JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates The Time’s Morris Day’s 66th birthday.
Category: funk
Throwback: R.I.P. George “Funky” Bell
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the life and music of Kool and the Gang’s George “Funky” Bell.
Throwback: Happy Belated 61st Birthday, Anthony Kiedis!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Anthony Kedis’ 61st birthday.
Throwback: Happy 72nd Birthday, Bootsy Collins!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Bootsy Collins’ 72nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 71st Birthday, Nile Rodgers!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Nile Rodgers’ 71st birthday.
Restlessly prolific Norwegian instrumental tropical funk/pop outfit and JOVM mainstays Orions Belte —Øyind Blomstrøm (guitar), Chris Holm (bass) and Kim Åge Furuhaug (drums) — will be releasing their third full-length album Women on October 6, 2023 through their longtime label home Jansen Records.
Much like their previously released work, all the songwriting and production is done by the band members themselves, but with Women they’ve consciously put a lot of effort into making everything bigger and more powerful than before. String arrangements flow easily throughout the album’s material and is meant to describe a sensation that they describe as feeling “like releasing a million balloons at once while lying looking at the night sky, and dreaming of road trips on bumpy country roads through the Amazon in Brazil.”
Women will feature:
- “Silhouettes,” a track rooted in the trio’s penchant for trippy and irresistibly funky grooves, but while also arguably being the darkest song of their growing catalog. The song bounces back and forth between ethereal verses and crunchy, earthy guitar riffage paired with soaring hooks, a supple bass line and a cacophonous string arrangement by Norwegian violinist and composer Ola Kvernberg. “Silhouettes” reveals a mischievous and adventurous group of musicians boldly pushing their sound and approach in new directions while still being rooted in their penchant for trippy grooves.
- “Jai Alai,” a track built around a percussive and driving drum pattern, glistening and twinkling 80s-like synths, a Steely Dan-like guitar solo paired with a dreamy Tropicalia-like coda with acoustic guitar sand shimmering mandolin paired with a bemusedly delivered lyric, “Jai Alai” is mischievously anachronistic song that sounds as though it could have been released in 1974 or maybe 1984 but while dripping in self-deprecating irony. “‘Spent some time alone with you, a friend of mine told me to’ – everybody has gotten bad advice like this at some point,” the members of the Norwegian JOVM mainstay outfit say of the new single. “And sometimes things can go a lot faster than you thought, like Jai Alai – the world’s fastest sport. This track has a summery feel to it, percussive patterns, an in-your-face guitar solo and a dreamy ending with acoustic guitars and mandolins.”
Women‘s latest single “When You’re Gone, I’ll Be Gone” is a slow-burning, Quiet Storm-like jam built around a two step-inducing groove and shimmering guitar serving as a silky bed for Live Miranda Solberg, a.k.a. Louien’s delicate delivery. The song is a bittersweet, nostalgia-inducing song that’s part lament over the breakup of a relationship and part begrudging acceptance.
Solberg is a rising star in the Norwegian indie/folk scene, who received Norwegian Grammy nod last year, and is a current member of Silver Lining.
The band will be embarking on another Stateside tour this fall that includes an October 16, 2023 stop at Baltimore’s Metro Gallery and an October 17, 2023 stop at Johnny Brenda‘s in Philly. Sadly, there isn’t a NYC date, but Johnny Brenda’s is one of my favorite venues in Philly. And you can load up on cheesesteaks while you’re there! Check out the rest of the tour dates below.
| Orions Belte Tour Dates: |
| 10/4 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst* |
| 10/5 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theatre* |
| 10/6 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall* |
| 10/7 – Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse* |
| 10/8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom* |
| 10/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Vencie West |
| 10/12 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone |
| 10/13 – Portland, OR @ Jack London Revue |
| 10/14 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown (Bellingham Exit) |
| 10/15 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle |
| 10/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery |
| 10/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Jonny Brenda’s |
| 10/18 – Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts |
| * w/ Psychedelic Porn Crumpets |
New Video: Angeline Saris Teams Up with Naté the Soulsanger and Sandra Pippins on a Slinky Feminist Anthem
Over the past decade, California-based bassist, songwriter and educator Angeline Saris has developed a reputation for being an in-demand touring and session bassist, who has worked with an acclaimed collection of musicians and producers including Grammy Award-winning producer Naranda Michael Walden, Ernest Ranglin, Zepparella, The Celebration of Bowie Tour with Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew, Spacehog’s Royston Langdon and Fishbone‘s Angelo Moore. Saris has also shared the stage with Carlos Santana, Ronnie Spector, Dionne Warwick, Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Richie Sambora, Orianthi, Steven Adler, Neal Schon and a lengthy list of others.
Saris showcased her talent as a songwriter with ANGELEX‘s 2018 debut Tight Lips, which received glowing praise from Bass Player Magazine, who wrote: “Her vibe on the album is that of a musician finally creating her own musical identity, after years of playing other people’s material–and it’s a sound that suits her well.”
“Come Undone,” sees Saris boldly stepping out into the spotlight as a solo artist, as it’s the first single she’s releasing under her own name. The track, which features soulful vocals from Naté The Soulsanger and Sandra Pippins is a slinky feminist anthem built around Saris’ dexterous and funky Patrice Rushen and Bootsy Collins-like bass lines, and a remarkably catchy hook. Inspired by Saris’ own experiences as a woman in the music industry, “Come Undone” is a kiss-off to misogyny — both external an internal — and the outdated ways that the world treats and perceives women that boldly says “Those old days ain’t coming back.”
Directed by Nino Fernandez, the accompanying video for “Come Undone” is slick and stylishly shot visual that showcases Saris, her incredible bass playing and her talented backing band.
New Video: Gotts Street Park Shares Funky “Fuego”
With the release of a handful of singles the rising neo-soul and hip-hop outfit Gotts Street Park— Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) — quickly amassed fans and acclaim while working with Rejje Snow, Kali Uchis, Cosima, Yellow Days, Chester Watson, Celeste, Rosie Lowe, and a growing list of others.
2021’s Diego EP, which featured a collection of compositions informed by the raw energy of being together and creating in the same room, a cinematic batch of gongs inspired by The Godfather and Yasujirō Ozu.
The British outfit’s highly-anticipated full-length debut On The Inside is slated for an October 13, 2023 release through Blue Flowers. The 12-song album is reportedly a window into the band’s world, a world that’s been expanding since the band’s formation several years ago. What initially began as an outlet for their shared love of 60s Motown quickly became one of Leeds’ most successful and acclaimed bands, while amassing over 69 million Spotify streams.
Earlier this year, I wrote about “Got To Be Good,” an effortless, vintage soul-inspired strut built around skittering boom bap-like drumming, glistening Rhodes, burst of funk guitar and a sinuous and supple bass line paired with Pip Millett‘s yearning delivery.
“’Got To Be Good’, came together pretty fast. Whenever we’ve been in the room with Pip, it’s pretty free and fruitful,” the members of Gotts Street Park explain. “When a song comes together like this, we don’t overthink it or alter the final take too much and just hope to have the same energy come through to the listener as we felt in the room creating it.”
“’Got To Be Good’ is about pulling yourself out of the darkness,” Pip Millett adds. “You have to really want for a change in order to pull away from that sadness, and that’s what I was writing about.”
On The Inside‘s latest single “Fuego” sees the trio returning to their instrumental roots. Featuring an irresistibly funky, El Michels affair-meets-classic soul-like groove, “Fuego” is built around a shape-shifting arrangement of twinkling keys, squiggling funk guitar and relentless boom-bap snares. The song sees the acclaimed British trio crafting a mischievously anachronistic jam that’s perfect for lounges and for crate diggers looking for deep, hypnotic grooves.
Directed by Kumara Vision, the accompanying video for “Fuego” offers a rare snapshot into the band’s inner workings with hazy, mind-bending footage of the band working in the studio.
“’Fuego’ started as a quick jam one afternoon during our June 2022 residency at Laylow,” the rising British trio explain.”It was super hot in London that day, and we were sweating it out in the top floor studio. The riff came about as we were letting off steam in between writing and developing ideas with a vocalist. Josh hit on the bass riff first and it kinda flowed from there.
“When we’re in a session writing with someone, we can end up playing the same chords round and round for a few hours – and ideas like ‘Fuego’ come about when we’re letting loose and being super playful after being so restricted.”
Throwback: Happy 82nd Birthday, George Clinton!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates George Clinton’s 82nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy Belated 67th Birthday, Larry Blackmon!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belated celebrates Larry Blackmon’s 67th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 73rd Birthday, Stevie Wonder!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Stevie Wonder’s 73rd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 67th Birthday, Sharon Jones!
JOVM’s WIlliam Ruben Helms celebrates the 67th anniversary of the birth of Sharon Jones.
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner is a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, bassist, JOVM mainstay and highly respected and much in-demand artist, who has worked with Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, N.E.R.D., Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monáe, BADBADNOTGOOD. Moses Sumney, Micheal McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Wiz Khalifa, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, Travis Scott, Little Simz, Louis Cole, Shabazz Palaces, and his longtime collaborator Flying Lotus.
Kevin Parker is a highly-acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known as the creative mastermind behind the Aussie-based JOVM mainstay outfit Tame Impala. He has released four Gold-certified full-length albums, 2010’s InnerSpeaker, 2012’s Lonerism, 2015’s Currents and 2020’s The Slow Rush, making him one of the most commercially successful and perhaps influential artists of the past decade. Additionally, as a songwriter and producer, Parker has collaborated with The Weeknd, SZA, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, Kali Uchis, 070 Shake, Miguel, A$AP Rocky and a growing list of others.
The two JOVM mainstays have finally teamed up for “No More Lies,” the first new bit of material from Thundercat since 2020’s It Is What It Is. The new single is a slick synthesis of the pair’s remarkably complementary styles: Parker’s dense layers of twinkling and cascading synths are paired with Bruner’s wobbling wah-wah pedaled bass lines and skittering beats and the duo’s unerring knack for catchy hooks serving as a silky bed for the duo to trade verses lamenting a doomed relationship that they’ve royally fucked up — and for which Bruner takes responsibility The song culminates with a monologue from the bassist questioning the old adage of honesty being the best policy in relationships. You may tell the truth because you care about someone, but on occasion you might have to lie someone because you care.
“I’ve wanted to work with Kevin since the very first Tame Impala album,” Bruner says. “I feel that I knew that us working together would be special. I’ve been excited about this song for a long time and hope to create more with Kevin in the future.”
The new single arrives ahead of a huge string of tour dates for the JOVM mainstay, who will play dates with Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes before heading to Australia, Asia and Europe later this summer.
New Audio: Habitat Canada and Druzy Team Up on a 80s Funk-Inspired Bop
Habitat Canada is a rising yet mysterious Montréal-based solo electronic music project that’s inspired visually by 70s and 80s noir, the sounds created by the beloved Prophet Synthesizer, and electronic music artists and composers like Vangelis, Kavinsky, and HERO. Since emerging into the scene back in 2021, the Canadian artist has released a growing collection of work that’s been well received by music cognoscenti, landing on a broad range of playlists and blogs. Building upon a rapidly growing profile internationally, Habitat Canada has had his work featured in a New York Post news docuseries, a Ford Motors commercial, and other film projects.
Over the past couple of years, the rising Canadian artist’s work has increasingly paid homage to 70s and 80s horror and sci-fi movie soundtracks, complete with the familiar — and perhaps prerequisite — grit and palpable tension. Slated for a June 2023 release through DRRT Records, his forthcoming EP, Lunar Spectrum is reportedly informed by “Scarecrow,” his collaboration with Rush Midnight that saw him delving deeper into retro-futuristic sounds, while also showcasing the rising producer and artist’s skills.
“Fascination,” Lunar Spectrum EP‘s latest single features a sultry and yearning and sultry pop starlet turn from Los Angeles-based funk duo Druzy, and fittingly is a breezy and funky bit of 80s nostalgia that immediately brings Prince, Control and Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson, Let’s Dance-era David Bowie, Nile Rodgers, Rio-era Duran Duran and others to mind — but with a clean, hyper modern sheen. It’s a fun, party-starting bop meant to get asses out of seats and moving.
“I started working on the track not long after meeting with Druzy for the 1st time (our first collab was entirely virtual due to the pandemic and being based on opposite sides of the country). We kicked it off on a rooftop in Downtown LA and I had a sound and image in mind,” Habitat Canada explains. “The song structure came pretty fast, the heavy drum and bass groove added with some industrial effects gave us a nice jolt of brightness to the darker sound palette on the EP. The team at DRRT sent it quickly to Druzy in hopes of doing a second collaboration together. We were all super excited about the result and couldn’t have asked for a better fit.”
“We love Habitat Canada‘s music and our previous collaboration, ‘Speed of Light’, was a pleasure to work on so it was an immediate yes to doing another collab with Nico,” Druzy explains. “Especially when we got sent a track this good to write on!”