Best of Funk 2019, Primary playlist is on Spotify.

Funk 2019

Metals

How Come You Never Go There

Would You Ever Break Me Down?

Late Night Tales: Midlake

Crucify Your Mind

BUY LP/CD http://www.hopestreetrecordings.com/releases/the-meltdown-lp/

The Meltdown announce the release of their self titled debut albumOUT 7th APRIL, 2017 The Meltdown, Melbourne’s purveyors of the finest country soul, are delighted to announce the release of their self-titled debut album on 7th April, 2017 through HopeStreet Recordings. Blending country, gospel and 60s soul, the result is a unique take on Australian soul music and a record full of life, energy and deeply felt storytelling.  

With influences ranging from Father John Misty, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Alabama Shakes built above a steady foundation of southern soul music, this collection of stellar players have created a mesh of Stax and Motown with a healthy dose of the Nashville songwriting tradition. Making the song the focus, The Meltdown stay true to the common goal of the story and keep your attention on the honey soaked tones of Simon Burke's incredible voice.  

After the success of the first two singles, ‘Colours In The Sky’ and ‘Don’t Hesitate’ the debut album is now highly anticipated. Since the release of the 2015 EP, 'Better Days', the band have been honing their songs and sound on the Australian festival circuit, with appearances at Queenscliff Music Festival, Mullum Music festival, Caloundra Music Festival, AWME and Summer of Soul. They have clocked hundreds of thousands of streaming hits worldwide and are featured in the soundtrack of US cable show Rosewood. Recorded at Sing Sing, the album will be released digitally as well as on CD and vinyl LP and celebrated with an East Coast Tour in May 2017. 

“These songs have elegance and grace but also grit under their nails. Clothed in classic soul but accessorized by unique flourishes that thrill. Breaks my black heart.” - Tim Rogers 

“Simon Burke has always known how to write a great tune!” - Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos/Double J)

“Dial back the tempo and let The Meltdown soothe you like only Sam Cooke or Solomon Burke could. This Melbourne ensemble has the sound and the conviction to help you reconcile your ways - softly and sweetly.” - Nick Rodwell (4ZZZ)

“I’ve followed The Meltdown’s career over the last few years, both as a dynamic live act and as a recording ensemble and they never fail to deliver! They swing, they groove, they rock and they roll, filling dance floors and spreading an irresistible vibe.” - Brian Nankervis (Rockwiz/ABC Local)

Simon Burke - Vocals/Keyboard
Lachlan Mclean - Sax 
Eamon Mcnellis - Trumpet 
Anton Dellecca - Sax  
Hugh Harvey - Drums  
Mick Meagher - Bass 
Tom Martin - Guitar 
Chantal Mitvalsky & Hailey Cramer - BVs

The Meltdown

BUY LP/CD

Better Days

New Magic

O Me O My

The New Album 'Face Your Fear' is out now via ANTI- Records. http://curtisharding.com

Face Your Fear

Need Your Love

You're Driving Me Crazy

All Saints Day

Tales Of America

Lebanon

Undercover Mixtape

Nobody's Fault but Mine

Bread & Butter

The JT Strut

Ikebe Shakedown, the self-titled album from the Brooklyn-based band, plays with elements of cinematic soul, Afro-funk, deep disco, and boogaloo in all the right ways.  After spending a few years together the group, named after a favorite Nigerian boogie record (and pronounced “ee-KAY-bay”), delivers a driving set of tunes featuring a mighty horn section anchored by tight, deep-pocketed grooves.

“Right now in cities across the globe, there are plenty of great Afrobeat revivalist bands aping the sound and groove of Fela Kuti’s legendary sound.  Yet, surprisingly few of the new groups have strayed from an orthodox interpretation of the genre or done much real innovation…Ikebe Shakedown is here to change that.  The band takes signature Afrobeat elements—big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from ’70s-style horn-driven funk”. – Marlon Bishop, WNYC

The Ikebe debut for Ubiquity Records sees the band push their globally-informed sound and eclectic approach to tune-writing into new territory. “Self-titling the album is a way to introduce the audience to the many facets of the band — to provide a more complete understanding of what we do,” bassist Vince Chiarito says.  “Our sound has grown to incorporate our influences without overtly representing any one in particular.  It just sounds like us,” he adds.

Most of the rhythm section met at Bard College, and the band rounded-out and officially formed when everyone settled in Brooklyn in 2008.  From there, Ikebe has emerged as a compelling voice on the progressive local scene.  After a run of dates around NYC, the band recorded their debut 7” single and the EP, Hard Steppin’, which was released on Colemine Records in 2009,receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.  The group was invited to record at Dunham Studios with producer Tom Brenneck and at Killion Sound in Los Angeles, home of engineer Sergio Rios of fellow Ubiquity act, Orgone.  “The studios share a lot of similarities — the tracks were all cut live to tape with minimal use of headphones and overdubs.  This basic approach allowed us to dig in and really focus on getting dynamic performances,” Chiarito explains.

The old school mentality to recording spills over in lush, laid-back, and soulful funk joints like “Kumasi Walk” and “No Name Bar,” where the multi-layered horn section plays off a cavernous backing track of slick drumming, spacey Hammond organ, and nimble guitar riffing.  The cinematic soul sound is warm and deep, with the 7-piece band sounding more like a larger ensemble as increasing layers leap from the tape.  At the other end of the BPM counter, on “Tunjunga,” the band build a gritty African disco jam boasting a floor-filling percussion section, adding seductive guitar licks and an irresistible bass-line to set the horns ablaze. “Tame The Beats” is pure fire — bold melodies and heavy rhythms propel the song, with Meters-esque breakdowns providing only brief respite from the action.

Sakonsa

Buy all our vinyl direct from www.hopestreetrecordings.com 
OR https://hopestreetrecordings.bandcamp.com/follow_me

Hopestreet Recordings is an artist-run record label based in Brunswick since 2009. From the humblest of DIY beginnings, this community of musicians, producers and writers has carved out a global niche for their old-school inspired crusty analogue creations. Hopestreet represents the diversity, quality of musicianship and originality of Melbourne’s inner Northern music community, and keeps developing their distinct sound, production approach year to year, and audiences all over are responding.

Better Days

Hopestreet Recordings

Related tracks