If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kola Oshalusi For his latest single, Afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti teams with jazz legend Kasami Washington. "Move (Keep Moving Version)" is a mixture of Afrobeat and jazz, obviously, but the surprising thing is how accessible the song is. This isn't a song meant only for fans of jazz or world music. "Move (Keep Moving Version)" has a huge crossover potential. I'm hesitant to say the song is pop or even pop adjacent, but there is quite a bit of mainstream appeal here. At the very least, Kuti and Washington have created a new single that is undeniably great, and commands the listener to move. If you appreciate virtually any genre of music, you're going to find a lot to love with this one. You can listen to "Move (Keep Moving Version)" below. The deluxe version of  Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) is due out May 28 on Record Kicks, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Seun Kuti, check out the artist on Instagra...

Photo by Kola Oshalusi Afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti has a deluxe edition of his album Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) due out in May, and he's released a new version of his song "Stand Well Well." This new version is reworked to include a verse by Pos of De La Soul. A collaboration between a member of De La Soul and an afrobeat artist is a complete dream come true for fans of both jazz rap/alternative hip hop and afrobeat, and "Stand Well Well" does not disappoint. The song is wonderfully creative and while it definitely fits the World Music definition, it's much more. Even if you normally aren't into what is considered World Music, Seun Kuti and Pos' collaboration is well worth your time. Pos says of working with Seun Kuti: “Seun is a powerful soul and it’s inspirational being around him whenever I have been.  The song for me means to stand well rooted in agreeableness. Standing well rooted against the whirlwind of misery dressed up as entertain...

Photo by Calvin Hobson "Love Can't Be Borrowed," the latest single from The Sextones, is just pure vintage soul. It's the kind of song that doesn't sound like a modern neo-soul track, but instead sounds like it could have been released any time in the past sixty years. It's purely timeless, and is just a perfect smooth soul track. This is perfect for fans of artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings or Durand Jones & The Indications. In fact, if you like any era of soul, "Love Can't Be Borrowed" is going to be irresistible for you. You can listen to "Love Can't Be Borrowed" below. The album Love Can't Be Borrowed is due out September 29 on Record Kicks, and is available for pre-order here . For more on The Sextones, check out the band's website .

Photo by Calvin Hobson If you like classic soul, chances are you're going to like Reno, Nevada's The Sextones. The neo-soul band's latest single, "Without You," has this perfect quality that makes it sound like it's a lost track recorded back in the 60's or 70's. Part of it is the production style that puts that vintage sheen over the song, but The Sextones are clearly going for a classic sound. Everything about "Without You" just sounds classic. (Except for their name, which I can't imagine would have flown with record executives sixty years ago...) This is the kind of feel good song that most people would say they don't make anymore, unless you know where to look. You can listen to "Without You" below. Love Can't Be Borrowed is due out September 29 on Record Kicks, and is available for pre-order here . For more on The Sextones, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Calvin Hobson There's been a resurgence of late 60's/early 70's style soul lately, and our latest discovery is The Sextones. The Nevada based quartet have a new single out, "Better Late Than Never." As with most neo-soul out these days, The Sextones wear their twentieth century influences proudly while still moving the genre into the modern day. The song doesn't sound like it was made fifty years ago, but sounds like it was made today and heavily influenced by music made back then. It's a smooth soul jam, and you may need to check for your pulse if you can't get into this. Bassist Alexander Korostinsky says of their upcoming album: “The ability to be vulnerable when writing your music is an important ingredient for any record.  You can tell when an artist is being genuine and for a long time, we felt a little insincere with what we were doing. After working with Kelly, we started noticing that the music we were all making now was truly and fin...