Fresh off the success off their debut album S.O.S. and the smash hit “Take Your Time (Do It Right), The S.O.S. Band returned in July of 1981 with their second album, cheekily titled Too. Back again as executive producer was Sigidi Abdullah, who had the foresight to convince the band…
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Mariah Carey set to release new album this fall
If Mariah Carey’s 16th album title is any indication, her legions of fans will be screaming said title all fall long. Carey, the Long Island-born songbird with more accolades than any of us can count, announced this week that Here For It All is available for pre-order and will officially…
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The Altons’ “Love” fits into Summer’s romantic lane
The warm, vibey feelings of summer romance always require a sweet soundtrack to make memories with, and a Chicano Rock/Soul group from East Los Angeles called The Altons have delivered a tune that fits the bill rather nicely. “Love You Like That” is a Motown-era throwback in the best ways…
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Clipse roll out something special with “Let God Sort ‘Em Out”
Add one more thing Clipse won’t have to worry about sorting out this week; album sales. Let God Sort ‘Em Out, the first full-length project from Virginia Beach brothers Gene “Malice” Thornton and Terrance “Pusha T” Thornton since 2009’s ‘Til The Casket Drops, is projected to sell 90,000 units in…
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Behind The Groove: “Love On A Summer Night” by The McCrarys
It’s always been easy to get lost in the shuffle of a competitive art form such as music, which explains why a lot of artists/producers/songs/albums/sounds go unheard for years. A Youngstown, Ohio-bred family singing act called The McCrarys were no different as they moved between spiritual and secular music for…
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Music Monday: Ari’s Free, The S.O.S Band is back (on stream) and 50 years of P-Funk greatness
By Chris Stevens Ari Lennox is one of today’s favorite R&B artists, but it seemed she was out of place or constantly lost in the shuffle on J. Cole’s Dreamville Records imprint. No longer is that the case as Ari celebrated the release of a new single “Soft Girl Era”…
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WHEN is Alex Isley’s time? Now.
By Chris Stevens The secret is out…sort of. Alex Isley’s major label debut EP WHEN has drawn long overdue widespread attention to her soothing vocal talents and clever songwriting skills. The daughter of legendary Isley Brothers guitarist Ernie Isley, Alex has forged her own path through sweet and authentic meditations…
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Johnny Gill’s New Jack Swing classic launches On The Groove Line podcast
Johnny Gill started the 1990s off with a self-titled album (his second such) that served as an introduction to the decade of R&B we know and love so well. And that is how we will debut our official podcast. In honor of the 35th anniversary of this timeless classic, On…
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“Love To Love You” provides a serious look at Donna Summer’s life
This past weekend, the long-awaited documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer debuted on HBO’s Max streaming service as well as traditional cable. The 1-hour and 46-minute experience, co-produced by Donna’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano, lived up to expectations as a truthful and serious look at the life and times of…
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Bootsy’s Slow Jam Suite was as funky as can be on “Ahh…”
Bootsy Collins’ run of success leading Bootsy’s Rubber Band in the late 1970s established him as an all-time great bassist and a first-class front man in his own unique way. That uniqueness was evident in the music, especially Side B of 1977’s Ahh…the name is Bootsy, Baby!, which consists of…