CD Reviews

Various Artists | True Soul: Deep Sounds from the Left of Stax

Now-Again (2011)

By ZETH LUNDY | July 12, 2011

4.0 Stars

Soul hounds love deep, obscure shit — the deeper it is, the more obscure it is, the funkier it is, the more Southern it is, the better. So if you've already pricked up your soul-hound ears, dig this: Now-Again's two-volume compilation spotlighting the Little Rock, Arkansas label True Soul is a cratedigger's delight. Spread across two CDs and two DVDs is a vibrant document of a forgotten scene, ripe with funky 45s and turntablist fodder — wicky-wah guitars, butter-smooth flutes, big bari saxes, tight drum patterns that many would rightly kill for. A plethora of old photos, discographies, and Eothen "Egon" Alapatt's extensive liner notes are worth the price of admission — but dude, the music. Albert Smith's Wes-Montgomery-after-one-too-many-Js cover of "Come Together," Ren Smith's head-nodding anti-ode to air pollution ("Smog [Full Version]"), the lose-your-mind funkiness of York Wilborn's Psychedelic Six, and Thomas East's many silken soul-pop jams are but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. While Now-Again is gunning for Reissue Label of the Year (True Soul is sandwiched between compilations of Indonesian psych-funk and pre-revolution Iranian psych-rock), this stuff is clearly intended to last you a booty-shaking lifetime.

Active Child | You Are All I See
Pat Grossi used to be a choirboy, which is not surprising at all, given that his full-length debut under the Active Child moniker sounds like it was cut in some sort of dimly lit, hallowed hall under the cover of night.
The Big Hurt: Alex James's cheese, the Chili Peppers' video, Noel and Liam's suit, Nicole Scherzinger's Killer Love, Sammy Hagar's Chickenfoot III
James is on the vanguard of a truly extraordinary future: now that cheese has been infused with the flavor of ketchup, it's only a matter of time before entire cheeseburgers — with beef, onions, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and all — are compressed into pre-sliced cheese singles so you can carry them around in your wallet.
Little Dragon | Ritual Union
On Ritual Union, the third full-length from these mechanical soul weirdos, Little Dragon have managed to get way catchier and also a great deal stranger.
Assaf Kehati Quartet | Flowers and Other Stories
The Boston-based Israeli guitarist Assaf Kehati and his quartet know how to straddle the great divide.
Washed Out | Within and Without
Two summers ago, a number of glo-fi buzz bands surfed trendy chillwaves around the blogosphere, reaching mild popularity amongst fans of subtle, retro dance beats and laid-back vibes.
Ash Borer | Ash Borer
NorCal black-metal trio Ash Borer's debut full-length is as diminutive as their namesake (limited to a 150-cassette run) but no less destructive or striking as they hurtle through three tracks in 40 minutes.
EMA | Past Life Martyred Saints
This hasn't been a bad year for music, but there haven't been a lot of songs that hit in such a way that there's a physical need to hear them again — immediately. But Past Life Martyred Saints, the solo debut from former Gowns frontlady Erika M. Andersen, conveniently shortened to EMA and pronounced in acronym-form, does have such a song.
Introducing ANNA
It would appear Gypsy Tailwind's tumultuous ride has lost its backing breeze.
Review: Janie Jones
Borrowing the name of a Clash song with which it has nothing in common, this generic riff on the Crazy Heart template by writer/director David M. Rosenthal ( Falling Up ) also cribs from Sofia Coppola's Somewhere .
New music for Boston's winter of discontent
Here are 10 record-release parties from both newcomers and veterans of our city, dropping new music from now until March's thaw.
Review: Joyful Noise
There's not much joy but there's plenty of noise of the rafter-rocking gospel singing variety in Tony Graff's musical dramedy.
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Topics: CD Reviews , Music, Arkansas, R&B, More

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