Issue #014
Featuring Parliament, Big Special, Sticky Fingers, Baden Powell feat. Vinícius de Moraes & Art Blakey
1. CLASSICS: Mothership Connection by Parliament (1975)
Dear citizens of the universe, in 1975, the cosmos witnessed an unforgettable funk revolution with the release of Parliament's "Mothership Connection." Rooted in the creative genius of George Clinton, this masterpiece emerged from the vibrant music scene of Detroit. The album brought the concept of Afrofuturism to music and influenced many subsequent artists like Prince, OutKast, and even modern electronic acts like Daft Punk. So put on your sunglasses, turn up the volume, and enjoy the galactic funk odyssey.
2. ROCK: Postindustrial Hometown Blues by Big Special (2024)
New beginnings are always thrilling! Big Special's debut album, "Postindustrial Hometown Blues," reaffirms that British rock 'n' roll is very much alive and thriving. Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney celebrate the lives of all working-class heroes with a sound that's robust, gritty, and yet poetic. The influence of artists like IDLES, MUSE, and Jack White's heartfelt blues rock is evident, creating a fresh, exciting new sound that's hard to ignore.
3. UNCHARTED: Caress Your Soul by Sticky Fingers (2013)
Australia and New Zealand have been the birthplace of many great bands over the last decade, and Sticky Fingers have established themselves as a standout among them. "Caress Your Soul" is filled with sunny vibes from the first song through to the end. Last year, a 10th-anniversary edition, remastered at Abbey Road, was released, making the attention to detail in arrangement and vocal track quality even more evident.
4. MADE IN BRAZIL: Os Afro Sambas by Baden Powell & Vinícius de Moraes (1975)
With “Os Afro Sambas”, Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes - collaborating with Quarteto em Cy (vocals) and César Guerra-Peixe (arrangements and musical direction) - went deeper than their contemporaries into samba's afro-brazilian religious roots and the cultural synergy that characterized much of Brazil’s music in the 1960s. It was re-recorded multiple times and the opening track, "Canto de Ossanha," is ranked number 9 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest Brazilian songs.
5. JAZZ: A Night At Birdland by Art Blakey Quintet (1960)
The live recording of "A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1" took place in 1954 at the famous Birdland Club in New York. Pee Wee Marquette introduced the stellar lineup: Art Blakey on drums, Clifford Brown on trumpet, Lou Donaldson on alto saxophone, Horace Silver on piano, and Curly Russell on bass. A snippet of the introduction speech would be sampled in 1993 by US3 for their hit "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)." Clifford Brown's performance was particularly celebrated, just two years before his tragic passing.
"Welcome to station WEFUNK, otherwise known as "We Funk", or better still, "The Mothership Connection", home of the extra-terrestrial brothers..."
Riding with Dr. Funkenstein and Star Child as they bring the funk to the world.
Well, you hit on two of my favorite music genres. I’m gonna listen to the other ones just out of curiosity. Love, funk, music. The foul language doesn’t bother me. But I understand the previous comment as I turned out on a TV western that was sort of Shakespearean, but was just full of such file language I couldn’t handle it. Still, I like the funk stuff but I also like Vinicius de Moraes & B. Powell a lot. So I will be paying attention because you seem to be hitting on some of my interest. Apparently you’re following me too so this is getting pretty circuitous. It’s OK create scientist have said things about snakes eating their tail. Looking forward to more updates and will check passed. Thank you.