It’s the 21st day of September . . .
Throwback: Earth, Wind & Fire “September”
It’s the 21st day of September . . .
It’s the 21st day of September . . .
Los Angeles-based soul and R&B trio The Womack Sisters — BG, Zeimani and Kucha — are proudly carrying on their family’s legendary musical legacy. The trio’s Daptone Records debut, “I Just Don’t Want You (To Say Goodbye)” is an old-school soul-styled ballad featuring a slow-burning Motown Records-meets-Staxx Records-like groove serving as a lush bed for Kucha and Zeimani’s plaintive vocals and BG’s soulful lead to effortlessly harmonize throughout the song.
At its core, the song tells a tale of someone coming to terms with the pain of being in love with Mr. Wrong when they know they deserve Mr. Right — and in order to get to Mr. Right, they’ll have to make an uneasy, life altering decision.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 83rd anniversary of the birth of Isaac Hayes.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 72nd anniversary of Marvin Isley’s birth.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the legendary and incomparable Mavis Staples’ 86th birthday.
bat zoo is a rising American-born, Berlin-based singer/songwriter and producer, who has developed a reputation for boundless creativity — and for genre-agnostic work.
As a child, the rising artist and producer was immersed in a melting pot of musical influences, as a result of his father’s eclectic record collection. He grew up listening to soul, R&B, hip-hop and much more — and it opened his young years to kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, which helped informed his genre-blurring sound and approach.
He also brings his artistic vision to life by seamlessly blending his work with dynamic visuals. Embracing authentic and innovation, the American-born, Berlin-based artist continues to push boundaries as a jack-of-all-trades creative director of his solo recording project, a culmination of many years of trial and error. He’s extremely busy: while developing his own sound as a solo artist, he’s also a part of the acclaimed Berlin-based vocal ensemble A Song For You and one-half of R&B duo GOLDA.
bat zoo’s forthcoming EP, The Upward Bird is slated for a July 22, 2025 release through Lekker Collective. And in the lead-up to the EP’s release in just a few weeks, I’ve written about “Frozen Milk,” and “Diamond Lane.”
The EP’s third and latest single “Lemon” is a classic soul-tinged ballad that seemingly channels contemporaries like Monophonics and Bobby Oroza while featuring warped guitar, a supple bass line, bursts of twinkling synths as a lush bed for bat zoo’s achingly tender falsetto, which expresses urgent, desperate yearning defiant pride within the turn of a phrase. But throughout the sense of yearning and pride simmer with an unresolved, uneasy tension that churns and shifts without resolution.
The accompanying video for “Lemon” sees the American-born, Berlin-based artist reflecting back on the bittersweet moments of a presumably recent breakup, seemingly focusing on the moments in which he should have done better, said more, worked for the relationship and so on — with the ache of regret and shame.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 87th anniversary of the birth of Bill Withers.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Evelyn “Champagne” King’s 65th birthday.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 89th anniversary of the birth of Syl Johnson.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the life and music of The Whispers co-founder Walter Scott.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the live and music of Sylvester Stewart, a.k. Sly Stone.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 83rd anniversary of the birth of Curtis Mayfield.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the legendary Ronald Isley’s 84th birthday.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Stevie Wonder’s 75th birthday.
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Philip Bailey’s 74th birthday.