Funk / Reissue Recommendations October 2011

Review: "Got Nobody To Love" is a wonderful 1950s Rhythm & Blues vocal belter from Miss Terry Timmons with a rasping horn, handclaps and double bass. On the flip "Daddy Be Good To Me" sees Terry's voice effortlessly assisted by more big band rasping brass. Classy stuff.

Review: Blimey...not for the faint hearted this one as Aussie band Deep Street Soul head for the jugular with this funk stormer! New vocalist May Johnston gives the likes of Marva Whitney, Spanky Wilson and Sharon Jones a run for their money with a screaming funk anthem on the A-Side; on the flip Shirley Davis stamps her identity on the band's version of "Masterpiece" with swirling hammond organ and brass stabs.

Review: Raw, hard and guttural blues here from obscure female Chicago singer Frances Burr on Jazzman's uber-collectable Juke Box Jams label. It's backed up by a hard-driving, pepped-up and rowdy KJ Trio, resulting in a piano banging, sax honking, drums clattering dinked 45!

Review: Given the concept behind this Tru Thoughts compilation - a collection of multi faceted funkafied nuggets from some of the South Coast label's best artists - it was always a strange decision not to release Unfold Presents Tru Thoughts Funk on vinyl. Step up and applaud US label Fat Beats who present this double vinyl edition for the heads. Tru Thoughts classics such as the bellowing funk of "Pushin On" by Quantic Soul Orchestra and Natural Self's "Shake Down" rub shoulders with more recent gritty shakers from the label roster ( Kylie Audist and Saravah Soul) whilst label honcho Rob Luis also slips in some exclusives too!

Review: The Apples are a successful live hip-hop/funk band from Israel, and "Thang" is a driving psychedelic rock based immersion with relentless drumming and funk brass. On the flipside "Powder" its less hectic as live sounding hip-hop drums instigate a low slung groove with DJ scratch effects/samples, double bass and brass.

Review: Mastered by the legendary Didier from Finnish label Timmion, Detroit's Funk Night bangs out another highly limited dinked 45 for the dirty funk lovers among us. Once again it's another 7 inch from the Fun Shingaling night in Russia. Two artists, two tracks: first up The Snow Surfers serve up a jangly guitar stomper with drum heavy organ funk and an incessant bass groove. On the flip, United Boppers Unit's "R&B" is aided by an infectious raw piano and more of that jangly guitar.

Review: Yet another raw instrumental funk dinked 45 from Detroit label Funk Night! First up is The Ho Kats - apparently a Russian teenage funk outfit - who give us "Gee Theme", a revolving twangy guitar and drum ensemble with lashings of organ. On the flip, the curiously named Institute For Experimental Music And Sound Research deliver mid-tempo chugging funk ditty "Groove With No Bass", which does what it says on the tin (no bass!) but it has a deep and meaningful keyed refrain overlaid with a more joyful piano melody and a shuffling drum kit.

Review: ''Catch Me" from Mr Confuse is the first dinked hand numbered limited edition 45 release from his upcoming, second full length album "Do You Realize" (due to hit the streets imminently). It boasts smatterings of wah wah guitar, bubbling hammond organ and jazz funk brass with vocals from Dan Salem. On the flipside, Smoove adds heavier breakbeats and brings that throbbing bass to the fore.