THE FRIDAY FIVE (10/11)

Starting something new. In an effort to be more regular with my activity, every Friday I'll be posting the top 5 songs I have Shazamed for the week. And away we go:

PETER KING-Freedom Dance:
A Nigerian multi-instrumentalist from the 70's. He performed a blend of Afro-beat, funk, soul and jazz similar to that of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen. This song is from his album Shango. I've become obsessed with this type of music over the years and you can find some amazing compilations such as the Nigeria 70 collections, African Scream Contest and Nigerian Rock Special.




LA LUZ-Sure As Spring:
Four girls from Seattle playing 60's inspired surf rock. How cool is that?! From the looks of it, they have only been together as a band for a year and just released their first EP titled Damp Face.



MEL BRITT-She'll Come Running Back:
Struggling to find out much about this guy other than he is from Detroit and was part of the Northern Soul Revival. In an article that I read regarding Northern Soul, iconic British soul DJ Ian Levine said "Northern Soul is about the artists that wanted to be the Motown sound but weren't." Mel died earlier this year.



LL COOL J-Going Back To Cali:
No explanation needed. A pure classic.



BLACK LIPS-Veni Vidi Vici:
Psychedelic, garage, punk rock band from Atlanta known for their outrageous live shows. This tune is from their 2007 album Good Bad Not Evil.

BIG DADDY KANE

Last night I caught bits and pieces of a documentary on Big Daddy Kane. I'm not sure of the name of it or even what channel it was on but I kept flipping back in between innings of the baseball game as it was fantastic. I had to pull up a couple of his classic videos. Rap just isn't what it used to be. Kane is one of the best.

CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN' RACKETTES

If you love Amy Winehouse and the badass soul that she revived, check out Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes. This 9-piece band from Melbourne, Austrailia have only been around a few years but have a fantastic sound that has been generating a well deserved buzz. Their debut album, Baby Caught The Bus, came out 2 years ago in their home country and was finally released in the states earlier this year. Heavy on soul and doo-wop with a touch of blues, the album is a party from beginning to end. The band gained attention last year in the states when the lead single 'Love Letter' featured in a Heineken TV commercial with Browne also appearing in the ad. They are currently on tour all over the USA thru December so be sure to catch them and take along some friends. They will thank you for it. Check out videos below for Love Letter, Baby Caught The Bus and Vicious Cycle