Soul Music

Adrian Younge: New Soul Legend

The composer and producer reimagines old-school hip-hop

Terrace Martin's Jazz and G-Funk

Terrace Martin plays tomorrow's Paid Dues festival in San Bernardino. The producer, saxophonist, and emcee came up on the streets of Crenshaw and Slauson, and was tapped for Snoop Dogg's 2004 Rhythm & Gangsta album at 17 and for Quincy Jones' production staff at 22. Millions of record sold contain ... More >>

Andrew Lojero Creates Timelessness on a Budget

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] You can't quite call Andrew Lojero a promoter. It does him a disservice to say that he "throws shows." What he does is closer to arranging love letters t ... More >>

10 Best L.A. Clubs For People Who Don't Like Clubs

There are essentially four reasons why people don't like clubbing: 1) douchebags 2) over-priced drinks 3) shitty music 4) douchebags. Ok, there's also parking and traffic but that's sort of douche-driven too (obnoxious guys -- and gals -- either steal your space, try to hit on you while "cruising" ... More >>

Brenda Holloway Was Motown's First West Coast Artist; Tomorrow She Plays With the Gaylads

American soul music and Jamaican reggae are closer kin than you might think. "Basically every '60s ska and reggae band refers to Curtis Mayfield as one of their biggest influences," says Mark Morales, a concert promoter and DJ based out of Los Angeles. Tomorrow, Morales' Hot Shot Sounds will host a ... More >>

Chef Jonathan Waxman: KCRW Guest DJ Set

The latest chef to step behind the virtual turntable at KCRW is Jonathan Waxman, who returns to his Southern California roots in his set for the radio station's Guest DJ Project. Waxman, the chef/owner of Barbuto in New York City and author Italian My Way, has a short but diverse list that includes ... More >>

Say It Loud: The Genius of James Brown

Page Two: The Best of Mowest

The Five Best Cover Songs Ever Covered, Rediscovered!

​ Sometimes the artist who authored a song does a bang-up job in the recording and you never need hear from the song again, except to hear it over and over and enjoy its overwhelming awesomeness. And sometimes an artist writes an incredible song and does an amazing job, and later on, some oth ... More >>

Now Again's Eothen Alapatt Finally Releases His Dream Soul Reissue

An Evening with Booker T.

R. Kelly Interviewed by Will Oldham/Bonnie Prince Billy (No, Really): The Highlights

​The current issue of Interview magazine--the celebrities-talking-to-other-celebrities journal invented by Andy Warhol--features an interview with Aziz Anzari-impersonator (and strangest person in the whole music industry) R. Kelly. The interviewer?: indie man of many hats Will Oldham (aka Bon ... More >>

Teena Marie, LA Legend of '70s and '80s Soul and Funk, Dead at 54

The Ivory Queen Of Soul​Born in Santa Monica and raised as the white girl with soul, Teena Marie celebrated the 30th anniversary of her recording career last year with a string of lively performances, including one at the L.A. County Fair. The Ivory Queen was Rick James' protege, starred on Th ... More >>

Al Green: Q&A

Golden State Funk

A new generation rediscovers the lost singles of California's "Right On" era. Plus: a real soul survivor speaks

Complete 1966 Otis Redding Show Live on the Sunset Strip To Be Released

​Here's a scoop for you: We hear from very reliable sources that Stax Records (the current version of the classic Southern Soul label recently revived by Concord Records) will be releasing a completely restored version of Otis Redding's legendary 1966 appearances on LA's very own Sunset Strip ... More >>

The T.A.M.I. Show: Santa Monica Rock City

L.A.'s pre-Woodstock music summit, finally on DVD

Booty Central: Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America

New film documents America's funkiest TV dance show

Peace on Earth: Rare Marvin Gaye Xmas Song Still 100% Relevant

​Motown/Universal is commemorating the 2009 holidays with the double CD The Ultimate Motown Christmas Collection. UK's Mojo magazine has a very nice review of the album today. Thanks to the magic of digital downloads, you don't have to run to Sam Goody's or Tower (remember those days!) trying ... More >>

Raphael Saadiq at the Wiltern: The Perfect-Pitch Frontman

Last Night: Raphael Saadiq at the Wiltern

Unlocked Grooves: Breakestra, Mayer Hawthorne, Myron and E.

L.A., Bay Area artists redefine the sound of soul

Mayer Hawthorne: From Motown to Our Town

Soul salvation finds seed in Los Angeles

Aquarium Drunkard's Summer Mixtape, Created by LA/NYC's Mondo Boys

​ The estimable LA-based music blog Aquarium Drunkard has posted a totally boss summer mixtape that you should all download asap. It's a smart mix of old (Otis Redding, Orange Juice, the Kinks) and new (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Little Joy, Atlas Sound), and was compiled by NYC/LA mi ... More >>

An Evening with Smokey Robinson

The 10 Songs/Albums That No One Should Ever Have Sex to Again

Because playing these albums in flagrante delicto is the only romantic gesture lamer than offering a woman a fish sandwich. 10. Cornball Stevie Wonder Songs (I.E. "You are the Sunshine of My Life." "I Just Called to Say I Love You") I'm not going to tell you that these songs don't serve a ... More >>

Like Fresh Cream: Al Green Teams With the Roots

Reverend re-imagines the notion of smooth soul

The Dap-Kings: Soul's New Royalty

And Sharon Jones is its hardest-working woman

Boyz II Men: A Philadelphia Story

The only thing these guys didn't do was cater

STAY FOREVER: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

Mercy, Mercy Me

Smokey Robinson steams about Dreamgirls' revisionist history of Motown

Diana Ross: O.G. Diva Sings the Blues

A long-lost ’71 jazz album smashes imitators, from Madonna to Beyoncé

Soul Love

Ten questions with Soul Sides creator — and album curator — Oliver Wang

Web Exclusive Culture Lists

Time of the Session

When the music was fast, and the players anonymous

The Lady at the Bottom of the Groove

Good Vibrations

Some great sessions

Cold Tears

The Dualists

R. Kelly’s R&B thuggery, Al Green’s sacred sensuality

The Cute Ones

Permanent Groove

How Sweet It (Still) Is

Standing in the Shadows of Motown and Pleasure and Pain

Do Right Man

Back on Track With Solomon Burke

Let’s Get Intimate

Being with Smokey Robinson

African Sunrise

Melting into Chocolate City

Roll With Me, Sterling

Mr. Harrison’s R&B paradise

Jive Token

Behind Blue Eyes

The return of British soul

Earth to Cloud Nine

Barrett Strong on 'Money,' Motown and the muse

Too Deep

Chaka Khan and Lauryn Hill

Come and Get These Memories

Holland-Dozier-Holland and the sound of young America