CSC Funk Band- Things Are Getting Too Casual (Fat Beats records, released 8/23/11)
CSC Funk Band’s debut album is a thing of mysterious wonder, a heady, sweaty brew of extended improvisations and afro-beat inflected grooves. The group pull a variety of elements from their bag of tricks over the disc’s nine songs; they fuse psychedelic bursts of sound to driving breakbeats, spin melodic variations on simple themes, and even detour through krautrock territory on the thundering ten-minute finale “Old Motel”. Midtempo jam “Funk Shoppe” recalls heavy 70s southern-fried soul, latin-tinged “Fiesta” pushes towards free-jazz squalling before coalescing into a bongo-fueled dance party, and other highlights abound, new favorite moments appearing with each listen. These recordings manage to capture the intensity and spirit of CSC’s live performances, and distill the elements that make them special: the fluttering guitar and propulsive percussion, the stabs of brass and rumbling bass, the complex polyrhythmic funk played with punk rock energy.
This is exactly what it says: the essential early works of New Orleans’ own Meters, full of struts and “cissys” and instrumental tracks that can kill a dancefloor without half trying. Included are the group’s first two albums, the accompanying singles, and some previously unreleased session tracks, compiled and beautifully remastered by UK reissue label Charly. The packaging is sadly lacking (none of the original LP art is included, and the liner notes are a nightmare of copy errors and fractured punctuation), but the sound is immaculate and the music unimpeachable; if your life needs some funk and swagger, this is the perfect prescription.
Various Artists- West Indies Funk volumes 2 and 3 (Trans Air Records, released 7/22/11 and 8/9/11)
These two new volumes of tropical tunes from Trans Air Records (following up the first fantastic West Indies Funk compilation), are ridiculous fun. As with the first installment, there’s an embarrassment of riches: cascading steel drum orchestras, calypso crooners, beachfront bands throwing down in deeply soulful fashion, unfamiliar delights and breathtaking tropical interpretations of funk classics. Best bits of volume 2 include a swinging takes on The Meters’ “Look-Ka Py Py” and Sly Stone’s “Sing A Simple Song”, volume 3‘s highlights include the sparse groove of “Sandy Beach” and a midtempo chug through “Ain’t No Sunshine”. But those are just a few of the many high points. This is a rock-solid series of compilations, and hopefully the fine folks at Trans Air can find enough musical sunshine to bring us more installments.
Kashmere Stage Band- Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 (Now Again Records, reissue released 10/27/11)
The Kashmere Stage Band was a high school student group from Houston, Texas who performed and recorded with various line-ups from the late 60s to the late 70s. A documentary about their history is now playing in theaters, and with all this new attention, Now Again Records has reissued their 2006 set compiling the band’s best work. The music falls somewhere between the J.B.’s brand of uptempo house rockers and the slow-burning grooves of Booker T. & The MG’s. This new deluxe edition includes a DVD of vintage film clips, as well as updated liner notes and additional photos… But the music is the real draw, and it’s pure brilliance: 32 tracks of rock-solid funkiness, performed by the world’s most soulful schoolkids.