This is fine.
I don’t even want to look back at last week. But, we had songs, there were some really good songs coming out of a really awful week. Our friend Ram Vela and his band had a new single, plus it never hurts to get a Voxtrot tune in your inbox. Think I kept coming back to these Bastien Keb, Flowertown and Tan Cologne tunes the most, well, and that Tony Molina track. There’s about 20 jams to sort through, so find a favorite. Or don’t.
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As previously mentioned on this site, I’ve been taking a deep dive into blues, R&B, gospel and just about all things early Southern soul music over the last few years. This involved a trek to Memphis and the incredible Stax museum paired with hours digging through the blues and soul section of every Record shop and market I frequent during my travels. It has become an obsession to soak up everything I can about the genre, peoples and communities who created this music. After all that time absorbing the music and culture, I was a bit shocked when Elizabeth King came up in a press email and I was unfamiliar with her brand of sacred soul music. Her career is drenched in the very essence of Southern gospel soul music and I am beyond pleased to share my thoughts on her new album I Got a Love today. Hit the jump for my full thoughts and review.
Lot’s of really great stuff last week, so we’re here, as we always are, revisiting our coverage from last week, that way you can catch up…or at least have a sweet playlist to enjoy. Some cool new stuff last week from perennial favorites like Flasher and Say Sue Me, plus excellent news that there’s a new CLAMM record on the way. Plus, I hadn’t been to a traveling show, aside from SXSW, so I was stoked to get out of the house and catch Dummy absolutely rip over at Hotel Vegas, so I threw in a nice little jam from the band’s Mandatory Enjoyment. It’s Monday; here’s tunes you might have missed.
For those of you who listen to me talk music on the regular, you know I’ve been on a deep dive over the last few years into soul and R&B music with a major focus on Memphis and the surrounding musical hot beds in the South. To be straight and totally honest, Elizabeth King is not a name I was familiar with prior to today. Maybe her musical history has something to do with my unfamiliarity as her recording career lasted only from 1970-1973 as lead vocalist for Elizabeth King & the Gospel Souls who only had one true physical release (that I can find). After a brief recording career in the 70s, King retired from recording and performing live to pursue raising a family and singing in her local church. Nearly 50 years later, King and her powerful, gospel inspired voice has returned to making music and my inner soul enthusiast couldn’t be more excited.
After a compilation of older material in 2019, The D-Vine Spirituals, and a new album of material from 2021, Living in the Last Days, King isn’t planning to slow down in 2022. Another new album, entitled I Got Love, is due out on June 24th via Bible & Tire Recordings. In the meantime, check out this soulful new tune “I Got Love” featuring video of King being chauffeured around the magical city of Memphis. You’ll be happy you stuck around this long. Pre-orders of I Got Love are live now.
