For all the (unwarranted) hipster cred Velvet Underground gets, Aloe Blacc’s spin of their little known “Femme Fatale” on his 2010 release Good Things turns a murky song into a cinematic tour-de-force with swirling strings and a haunting vocal performance equal parts soul and gospel, but the subject matter is entirely secular, and oh so good.
Good Things was released on Stones Throw Records September 28th, 2010. You can find the digital version on iTunes here
Your catchy song of the week, “Soulless” by Fake Problems. One hell of a hook to get you through the weekend.
Devin is the brash New York (Brooklyn raised) child of the punk romanticism of The Clash, John Lennon’s spirited vocals and the heartbreak romanticism of 50’s doo-wop, a fitting rebirth of the NYC cool that was The Strokes Is This It ? . Check out “New Horrors” a frenzied tempo-changing burning croon about the fear of new found romance from his debut album Romancing.
Romancing was released on Frenchkiss Records April 10th, 2012.
“She’s So Scandalous” off of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears sophomore LP, Scandalous is a heavy groove that melds a fusion of funk, blues, and a little bit of reggae. The drumming on this one is phenomenal, a gritty hi-hat and stick-snare shuffle with some dubby reverb, while the bass does a nimble blues groove as this song builds and builds, anchored by the soul shouting of Joe Lewis himself. Based out of Austin, TX, Scandalous was produced by fellow Austinite Jim Eno of Spoon, but this band really knows how to bring the funk.
She’s So Scandalous- Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Scandalous was released on Lost Highway Records on March 15th, 2011. You can find the vinyl here and the digital edition on iTunes here
The Art of the Mixtape 