Great new album from New Zealand’s Lord Echo, courtesy of Bastard Jazz Recordings. Vibes for days here, friends. From the spacey to the afro-disco sounds, this 6 minute burner features the awesome vocal talents of Mara TK, of Electric Wire Hustle. Throw this record on and let it take you places.
In only a couple of years, Los Angeles production trio (Todd M. Simon, Itai Shapira and Adam Berg) have cemented their reputation in the studio and on stage as the premiere production team and live band for artists like Rhye, Kelis, and Hollie Cook.
They have also garnered the attention of great worldwide tastemakers such as KCRW music director Jason Bentley, the legendary Gilles Peterson of the BBC, Jaime Cullum, Okayplayer, Wax Poetics, Bandcamp and many more.
Rarely emerging from behind closed studio doors, The Decoders love combining their specialized brand of “decoded” classics from the 60’s and 70’s soul movement with an excitingly new blend of genres ranging from Lovers Rock to Dub, Brazilian Music to Psychadelic Soul.
Coco O. (of Quadron), Noelle Scaggs (of Fitz & the Tantrums), Leon Ware, Raul Midon and many others have lended their vocal talents to this special project with more to surely come for each new volume.
In alive setting, The Decoders are 10 piece ensemble featuring LA’s top musicians and session players. Thus far, they have released 2 volumes and a dub remix EP, including a few tunes from their upcoming LP, Adventures From Paradise: A Tribute To Minnie Riperton (vol 3), which will be completed in the fall of 2013 and features special guest vocalists and musicians.
“This is not music, its chemistry. Get into the science.” -Okayplayer.com
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**LIMITED PRE-SALE TICKETS!**
Purchase your pre-sale ticket available on Friday, August 2nd at www.steadygroovin.eventbri
**DRINK SPECIALS from 10PM TO 11PM – $4 Draft Beers & $4 Witches Brew**
Steady Groovin’ brings you the best of Soul Jazz|Funk|Latin|Hip Hop|Afro Funk|Neo Soul|Rare Grooves
::CELEBRATE YOUR AUGUST BIRTHDAY WITH US!::
If your birthday is in the month of August, rsvp to celebrate it with us on the 20th! Birthday Special is a FREE BATCH of one of the following HAND CRAFTED DRINKS (your choice!):
Sangria / Witches Brew / Whiskey Mule / Rye Buck / Rum Dark & Stormy / Vodka Moscow Mule
*must have a eight person per party minimum for bday special*
NOLA’S 734 E. 3rd Street, LA 90013
$15 Cover / 21+ / Full Bar / 10pm – 2am / Open Air Smoking Patio
We finally found a home that will support live music, which was a huge aspect of our mission: to bring amazing bands to the stage. We start at our new home, Nola’s in the Arts District, on Saturday, July 20, and every 3rd Saturday of the month. For our grand re-opening, we will feature Los Angeles super group, Jungle Fire, who have an amazing afro-latin sound that your feet cannot deny!
You can download my promo mix for Steady Groovin here: http://www.mixcrate.com/frankforeal/steady-groovin-promo-253877
Just when you thought that the Easy Star All-Stars couldn't come up with a better idea for a cover album, boom, they hit you with "Easy Star's Thrillah." This is an amazing reggae version of the Michael Jackson classic, released just a day before MJ would have turned 53 (Rest in Peace, Michael).
One thing about Easy Star cover albums is that they really do their research. From front to back, they make sure the original album is intact, with respectful renditions that are just too good to be true. My first experience with the Easy Star All Stars was back in 2006. I was in Maui, and a friend of mine put on their debut, "Dub Side of The Moon," while we were driving around Kihei. One of her friends had mentioned it to me at a party the night before, that there was a reggae version of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon," and I was completely oblivious. She put this on and from the intro I was hooked.
Definitely was stood out to me was their version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," which brings an afrobeat vibe to the party. Lovin it!
Cop the vinyl at a decent price on Easy Star's website. Go for the Vinyl and T-shirt bundle!
Speaking of Frank Gossner of Voodoo Funk, one of his most recent blog posts are about this super rare Apostles 45 re-issue. Here's what he said:
The heaviest Deep Funk 45 ever to come out of West Africa. Only two original copies are known to exist. Now everybody can buy one. (before they're sold out…)
I IMMEDIATELY grabbed two copies from Academy Annex. So heavy!
Thursday nights are for Afro Funke! For over 8 years, the team of Cary Sullivan, Rocky Dawuni, Jeremy Sole, and Glenn Red have provided Los Angeles with a quality event, dedicated to african rhythms, from reggae to afrobeat. Definitely one of LA's shining stars in the music scene, this is a place to come hear music you've never heard before, and to dance to music you've never heard before. And EVERYONE is dancing. That's what makes this so special to me. There's a lot of wallflowers in LA, but not at Afro Funke. 
Everyone is vibing out. Even if someone is not on the dancefloor, they are moving their feet. When I got the email about Frank Gossner guest DJ'ing at Afro Funke this week, all my other plans got cancelled. This cat spent quite a bit of time travelling through Africa, sometimes not in the safest of places, in search of the rarest and funkiest of African records. He documented this journey on his blog, Voodoo Funk. Lots of photos and music for you to check out. Frank played some SERIOUS heat, from afro-disco cuts to slow funk burners. And if you're wondering what kind of records he was playing, they were all original pressings. No compilations. I couldn't help but remember what Jeremy Sole said when introducing Frank: "Think of it like this, one of these records can pay for your rent this month!" 
Go support this record! Afrobeat goodness from the genius of Adrian Quesada. “High Noon” was released on the 3rd of April, so don’t wait any longer to get it. You can’t front on ANYTHING that ESL puts out. From Thievery Corporation to Chris Joss to the Ancient Astronauts. They can’t do wrong. This is The Funk Ark‘s second record, and they definitely do not disappoint. Very strong release from this DC band.
Buy “High Noon” direct from the label, Eighteenth Street Lounge.
It’s as simple as searching for someone’s record online, that I stumble on a label that’s pushing some amazing vinyl. Case in point: Electric Cowbell Records out of New York. I went on their site looking for this Superhuman Happiness 7″, and came out with a handful of other 45’s. Can’t complain. I damn near fell out of my chair when I heard this Sway Machinery track. Had to get it.
This one caught me off guard, and I’m lovin it! Shogun Orchestra is based out of New Zealand, and their debut album will be released on German based Jakarta Records on March 31st. Afro-Jazz goodness. I wasn’t sure what was going on with the intro baseline. Sounded like a Ray Charles remix at first, but then the horns came in…Nuff said.
For whatever reason, the Fela! broadway musical was moved from April 2012 to December 2011 in Los Angeles, and we are not complaining! I watched this in a HD simulcast from London a few months back at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center, and I was damn near in tears from the first note. This is an amazing story based in Fela’s “Shrine,” a performance space where his live evening shows would last until the morning. Sometimes 7 or 8 hours of afrobeat heat. This production is, without a doubt, my favorite musical of all time. No questions asked. The music, the choreography, and the story will reach anyone who connects with afrobeat music. Fela is running in Los Angeles through January 21st, so you have plenty of time to see it. Do not sleep on this! Get your tickets at www.centertheatregroup.org
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