New releases last eight weeks: Blues

Review: Miami's Far Produce are fresh faces, but their sound is full of respect for times past, building on classic soul jazz by bringing it a modern instrumental twist. Led by two Studio City, CA natives - Addison Rifkind on guitar and Michael Duffy on drums - Fat Produce deliver a veritable cornucopia of fruits and groceries to chew on here. 7" A-sider 'Sticky Beets' turns our inners red, as we're led to imagine chowing down on the perfect beetroot yield and the funky euphoria that inevitably follows ingestion of such a delicacy. B-sider 'Son!', meanwhile, draws on an amalgamation of several Bay Area-inspired grooves - Duffy is a walking rhythmic encyclopaedia - set against an improvised, on-the-fly groove first laid down by Rifkind, whose hook-worthiness is unmistakable here.

Review: Spasibo Records present a fresh 7" by the Vicious Seeds, hailing from St. Petersburg. With vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik taking centre stage (Chizhik isn't usually a member of the band), 'Village Hassle' makes for a cleverly collaborative rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul release. The titular A-side flaunts Chizhik's vibraphone via the mix alone, fleshing out its low-end elements against a driven instrumental backbeat; 'Monthly Rainfall', meanwhile, goes for all-out slow-jammed soul by way of cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks run through short-release springs.

Review: Spasibo Records introduces a new 7" vinyl by St. Petersburg outfit the Vicious Seeds, this time on yellow and green wax. In an unconventional move, vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik takes the spotlight and the result is that he truly enhances the band's signature sound. 'Village Hassle' offers a unique blend of rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul - the A-side highlights Chizhik's vibraphone prowess, intertwining it with a dynamic instrumental backbeat. On the flip side, 'Monthly Rainfall' delves into a soulful journey, characterized by cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks which create an atmosphere reminiscent of slow-jammed soul with a contemporary twist.

Review: Once nominated for the GRAMMY for 'Best Traditional Blues Album', blues and roots legend Eric Bibb delivers a brand new live album to the world, Live At The Scala Theatre, Stockholm, under license from Repute Records. Live at The Scala Theatre contains a selection of songs cherry-picked from Bibb's towering history as a musician, infused with the folk and blues tradition with more contemporary sensibilities. "Without a doubt," says Bibb, The Live at The Scala concert was "the most ambitious gig and recording project of my career." The performance features an all-star lineup of musicians including Eric's longtime collaborator, musical director and producer Glen Scott on bass, keys, drums and backing vocals; Olle Linder on drums and acoustic bass; Johan Lindstrom on pedal steel and electric guitar; Christer Lyssarides on electric guitar and mandola; we could go on.

Review: The southern rock back from Georgia, The Black Crowes saw huge success in the early 90s with multi-platinum success and even a number one album in America in mid-1992. They've been through a few ups and down since, and here comes their first album in over 15 years. It's their tenth overall, with this vinyl version coming on 180gram from Silver Arrows records, and with a world tour also pending, Black Crowes fans will be filling their proverbial boots in 2024.

Review: Country and folk fans alike take heed - Muireann Bradley is a startling new talent in country and bluegrass from County Donegal in Ireland. I Kept These Old Blues absolutely calls back to a golden age of Americana, but Bradley's Irish lilt comes through and entwines with her faithful Southern twang to make for an endlessly charming end result. Her playing is pitch-perfect, stripped to the bone finger-picking all the better to savour the songs and the way they're sung. Don't sleep on this limited coloured vinyl edition of this rough diamond of an album.

Review: Aziza Brahim's fantastic new album Mawja is a blend of Sahrawi roots music, folk, and contemporary sounds that reflect on the resilience and spirit of her homeland. Through haunting vocals and poetic lyrics, Brahim shares stories of displacement, longing, and hope, drawing from her experiences as a Sahrawi refugee. Backed by hypnotic rhythms, intricate melodies, and soul-stirring instrumentation, each track creates a rich tapestry of sound which means the record is more than just an album; it's a powerful testament to the human spirit and a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for freedom and justice. Brahim's music resonates deeply, transcending borders and connecting hearts across the globe.

Review: Tommy Guerrero's sublime debut album Loose Grooves And Bastard Blues carved out his name as a musician, and followed hot on the heels of an already established skateboarding career. It's not often we can name an artist whose talents lend just as well to the axe as they do to the deck, but it's plain to see on this insouciant jazz/bossa nova collection: Guerrero is one dextrous bloke. With the skate career held firmly in mind, we can easily imagine these numbers as the backing cuts to a fish-eyed trickstyle video; it's a great testament to the pure joy of music-making too, with Guerrero insisting: "it was never meant to be released. I was just recording for the fun of it - still my fave. Oh so naive!"

Review: Guitarist, composer and skateboarder Tommy Guerrero hears several of his earliest albums reissued now via Be With, of which 2008's Return Of The Bastard was his fifth. Still evidently deep in the throes of recording for the pure fun of it, this fifteen-track album reflects a pure lyricless enjoyment that few other of Guerrero's contemporaries could ever hope to share. Perhaps it's the meditative truck of his earlier skate career that course-corrected his frame of mind to pure creative meditativeness; here driving noisy drum machines, lightly-amped two-tones, the occasional kalimba and faint vocals all collide for the perfect accompaniment to an implied visual narrative.

Review: Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Jards Macale's eponymous album gets a special reissue to remind us why it remains such a classic. Originally dropped back in 1972, Macale's debut effortlessly blends Brazilian folk, samba, and experimental rock while showcasing his uniquely eclectic musical vision. The album's raw energy and poetic lyricism reflect the tumultuous political climate of its time and as well as resonating with audiences then it will do so again now. Macale's soulful vocals and innovative guitar work shine throughout, while the arrangements are both intimate and expansive and each track captivates with its depth and emotion.

Review: As you will no doubt know if you are reading this, Mountain's debut album is a seminal piece of hard rock history that was released in 1970. Led by guitar virtuoso Leslie West and featuring the powerhouse vocals of Felix Pappalardi, the album delivers a thunderous blend of blues, psychedelia, and heavy riffs. Tracks like 'Mississippi Queen' and 'Theme for an Imaginary Western' showcase the band's dynamic range and undeniable musicianship. Elsewhere, the record's gritty production and infectious energy helped to establish Mountain as pioneers of the hard rock genre and an influencer on countless bands to come. It remains a timeless classic, rightfully lauded for its raw power.

Review: Rediscover the hidden treasure of 1970s Harlem soul and funk with the Ray Alexander Technique, now officially reissued for the first time. Let's Talk offers bonus tracks and previously unreleased alternate mixes that all add up to a collection of unabashedly sincere songs with a nice authentic and lo-fi aesthetic. It captures the essence of the era's black pride and cultural awareness, alongside the poignant emotion of pursuing dreams amidst urban decline. With its soulful melodies and raw authenticity, this album resonates with the vibrant spirit of Harlem, transporting you immediately to a time of resilience and creativity against the backdrop of a changing neighbourhood.

Review: Pyramid deliver a wonderful new compilation of deep gospel from the 1960s and 1970s. Named after the Holy Light Jrs' eponymous slow jam, featuring as the lead track here, all the songs featured come corralled from the vaults of Pyramid's very own DJ Jumbo. Doing well to shine a light on the unbeatably sentimental mood that hung heavy over the Mississippi-born genre that emerged in the postwar period, the likes of 'Beams Of Heaven', 'Lord You Are My Burden Brother' and 'When The Gates Swing Open' all function as faithful, ivory-fingered devotionals and effective paeans for a better world to come.