Janet Jackson - Rock With U 26.08.
No it’s not a cover, original as anything we’ve ever heard BUT… Can you believe NE-YO wrote this song? An artist always exploring something brand new, not afraid to venture outside the box! Janet is back with this Dance/Disco/House/Electro track from her 2008 album Discipline. OK, where’s my strobe lights!? 
Jamie Lidell - Figured Me Out 28.07.
I can’t get enough of this guy, he’s the male Amy Winehouse, the white Sam Cooke, he’s Jamie Lidell! 100% soul! Track from his 2008 album Jim. This guy is relatively unknown by many people, and yet his funk sounds and motown throwbacks should be a staple of any funk music fan.
New Music from Raphael Saadiq 18.07.
Raphael Saadiq has been working on his next solo album for a while now, and some of the latest tracks from the latest album have been leaked onto the internet. Raphael Saadiq has continued to do something different with his rnb music again, this time by steering clear of the traditional modern rnb sound.
In fact he has been working on sounds that sound like early marvin gaye, some al green, and very 60s soul and motown style music. We think at blue funk this is an awesome return to real sounding music.
It does seem to be a current trend lately to revert back to the sounds of early motown, the last post of the solange knowles track, the popularity of Amy Winehouse (in record sales, not her personal life) as well as others, shows that rnb music is reverting back to its motown roots. John Legend on his last album “Once Again” I think was trying to do something very similar.
Raphael Saadiq though, especially on the track “Love that Girl” does a fantastic job. Forget what you have to say about his ego and past issues with groups such as Lucy Pearl, the man has undeniable talent, and thats what we at blue funk radio want, great soul music from great soul and rnb singers.
Listen now: Raphael Saadiq’s New Single and tell us what you think of the return to the old school!
Solange Knowles - Impressive New Single 19.06.
I have to say im very impressed. The last time we listened to Solange was when she was a teenager singing pop rnb music and trailing behind big sister.
Now she has a new funk-soul album coming out by the looks of things. And from the tracks so far that are leaked, it sounds like Amy Winehouse meets Motown rnb. And we aren’t complaining at all.
This throwback sound trend doesn’t really seem to be going away soon, but Solange is doing it better than a lot of others that are riding on Winehouse’s coat-tails. I guess like all sounds though, every second act will try to jump on the band wagon.
Also I am impressed that the Neptunes did the beat for this lead single. Pharrell and Chad seem to be on a bit of a role lately!
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on funk soul
- In Memory of Isaac Hayes
- 3 words. Funk. Soul. Brother.
- Vinyl Record Day 2008 and The Old Man
John Legend feat Andre 3000 - Green Light 23.05.
This rnb track is so new that it hasn’t even been given a name, but everyone is guessing it will be Green Light. It is leaking from John Legend’s new album. Now Legend’s last album was very motown and 60s/70s soul feel to it. We are a fan here at Blue Funk (especially P.D.A) and to hear this track is quite a pleasant suprise. Andre 3000 himself was quoted that Legend fans will not expect what is going to come from this album.
And based on this first leak, neither can Blue Funk! Its once again heading toward that 80s rnb kinda sound with John Legend’s silky soul voice over the top and it works surprisingly well. And you can hardly ever fault Andre 3000 on a track, and the truth stays with this one too.
Its interesting for us here at Blue Funk because we listen to alot of 70s and 80s funk. Now in 2008, the sound has come full circle, all be it with better synth’s and drum machines, yet they are still catching that 80s corny sound at the same time. We can stay away from the 80s fashion though.
Common ft. Pharrell - Universal Mind Control 22.05.
This is the newest leak from Common’s new album. It was repeatedly mentioned that because Kanye was too busy, Common was going to call on Pharrell and a few others to produce his new album. Now I have always been and probably always be a big Pharrell fan, even though he got his style from everyone from Stevie Wonder, Prince, early Timbaland, and so forth.
This new leak though brings us back to the mid 80s house and club hiphop with the tinny drum samples, the computer sounding synths and all other kinds of noises like someone found their very first synth and drum machine.
Common’s flow does remind me of “I am Music” from his Electric Circus album, which if I am correct was also a Neptunes production. I think this is a good song, a welcome flip from “Finding Forever” and good to see Common mix it up, but I hope the whole album isn’t going to be like this.