This one has “summer song” written all over it, even though it’s out here in the Spring. The Hawk is basically one dude, Scott Milsom of the UK Funk outfit Big Boss Man. He has very good taste in vocalists with this track featuring Little Hannah Collins who might be familiar to many of you [...]

Georgia Anne Muldrow – King’s Ballad
To be perfectly honest, I still don’t know exactly what to think about Georgia Anne Muldrow. She’s definitely respected by her peers, including Erykah Badu and Mos Def. She’s got a great voice, eccentric personality, seriously funky sensibilities. But over the course of her several records, there [...]

Golden Triangle – Neon Noose
Out of Brooklyn, NY comes one of the records I am most excited to play when I return to KCRW, courtesy of Golden Triangle. I’m not sure how they manage to sound crisp and clean (especially with the vocal harmonies) and all garagey and gritty (especially in the guitars) at the [...]

El Gran Fellove – El Jacarandoso
I’d never heard of Cuban singer El Gran Fellove until I received this collection of his music from Vampi Soul. Most of the tracks on this 21 song retrospective I would classify as mambo, but towards the end as the sounds shift into the 1960s, things get subtly funky [...]

Simone White – Your Stop
Simone White had a minor hit a few years ago with the lovely “Beep Beep Song.” Though she can sometimes sound a bit too much like Chan Marshall (which come to think of it is never really a bad thing since I love Chan Marshall, it’s just an issue of [...]

Sensational Saints – How Great Thou Art
This comp. has been out for a good 3 months, but I’ve only recently gotten a copy of it. It’s pretty much a no-brainer that anything with the subtitle “Heavy Psychedelic Ballads and Dirges” would be on my playlist, but this is a really good compilation of band’s that [...]

Midlake – Bring Down
Midlake continues to deepen their sound on this their third record. Mostly acoustic and atmospheric with a smattering of electric guitars on a few tracks, it’s mostly reminiscent of English groups like Fairport Convention and the Incredible String Band, and quite lovely.

Spain – Hang Your Head Down Low
Yes the rumors are true. Josh Haden and Spain are back together and may very well have a full-length record out in 2010. For now we have this luscious single featuring two songs, the upbeat title track and this slow burner.

Beak – Backwell
Here’s one that slipped under my radar in 2009, a new project from Geoff Barrow of Portishead, along with with Billy Fuller (Fuzz Against Junk) and Matt Williams (Team Brick). From the sound of that latest Portishead record, you might have surmised that Geoff had been listening to a lot of Neu! and [...]

Real Estate – Black Lake
Since hearing this band on KXLU the other day while driving on an uncharacteristically low traffic day in Los Angeles, I’ve been addicted to their lo-fi indie pop rhythms. Real Estate hails from New Jersey, and reminds me of a cross between the Velvet Underground and American Analog Set, [...]

Quadron – Herfa Hvor Vi Står
Here’s another slept on release from earlier in the year, one that’s one a bunch of KCRW DJs “Best of 2009″ lists, from this Denmark duo, featuring the Hannibal 1/2 of Owasu & Hannibal. Some interesting influences throughout this mostly future funk release from Sly Stone to the Shangri-Las but [...]

The Black Hollies – Number Ten Girl
New Jersey’s Black Hollies were just in Los Angeles last week. With their third record, Softly Towards The Light, their recorded work is perhaps beginning to outpace their live sound. A blessed cross between the Zombies and the Bonniwell Music Machine…

Edan – Echo Party (Excerpt)
Still very early, but the more I delve into this 30 minute mix by Edan of the Traffic Entertainment Catalog (which includes Enjoy, P&P, Sound of New York and other old school New York labels) the more I’m in awe of what he’s done here. More than a mix, he’s added [...]

Blakroc – On The Vista
Here’s something to look out for, coming out this coming week, a new collaboration between the Black Keys and a variety of MCs, from underground darlings like Pharoah Monch and Mos Def, to prime-timers like Ludacris & Jim Jones, and no less than three members of Wu-Tang, Raekwon, The RZA and [...]

Build An Ark – Love
Los Angeles collective Build An Ark just sounds like 1974 to me. Primarily because their sound is heavily inspiried by artist collectives of that period and the music from labels such as Strata-East and Tribe (Phil Ranelin who cut some great records for Tribe is actually a featured member of B.A.A.). [...]