We’re just over a month away from Paul Weller’s new album 22 Dreams (on Yep Roc), which I really look forward to hearing. I thought I’d take a trip back to his great blue-eyed British soul band of the 80’s, The Style Council. Wanting to incorporate R&B, soul, and jazz into his songwriting, Weller had [...]

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In 1974, a DC-10 took off from the U.S. en route to Kinshasa, Zaire. The Rumble in the Jungle was about to go down - a heavyweight fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. It was Don King’s first big fight as a promoter. To precede the fight, a music festival was planned. So aboard [...]

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They bill themselves as “the unheralded emperors of Instrumental Staten Island Afro-Soul”. They are white, they are bearded, and they know how to get down in that old school “Dirty Harry” kinda way (this could fit right into ‘The Enforcer‘). Check ‘em out….
The Budos Band - Chicago Falcon (mp3)

From….

Links: Official Site | MySpace

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While a mass of humanity took in Fergie’s (disappointing? gasp!) set across Town Lake at the Tempe Music Festival, we smart ones were filing into the Marquee Theater to take in D.C. / Brooklyn artist Citizen Cope. It was billed on the venue’s web site as “an evening with no support”. But I was [...]

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When you start seeing and hearing this young lady everywhere you can tell your friends that you heard it here first. And while there is an overwhelming urge to call Duffy ‘the next Amy Winehouse’ I’d rather like to think of her without the comparison. Sure, there is the whole 60’s inspired soul singer thing [...]

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I wanted to take the opportunity on this day of thanks to extend my warmest wishes to the friends of Ickmusic. I also want to thank Pete for allowing me to take up space on his little corner of the internet. And I’d be remiss if I did not thank all the friends and folks [...]

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Soul cannot be manufactured, produced or processed; sold, bought, or processed (you get the point). Real soul is something you feel and something that Raul Midón has in spades. On his new record World Within a World he displays it with such abandon that it’s damned near heartbreaking. Blending pop, soul, jazz and touches of [...]

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Epic Records has signed Ickmusic Favorite Alice Smith and will re-release her debut record “For Lovers, Dreamers & Me” on October 30th, 2007. I can’t say enough that this is essential listening for all fans of music. Once details are available you can be sure we’ll share them, in the meantime here’s a stream of [...]

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Two masters of their craft.

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Speaking of Ms. Winehouse, who Michael mentioned in his Sharon & the Dap-Kings post (the Dap-Kings also being Amy’s backing band on Back to Black), after going through what I would call a rough few weeks, she made an appearance at Tuesday night’s Mercury Awards in the UK.
I’m pulling for her. Though her voice harkens [...]

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