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Son Little Greets the Complexities of Life on 'Aloha'
On Aloha, Son Little ponders the ambivalence of life and love, and decides he could be right. Or he could be wrong. Either way, the music is soulful and comforting.
11 Mar 2020
Music
Jessie Ware - "Spotlight" (Singles Going Steady)
With "Spotlight", Jessie Ware delivers a smooth pop masterpiece of driving rhythms, understated vocals, and lyrics of longing and lust.
10 Mar 2020
Music
Swamp Dogg Returns With Joyful Noise on 'Sorry You Couldn't Make It'
Legendary psychedelic soulman Swamp Dogg reinvents his aesthetic or perhaps pulls back the layers to expose what he's been all along on Sorry You Couldn't Make It.
10 Mar 2020
Music
Music Is All About Limitations: An Interview with Son Little
Son Little finds commonalities across jazz, hip-hop, soul, R&B, and rock. His latest album grew out of a setback, but he created a stronger, simpler, more ruminative set of songs. Here he talks about creativity and obstacles and how they work together.
10 Mar 2020
Music
Counterbalance No. 6: Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'
Marvin Gaye's What's Going On has been called the greatest soul album of all time. But is it truly "right on"—or maybe a little bit "jive"? Counterbalance’s Mendelsohn and Klinger find out what's happening, brother.
09 Mar 2020
Music
The James Hunter Six Arrive in the 'Nick of Time'
Think of the James Hunter Six's Nick of Time as a lost jukebox of singles from that bar and grill on the edge of the nostalgia highway that always has a full parking lot of semi-trucks and convertibles, beaters, and hot rods.
04 Mar 2020
Music
29 Black Music Documentaries for Black History Month 2020
For Black History Month 2020, we are showcasing films and videos featuring Black American artists. Enjoy them and learn about the origin of each Black music legend featured.
29 Feb 2020
Music
Robert Cray Bares His Soul on 'That's What I Heard'
Forty years into his career, Robert Cray has been steadily building one of the most consistent catalogs of pure soul and smooth blues with the help of his stinging Stratocaster and a voice that somehow gets even better with age.
25 Feb 2020
Music
Perfect Harmony: An Interview with Legendary Vocal Group the Waters
From Phil Spector's Wall of Sound to 20 Feet from Stardom, Julia, Maxine, Luther, and Oren Waters reflect on their six-decade career, including historic sessions with Herbie Hancock, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, and countless other music legends.
25 Feb 2020
Music
Leon Bridges and Khruangbin Imbue Texas with Some Fresh Air
Texas artists Leon Bridges and Khruangbin create some mellow, cosmic soul on a delightful EP that shows off their respective strengths.
21 Feb 2020
Music
On Top of the World: An Interview With Martha High
Vocalist Martha High spent three decades with James Brown, and she tells PopMatters about her resurrected solo career as well as her path through the music industry.
19 Feb 2020
Music
Jenn Grinels and Marc Broussard Examine Love on "Evidence" (premiere)
Jenn Grinels and Marc Broussard join forces for the catchy, new soul-pop single, "Evidence".
18 Feb 2020
Music
Tami Neilson Examines Parenthood and Feminism via "Queenie, Queenie" (premiere + interview)
Rockabilly queen Tami Neilson gets back to basics on her new LP, as she moves between country, gospel, and R&B. She also looks back on meeting one of the artists who shaped her life, Mavis Staples. "She radiates joy," says the singer.
12 Feb 2020
Music
Big Hair, Big Voice, Big Twangy Guitars, Tami Neilson's Back
Rockabilly singer Tami Neilson hosts a brief but potent party straight from New Zealand on her new album, Chickaboom!
11 Feb 2020
Music
Nathaniel Rateliff Gets Personal on 'And It's Still Alright'
The title of Americana artist Nathaniel Rateliff's latest solo LP, And It's Still Alright, suggests that there's joy after pain, but the record's contents also note that the opposite is true.
11 Feb 2020
Music
Charles Wright and Company Express Themselves
A reissue of Express Yourself, the 1970 album by Charles Wright and the 103rd Street Rhythm Band, includes sunny pop-soul hits and extended gospel-tinged psychedelic jams.
07 Feb 2020
Music
Bobby Patterson Gets the 'Real Gone' Reissue Treatment
In 1972, journeyman soul singer Bobby Patterson released a minor soul classic, It's Just a Matter of Time, to little acclaim. With a first-ever vinyl reissue on Real Gone Music, it's just a matter of time before Patterson's album finds a new audience.
05 Feb 2020
Music
Beatchild & the Slakadeliqs Team with Justin Nozuka for "The Only Difference" (premiere)
In a time of hardship and division, Beatchild & the Slakadeliqs enlist Justin Nozuka to deliver a joyous, soulful expression of togetherness with "The Only Difference".
31 Jan 2020
Music
Art and Politics Go Hand in Hand on Algiers' 'There Is No Year'
Algiers are what would result if Verso Books turned into an art rock band. This is a very good thing.
30 Jan 2020
Music
How the Staple Singers Became the Soul of Protest Music
The Staple Singers' Stax recording, Come Go with Me, captures their transformation from the church-wrecking gospel highway to the soul-filling pop charts.
27 Jan 2020
Music
D'Angelo's Anti-Producer Project, 'Voodoo'
D'Angelo's Voodoo may well be the working blueprint for "post-Soul" black pop, but are pop fans ready to embrace more than the same five melodies and the same five bass-lines?
25 Jan 2020
Music
'Amazones Power' Is a Fresh Modern Chapter for Les Amazones d'Afrique
New voices bring fresh new perspectives to all-woman powerhouse supergroup L'Amazones d'Afrique on their bold sophomore release Amazones Power.
22 Jan 2020
Music
British Soul/Blues Artist Izo Fitzroy Asks for "Blind Faith" (premiere)
British soul, blues, and gospel singer-songwriter, Izo Fitzroy debuts her latest single, "Blind Faith", inspired by both Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway.
16 Jan 2020
Music
The James Hunter Six's "Brother or Other" Asks to Spread the Love in a Time of Division (premiere)
Critiquing classism and calling for loving one another, consummate soul artist James Hunter and company share a timely message on "Brother or Other".
15 Jan 2020
Music
Guitarist Marcus King Finds His Voice on 'El Dorado'
Marcus King has a raw ache in his throat that makes him sound as if he's coarsely whispering the words. Even when he's singing about a "Young Man's Dream", King's vocals suggest the experience of age.
13 Jan 2020
Music
The Reason for the Season: A Christmas Chat with Dionne Warwick
Following the release of her latest album She's Back, the legendary Dionne Warwick delivers another musical gift with Dionne Warwick & the Voices of Christmas.
16 Dec 2019
Music
Submotion Orchestra Playlist Their Influences
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Leeds' Submotion Orchestra compile a list that pulls in everyone from Floating Points to Nancy Wilson.
13 Dec 2019
Music
The 15 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2019
The year in R&B and soul brought brilliant returns from music legends alongside artists pushing the boundaries of R&B past any limits. It's a genre where retro and futurism nestle cozily side by side. Here are the 15 best.
04 Dec 2019
Music
Elizabeth King and the Gospel Souls Rejoice with 'The D-Vine Spirituals Recordings'
This archival gospel soul release never flags, as Elizabeth King fulfills a true calling.
18 Nov 2019
Music
The Sensational Barnes Brothers Build a Legacy with 'Nobody's Fault But My Own'
With their gospel soul, the Sensational Barnes Brothers kick off a new label with an old sound, providing good news for everyone.
14 Nov 2019
Music
Jazz, Soul, and a Whole Lot More with the Souljazz Orchestra
The Souljazz Orchestra confront current political realities with a mix of reggae, ska, disco, and punk -- plus some jazz and soul, of course -- on Chaos Theories.
13 Nov 2019
Music
Pop Meets Soul Meets Experimentation in Sequoyah Murray's Debut
Atlanta's Sequoyah Murray has delivered one of the best albums of 2019 with his extraordinary debut Before You Begin.
11 Nov 2019
Music
Billy Vera Documents a Legendary Label With 'Rip It Up: The Specialty Records Story'
Grammy-winner Billy Vera spent years working in the Speciality Records vaults and remains close to label founder Art Rupe. "Specialty is right up there with Atlantic, Chess, and Sun in terms of being important." Enjoy an interview with the author and an exclusive book excerpt.
Jedd Beaudoin
06 Nov 2019
Music
Sister Sledge Before "We Are Family"
Even before Sister Sledge met Chic, they were making records and appearing on Soul Train. A new collection pulls together the best of Sister Sledge's early years.
30 Oct 2019
Music
Kaleta and Super Yamba Band Create Glorious Afrofunk on 'Mèdaho'
There are no half-measures for Kaleta and Super Yamba Band on searing Afrofunk album, Mèdaho.
29 Oct 2019
Music
Sudan Archives' Debut Album 'Athena' Is Eclectic, Groovy, and Magnificent
On her first full album Athena, Sudan Archives is soulful, surreal, and makes music on her own distinct and magnificent terms.
28 Oct 2019
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