Tag: Parlor Greens

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Two from Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

2021’s I Told You So is the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio‘s best-selling and performing album to date. “Chicken Leg”/”If I Could” is the trio’s latest single, and first batch of new material from the band — currently, Delvon Lamarr (organ), Parlor Greens‘ and True Loves‘ Jimmy James, and Polyrhythmics and Champagne Bubblebath‘s Grant Schroff (drums) — in over four years.

The 7-inch 45RPM single, which features tracks originally recorded during the I Told You So sessions serves as the first batch of material from a forthcoming album. “Chicken Leg,” the A-side is a strutting bit of deep fried funk that channels Booker T and the MGs while capturing the deeply held, effortless simpatico between three grizzled vets. The B-side “If I Could” is a slow-burning and heartfelt, gospel-informed soul ballad that wouldn’t be out of place on Daptone or Big Crown.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Parlor Greens Share a Mournful Ode to Dear, Departed Loved Ones

Organ trio Parlor Greens features a collection of grizzled veterans and incredibly accomplished musicians: 

The trio’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Emeralds is slated for a Friday release through Colemine Records. Emeralds reportedly sees the acclaimed trip upping the ante, while capturing the band in top form: tour tight and more confident than ever in who they are and where they’re going.  Though the results are stronger than ever, the overall mood of the recording sessions was much different. 

The first time the trio met in Colemine’s Loveland, OH-based Portage Lounge Studio, the meeting was marked by a certain sense of freshness: It was the first time they had all played together. Understandably, it was exciting and unknown territory. But the sessions were underlined by the heaviness each of the individual members were going through at the time. With each individual member dealing with personal tragedies in their own lives, the sessions serves as a genuine moment of joy. Just three talented musicians, writing and playing music, now as friends, in a familiar environment. 

Emeralds will feature the previously released, album opening “Eat Your Greens,” “Drop Top” and the final single, the Jimmy James written “Queen of My Heart.” “Queen of My Heart” may arguably be the most somber tune on the entire album, blending church funeral observance music and Booker T. organ-driven soul in a seamless, fashion. The most heartbreaking part of the entire song is towards the song’s coda: A man named Jabril and his mother Marie, express their love for one another. It’s a touching, very sweet moment seemingly punctuated by a sense of loss — and of memorializing someone who’s profoundly important to you.

“My mom is and always will be my Rock of Gibraltar, I came from her. She taught me many lessons in life, as well as character and integrity, and she didn’t only just mother me, but anyone she came across,” Parlor Greens’ Jimmy James explains. “I miss her with every fiber of my being, and she will always be the queen of my heart.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Parlor Greens Return with Slow-Burning “Drop Top”

Organ trio Parlor Greens features a collection of grizzled veterans and incredibly accomplished musicians: 

The trio’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Emeralds is slated a March 27, 2026 release through Colemine Records. Their sophomore album reportedly sees the acclaimed trio upping the ante while capturing the band in top form: tour tight and more confident than ever in who they are and where they’re going. Though the results are stronger than ever, the overall mood of the recording sessions was much different. 

The first time the trio met in Colemine’s Loveland, OH-based Portage Lounge Studio, the meeting was marked by a certain sense of freshness: It was the first time they had all played together. Understandably, it was exciting and unknown territory. But the sessions were underlined by the heaviness each of the individual members were going through at the time. With each member dealing with personal tragedies in their individual lives, the sessions serves as a genuine moment of joy. Just three talented musicians, writing and playing music, now as friends, in a familiar environment. 

Emeralds will feature the previously released, album opening “Eat Your Greens,” a strutting and rollicking groover of a tune, and the album’s latest single “Drop Top.” “Drop Top” is anchored around a slow-burning, sultry Quiet Storm-like strut of a tune completed by Scone’s shimmering bass organ and James’ bluesy guitar melody. While arguably being one of the more mellow soul jazz compositions of their growing catalog together, “Drop Top” continues to showcase both their seemingly effortless simpatico and their unerring knack for pairing tight groove with improvisation and old-fashioned songcraft.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Parlor Greens Share Strutting “Eat Your Greens”

Organ trio Parlor Greens features a collection of grizzled veterans and incredibly accomplished musicians: 

The trio’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Emeralds is slated a March 27, 2026 release through Colemine Records. Emeralds reportedly sees the acclaimed trio upping the ante while capturing the band in top form: tour tight and more confident than ever in who they are and where they’re going. And while the results are stronger than ever, the overall mood of the recording sessions was much different.

The first time the trio met in Colemine’s Loveland, OH-based Portage Lounge Studio, the meeting was marked by a certain sense of freshness: It was the first time they had all played together. Understandably, it was exciting and unknown territory. But the sessions were underlined by the heaviness each of the individual members were going through at the time. With each member dealing with personal tragedies in their individual lives, the sessions serves as a genuine moment of joy. Just three talented musicians, writing and playing music, now as friends, in a familiar environment.

Emeralds‘ second and latest single, album opener “Eat Your Greens” is a a strutting and rollicking tune, that showcases the trio’s unerring knack for tight, crafted, old-school-inspired hooks and grooves, all while being roomy enough for some impressively dexterous solos from James and Scone. Fittingly, the track captures the talent and simpatico of three old pros, who can effortlessly balance songcraft with road-tested improvisation.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Parlor Greens Share Two Covers of Christmas Soul Classics

Organ trio Parlor Greens features a collection of grizzled veterans and incredibly accomplished musicians: The trio close out 2025 and celebrate the holiday season with the recently released “Auld Lang Syne”/”Every Day Will Be Like […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Kelly Finnigan Shares Strutting “Be Your Own Shelter”

Perhaps best known as the frontman of the acclaimed West Coast psych soul outfit and JOVM mainstays Monophonics, Kelly Finnigan is an acclaimed producer, keyboardist and solo artist in his own right. 

Finnigan’s highly-anticipated sophomore studio album A Lover Was Born is slated for an October 18, 2024 release through Colemine Records. Distance as a measure of time and place reportedly informs the album with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The album also sees the Monophonics frontman rooting himself — and in turn, his work — in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar and the Boddie Recording Company. And as a result, A Lover Was Born is a testimony that those deep cut grooves aren’t resigned to nostalgia, but rather, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope. 

The journey that Finnigan takes listeners on through Lover‘s 11 tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, 2019’s The Tales People Tell. Both solo albums bookend a prolific period of output that includes two Monophonics albums, 2020’s It’s Only Us and 2022’s Sage Motel; a Christmas album, 2020’s A Joyful Sound; a mixtape, last year’s From Me To You; and production work for other artists including The Ironsides, Alana Royale, The Sextones and others. “There’s nothing like making records,” says Finnigan. “It feels like that’s my purpose — the reason I was put on this earth.” 

Written in California, Ohio and Staten Island, Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. “I enjoy working alone but it’s not how you want to make a record…almost everybody I brought in for this album I’ve worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with. The album features contributions from The Ironsides’ Max and Joe Ramey, Parlor Greens‘ Jimmy James, Orgōne’s Sergio Rios, Dap Kings‘ Joey Crispiano and Jay “J-Zone” Mumford. 

Last month, I wrote about “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep),” a song anchored around a hard-hitting, strutting groove that sounds as though it could have been written and recorded between 1966-1970, paired with twinkling Rhodes, a supple bass line, shimmering funk guitar, bursts of cinematic strings and a lush horn line. The song’s deliberately crafted arrangement serves as a satiny bed for Finnigan’s pleading and effortlessly soulful delivery. At its core, you can feel the yearning, hurt and longing of the song’s narrator in very lived-in terms. 

A Lover Was Born‘s latest single “Be Your Own Shelter,” features a strutting and stomping piano-driven groove reminiscent of early Staxx Records, early Motown and Northern Soul and a soulful backing chorus paired with Finnigan’s imitable delivery. Continuing a remarkable run of effortless yet crafted soul, “Be Your Own Shelter” is anchored around a necessary message, that when the shit inevitably hits the fan, that you will need to be your own shelter.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Kelly Finnigan Shares Yearning and Pleading “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)”

Perhaps best known as the frontman of the acclaimed West Coast psych soul outfit and JOVM mainstays Monophonics, Kelly Finnigan is an acclaimed producer, keyboardist and solo artist in his own right.

Finnigan’s highly-anticipated sophomore studio album A Lover Was Born is slated for an October 18, 2024 release through Colemine Records. Distance as a measure of time and place reportedly informs the album with a grit and grace that turns passion into virtue. The album also sees the Monophonics frontman rooting himself — and in turn, his work — in the best traditions of midwest soul labels like King, Curtom, Dakar and the Boddie Recording Company. And as a result, A Lover Was Born is a testimony that those deep cut grooves aren’t resigned to nostalgia, but rather, they are at the burning heart of longing and hope.

The journey that Finnigan takes listeners on through Lover‘s 11 tracks echo the state of motion and growth since his solo debut, 2019’s The Tales People Tell. Both solo albums bookend a prolific period of output that includes two Monophonics albums, 2020’s It’s Only Us and 2022’s Sage Motel; a Christmas album, 2020’s A Joyful Sound; a mixtape, last year’s From Me To You; and production work for other artists including The Ironsides, Alana Royale, The Sextones and others. “There’s nothing like making records,” says Finnigan. “It feels like that’s my purpose — the reason I was put on this earth.” 

Written in California, Ohio and Staten Island, Finnigan collaborated with old friends in and outside the studio. “I enjoy working alone but it’s not how you want to make a record…almost everybody I brought in for this album I’ve worked with, toured with or spent a great deal of time with. The album features contributions from The Ironsides’ Max and Joe Ramey, Parlor Greens‘ Jimmy James, Orgõne’s Sergio Rios, Dap Kings‘ Joey Crispiano and Jay “J-Zone” Mumford.

The album’s first single “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)” is anchored around a hard-hitting, strutting groove that sounds as though it could have been written and recorded sometime between 1966-1970, paired with twinkling Rhodes, a supple bass line, shimmering funk guitar, bursts of cinematic strings and a lush horn line. The song’s deliberately crafted arrangement serves as a lush, satiny bed for Finnigan’s pleading and effortlessly soulful delivery. At its core, you can feel the yearning, hurt and longing of the song’s narrator in very lived-in terms.