Sydney Raneé [2021] - Complicated [Self Released]

Despite the claims on SoulTracks today stating that they have a 'World Premier' of this track, It was premiered here on 10 Jun after receiving it direct from Sydney Ranee', "The Sultry Songstress", from L.A. Oh ... and Soul&Jazz&Funk posted it on Monday (21 Jun), although no sound provided!

It is officially released today (25 Jun 2021). The lyric video premiers at 19:00 GMT with other videos to follow.

She wrote and produced "Complicated" herself and it follows up her last single from Feb "Go Back". 

"Complicated" gives you feelings of that feel good 90s R&B with contemporary funk and jazz iterations which she states is inspired by En Vogue with the contemporary spin of Sinead Harnett.

She got into music production in 2015 and released her debut EP "You Could" in Jul 2016, from which the track "Difference" was subsequently featured in an episode of "9-1-1: Lone-star". This will be her eighth since then. More recently in Apr she featured on a live three track EP with Jam In The Van "Live Session L.A.CA 2021".

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	25/06/2021
Key/BPM:	8B/100
Value:	£1

Scary Pockets Feat. Cory Henry [2021] - Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Pockets, Inc]

Are you ready for a "Tears For Fears" cover? It may come as a surprise to you (as it did me) that their 1985 song "Shout" was a #1 hit in the US (it got to #4 in UK in 1984 and spent 20 weeks on the chart) and reached #56 on the R&B chart.

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" was their biggest of seven UK Top 10 hits reaching #2 in 1985 and was the follow-up to "Shout".

Scary Pockets have just released it on 21 Jun 2021 featuring former (4 Grammy award winning) Snark Puppy member Cory Henry (the singer/keys in the video). 

The core of Scary Pockets is Jack Conte (one half of of Pomplamoose and co-founder of Patreon)  and Ryan Lerman. Apparently every week they invite guests and release a video of a cover version on their YT channel. I have noticed them before but nothing thus far appealed to me, however, this one got my attention.

Putting 'soul snobbery' to one side, this is a great cover.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Pockets, Inc
Cat No:	None
Year:	21/06/2021
Key/BPM:	10A/121
Value:	£1

Bound [2021] - Bound I & II [Self Released] (Full Album)

This is my favourite new release of the week so far (although it was released 10 Jun 2021). It's a 13 track album "Bound I & II" from a Hawaiian group called Bound, which is actually a combination of their first six track EP Bound, released in Feb 2019, and the follow up Bound II with another seven tracks.

The "Bound" EP is available on the usual DSPs but "Bound I & II" only appears to be on BandCamp at present

There's not much info. on them except that they are four guys from Honolulu, Sam Willis (keys), Andrew Garma (drums), Riley Pa'akaula (bass) and  Nick Kurosawa (vocals) and they only appear to have released the "Bound" EP in addition to this album.

I heard "Right Timing" which drew me to them, but listening to all 13 tracks, I don't think there's a bad one. A superb album, highly recommended. I don't rate releases above 9 very often but this one is well deserving! 

UPDATE I found this album late last night and have listened again this morning and this album is just so good, every single track. Rarely do you find an album which you can just let play all through without skipping, especially with 13 tracks!

I managed to find a live video of them performing the best track "Right Timing" and with a bit more digging discovered that Nick Kurosawa, the vocalist, has released a couple of albums and four or five singles/EPs since 2018 including one this year.

If anyone connected with the group reads this then please get in touch as I'd like to learn more about them as I can't find any social media for them.

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Details

Rating:	9.3
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	10/06/2021
Value:	$13 (£9.35 approx.)

VA [2021] - You Gave Me Reason To Live - Southern & Deep Soul From Louisiana [Kent CDKEND 501] (Full Album)

'Affectionately' referred to as 'wrist-slasher' music, this stuff isn't for the faint-hearted, 60s Deep Soul in it's rawest form.  This is what's on offer on a recent Kent compilation "You Gave Me A Reason To Live" named after Big Daddy Green's 1970 ANLA song featured on the album.

Kent has scoured the archives of some of the smallest 60s labels from Louisiana. The majority come from Eddie Shuler's ANLA label, and GoldBand and Tic-Toc subsidiaries, but a few others from Carol Rachou's La Louisianne and Hub-City subsidiary and J.D. Miller's Soul Unlimited.  

I believe that Big Daddy Green "On Bended Knees Begging" may be previously unreleased as I can find no trace of it other than on this compilation.

It looks like the digital version has only 17 of the 22 tracks from the full CD version so for the sake of £1.50 buy the CD as it's £9.50 on Amazon (Click sleeve image for full track listing).

Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	Digital/CD
Label:	Kent
Cat No:	CDKEND 501
Year:	28/06/2021
Value:	£7.99/£9.50

Twelve Literary Arts Feat. Tall Black Guy [2021] - In Search Of The Land [Twelve Literary Arts]

After his recent success with Zo!, Tall Black Guy features on a non-profit compilation from Twelve Literary Arts. It's predominantly rap based but I've selected two non-rap tracks to feature.

The feautured artist are all students attending Daniel E. Morgan Cleveland, OH.

Why Not Give Our Best To Love Feat. Ngina Fayola & Emilly Keener 

"Originally written by Cleveland soul vocalist Ngina Fayola in 2012, "Why Not Give Our Best to Love" is a nod to Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You". At first listen, the track is a song between lovers. But truly, this is a love letter to all of Cleveland, imploring them to give our best to one another to make a better Land. Vocalist Emily Keener completes this recording taking this song to another plane."

Black Gold Feat. Ngina Fayola 

"Black Gold" features vocalist Ngina Fayola and Kindergarten, first, and second-grade students attending Daniel E. Morgan, a Cleveland K-8 school. The song is a reminder of the true worth of black people in the city of Cleveland".

There is no set price to the album or tracks it's one of those BandCamp 'name your price' jobs.

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Twelve Literary Arts
Cat No:	None
Year:	19/06/2021
Value:	Name Your Price

The Mark Williams [2021] - Ain't Nothing Wrong (Trying to Get My Money On) [Mastersellers Music]

Another track I've seen on playlists recently (listed as 2021), and was puzzled as it was previously released in 2018, comes from The Mark Williams. Apparently it's receiving airplay as it is about to be released on a new album from him called "All The Hits" which at present I can find no reference to.

There are actually two versions of the song on Spotify from 2018, a 4:14 version, and a 3:26 version which sounds like a rough cut as the sound isn't as good.

It reminds me of another song which I couldn't initially place but I think it's Gerald Levert's wonderful 'Baby U Are" (from "G" in 2000) (included below for comparison). His vocals on this track are reminiscent of Marvin Gaye.

It's a great track so well worthy of another 'shot'.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Mastersellers Music
Cat No:	None
Year:	2018/2021
Key/BPM:	11A/103
Value:	£1

Lamont Butler [2021] - Ungodly War (Al Kent's Unheavenly Edit) [Miles Away #MA008]

The last release from Miles Away (founded by Acid Jazz label manager Dom Williams in 2019)  was a reissue of a song recorded in 1983 by Delores Fuller "One More Chance Lord", released 21 May 2021, which I posted at the end of April.

Their latest release is another 80s gospel song, released in 1981 on Lamont Butler's solitary album "It's Time For A Change". Whilst originally released on Blessed (a Louisville, KT label which may have been owned by his father Clifford Butler) in 1981, many of the songs were written a decade before. 

The track in question is "Ungodly War", which got a reissue last year on Acid Jazz/Miles Away as a single along with a reissue of the whole album. The latest version on Miles Away is given Al Kent's Unheavenly Edit (beefing up the drums and a bit of restructuring) which is due out on 9 Jul 2021 and available to pre-order (digital £3.50 /vinyl £9) on BandCamp.

I'm not sure how to describe the track, it's funk, jazz, gospel, soul and may appeal to the Northern Soul crew with it's 'driving beat'.

The flipside of the vinyl release will be "Get Up And Praise The Lord", a funky gospel rocker with spoken intro.

Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Gospel / Remix
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital/7"
Label:	Miles Away
Cat No:	MA008
Year:	09/07/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£3.50/£9

Crushed Velvet & The Velveteers [2021] - Love & Truth [Vintage League Music] (Full Album)

Crushed Velvet & The Velveteers is an alter ego for Alan Evans, the co-founder and drummer of trio Soulive who have released almost two dozen albums since 1999 and are still going strong with two albums released this year. He's also released a couple of solo albums and four under the moniker The Alan Evans Trio. 

This guy's output is phenomenal, he must have released at least 30 albums in 20 years as a producer, recording engineer, guitarist, percussionist, vocalist and writer!

Evans set up his own label Vintage League Music in 2019 with Robert Fleming (singer/guitarist of UK funk group Crowd Company who have featured on Craig Charles Funk And Soul Show).

This is the second Crushed Velvet & The Velveteers album, the first "The Big One" which was a concept movie soundtrack, was released in 2011 on P-Vine.

When Evans wasn't touring with Soulville he would write songs and those that he felt weren't suitable for Soulville, and didn't want to release under his own name, he has released as Crushed Velvet & The Velveteers. He also released an album with Matador Soul Sounds "Get Ready" in 2018.

"Good Thing" was released as a single last year (5 Jun 2020) (and contains elements of The Temptations funk classic "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" towards the end) followed by "As Far As We Know" in July.

The album contains retro soul/funk tracks. The top tracks, for me, are the deep soul ballad "You Are My Home" featuring Kim Dawson and the single "As Far As We Know" featuring Brother GoodLove.

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Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul/Funk
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Vintage League Music
Cat No:	None
Year:	18/06/2021
Value:	£7.92