The Man in the Submarine by Allen Love
Allen Love’s The Man In The Submarine is truly a breath of fresh air: it feels totally current, playful, and experimental. Love perfectly balances evoking the milieu of forward-thinking alternative funk acts like Thundercat or Steve Lacy, while paying homage to the experimental weirdo funk of George Clinton, Bootsey Collins, and the whole Parliament-Funkadelic family. The Man In The Submarine also features a number of collaborations, including appearances from Patrick Paige II, Markusfree and Atlanta acts Safari Williams and klark sound.
“So You Go On” & “Two Sides” by klark sound
Klark sound had a particularly prolific July with the release of three double-sided singles, “So You Go On” & “Two Sides”, “Pianothyme” & “Offered”, and “You Just Be You” & “Do or Die.” The musical quality isn’t suffering due to the quantity of releases, thankfully, as Klark continues to lovingly craft soothing virtuosic orchestrations. This spurt of work has a welcomed unapologetic Paul McCartney influence acting as a familiar, comforting framework for klark sound’s more complicated, technical movements.
“The Janitor” by Buckhead Shaman
Buckhead Shaman sets the stage for his forthcoming album The Janitor with the release of its title track. Strikingly softer than the previous three singles he’s dropped in 2021, “The Janitor” is contemplatively dreamy, summons a Low-era David Bowie, and builds eager anticipation for the follow-up to Buckhead Shaman’s 2019 album Yours Truly. The Janitor is due out August 20th and you can watch the official trailer here.
“Wasted Dreams” by Barry’s Dead
With the release of every new Barry’s Dead track, it reinforces that he’s continually growing and honing his craft. “Wasted Dreams” is short and sweet, but it also shows off just how versatile and detail-oriented Barry’s Dead can be. Oscillating between ethereal, soulful samples and Barry’s maximal wall-to-wall style of rapping, “Wasted Dreams” culminates in a laid-back thoughtfulness that never sacrifices catchiness and gusto.
“iWant – remix” by Stemlines
The remix for “iWant” is not only the perfect excuse to return Stemlines’ incredible album U R HERE from earlier this year, but it’s also an excellent device for digging in and examining the sounds in “iWant.” The original mix’s moving intention is on speed in the remix. The new mix transforms the powerfully echoing tones in “iWant” by channeling them into new, buzzingly immediate sounds that retain all the album version’s original passion.
What’s the Deal” by Dinner Time
It’s clear Dinner Time is gearing up for the next step in their career. They’ve spent the last year steadily churning out singles, recently signed to Kansas City label The Record Machine, and announced their second album will be dropping in October. Their latest single “What’s the Deal” languidly reflects on being overworked and shares a good deal of DNA with their 2019 self-titled album, but brings along all the funk influence they’ve picked up along the way. It’s accompanied by a super sweet music video you can watch here.
