Review: The little known folk-funk genre does what it says on the tin. Here on this third volume in a wonderful series so far, compilation curator Paul Hilery does a fine job of portraying the best obscurios in the style, salvaging the very best of such flukily serene funk music and its stylistic cognates. Classic cuts from unlikely celestials such as Tim Green and Jeff Outterman are paired with case examples of neo-psychedelia, vocal raga, soft rock, and trip-hop, at once stretching the very furthest definitional corners of the term "funk" while making for a shimmering trip. Bobbi Keith's 'Give Me Time' has to be the highlight, coming agogo with chord-soaked backings and pealing electric piano, as Keith's nearly genderless voice flits over the mix.
Review: British outfit Little Barrie - guitarist Barrie Cadogan and bassist Lewis Wharton - team up with Malcolm Catto, known for his experimental edge as producer and drummer with Heliocentrics, on this raw-edged collaboration. Cadogan and Wharton, whose distinctive sound helped define the opening notes of Vince Gilligan's own-right spinoff Better Call Saul, bring their tightly wound energy into Catto's sonically unpredictable world. What emerges is a tense, scorched blend of overdriven guitar stabs, thicketed percussion, and eerie atmospheres that play like a weather report from a collapsing city. Catto's rhythmic instincts create a fractured foundation where Little Barrie's gritty melodies can unravel or coil without warning. Far from polished or predictable, the record thrives on friction and volatility, capturing three musicians testing the limits of structure and sound.
Review: Has any band undergone such a radical musical evolution as Martin Circus? The French band, formed in 1969, initially explored psychedelia, heavy rhythm and blues and formative progressive rock, before pivoting to Cerrone style disco, new wave and eventually, synth-pop. Evolution Francaise 1969-85 does a great job in charting this sonic journey on one action-packed compilation, chronologically serving up such heady musical highs as 'Annie, Christine ou Partricia' (a heavy rock-meets-The Rolling Stones workout), 'Les Indiens De Demier Matin' (psychedelic disco-rock), 'Mon Premier Hold Up' (their most Cerrone-esque number), 'Disco Circus' (their most famous cut, here re-edited by Francous Kevorkian) and 'J'Tai Vu Dans Le Canoe?' (quirky synth-pop).
Review: The Surfrajettes, a Toronto-based all-female surf rock quartet, serve up a nostalgic yet fresh take on instrumental surf music with their album Easy as Pie. Blending psychedelic rock with reverb-soaked guitar tones, their sound recalls the classic surf era while bringing a modern flair. Guitarists Nicole Damoff and Shermy Freeman skillfully lead the charge, delivering twangy riffs and soaring melodies, backed by Sarah Butler's groovy bass lines and Anna Liebel's tight drumming. Known for their striking stage presenceicomplete with sky-high beehives and go-go bootsithe band's sound has captured attention far and wide. Fans of classic surf, modern instrumental rock and soundtrack music are all comfortable styles their music fits into.
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