You Let Me,' paying homage to Jamaican legend Winston Riley. Night Owls' versions inject new life into these classics, ready to ignite the dance floor with their infectious grooves.

Review: Miami's Far Produce are fresh faces, but their sound is full of respect for times past, building on classic soul jazz by bringing it a modern instrumental twist. Led by two Studio City, CA natives - Addison Rifkind on guitar and Michael Duffy on drums - Fat Produce deliver a veritable cornucopia of fruits and groceries to chew on here. 7" A-sider 'Sticky Beets' turns our inners red, as we're led to imagine chowing down on the perfect beetroot yield and the funky euphoria that inevitably follows ingestion of such a delicacy. B-sider 'Son!', meanwhile, draws on an amalgamation of several Bay Area-inspired grooves - Duffy is a walking rhythmic encyclopaedia - set against an improvised, on-the-fly groove first laid down by Rifkind, whose hook-worthiness is unmistakable here.

Review: Night Owls are coming off the back of their best-selling tune yet and follow-up 'Ain't That Loving You' (feat. Chris Murray) backed with 'Are You Lonely For Me, Baby' (feat. Malik Moore) is likely to be just as hot. It finds the Night Owls stepping up their game as they flip Johnnie Taylor's super sweet Stax classic ballad into a delightful dancehall anthem. On the flip is another version of a 1966 classic with all-new bass and bounce, a tough rhythm and deep vocal delivery from Malik Moore of The Lions and Ocean 11 association.

Review: Mestizo Beat have been making moves on the West Coast scene for a while now and this new one is sure to help them go to the next level. It expands on the core sound the band have championed so far with cues from Roy Ayers, Isaac Hayes, George Benson, Eric B and Rakim all stitched into their own particular brand of soul. 'Left Behind' (feat Jamie Allensworth) has breezy, soulful vocals and harmonious jazz keys while 'I Want You' (feat Terin Ector & Jamie Allensworth) is a cover of Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You' with its swooning horns and vintage synthesizer strings soaring over the top.

Review: A double-barrelled shot of classic soul and Motown, LA-based soul flippers Night Owls are back again after their LP earlier this year with their first 45 transforming songs with their unique Jamaican flair. Side A steals the show off the bat, with 'Cramp Your Style' pricking up hip-hop fans' ears as the groundwork for Cypress Hill's 'Real Estate'. N'Dea Davenport's vocals are silky smooth against the grooving instrumental - you can't help but smile. Side B's 'Your Old Standby' is a slower, more emotional affair with vocals from Trish Toledo that hearken back to the original in magical fashion.