Tag Archives: funk

[Event Review] Gabriel Garzón-Montano Delivers a Passionate San Francisco Debut

Posted by Geoff Hong - May 15, 2017

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Gabriel Garzón-Montano at The Rickshaw Stop

Saturday May 13, 2017

Following the release of his debut full-length album Jardín (see our review here) in January, it was only a matter of time before Gabriel Garzón-Montano shared his creation with fans in person. After kicking off his tour to start the month of May, Garzón-Montano introduced himself to San Francisco’s music scene at the Rickshaw Stop this past Saturday. The sold-out crowd enjoyed 75 minutes of passionate soul-baring as Gabriel gave the crowd his all.

With the help of drummer David Frazier, Gabriel Garzón-Montano delivered an incredible musical experience in the intimate, hazy ambiance of the Rickshaw Stop. Highlights included GGM’s sensual crooning on “Six-Eight”, and the funky vibes of popular song “Crawl”. He relied heavily upon a participatory audience during the show, one that was very excited to engage in clapping, snapping, and singing along to Gabriel’s call-and-responses. Furthermore attendees were delightfully treated to a bilingual set. After interlacing a song or two in Spanish throughout his repertoire, Gabriel’s encore was nearly entirely in Spanish with the exception of first track “Bombo Fabrika”.

Garzón-Montano took us through a musical journey of his entire discography, and then some. With his masterfully-crafted music and soulful approach to showmanship, we continue to have high expectations for this artist in the future.

Future tour dates can be found here— don’t miss a chance to see Gabriel Garzón-Montano live! Continue reading →

[Album Review] Gabriel Garzón-Montano – Jardín

Posted by Geoff Hong - January 27, 2017

Gabriel Garzón-Montano
The Game

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Musical identity is a nebulous concept that has a significant impact on how listeners interpret, relate to, and appreciate music. It is an amalgamation of many characteristics–only one of which is the sound itself. It determines how we categorize and, often, immortalize musicians (i.e. Biggie and Tupac forever enshrined as icons of a classic era in hip-hop). The release of a debut album is an artist’s single best opportunity to assert their artistic persona–a musical first impression is as important as any. Take Kanye West’s The College Dropout, or Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon Pt 1; two hugely popular albums that put soon-to-be breakout stars’ skills and talents on full display. In a similar vein, Gabriel Garzón-Montano’s debut LP, Jardín, is a bold declaration of Garzón-Montano’s ingenuity– one that gives him the potential to be a mainstay of today’s crowded music landscape.

Brooklyn native Garzón-Montano is the son of Colombian and French immigrant parents, and his heritage certainly contributes to his musical identity. He cites his father’s Colombian roots as a source of inspiration. That appreciation of salsa and cumbia manifests itself in the funky and rhythmic nature of several tracks on the album. Garzón-Montano attributes his original love for music to his mother–a classically trained musician who passed those skills down. The two contrasting influences mix beautifully on “Bombo Fabrika,” a track that features cello accompaniment alongside a syncopated groove that subtly commands you to dance. Continue reading →

[Future Funk] GRiZMATiK – As We Proceed

Posted by Geoff Hong - January 24, 2017

GRiZMATiK
As We Proceed

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After a long hiatus from producing music together, eponymous duo GRiZ and Gramatik made their triumphant return as GRiZMATiK with a well-timed new single “As We Proceed”. The pair’s different yet complementary sounds mesh to create one of the most natural and sensible music-making unions out there today. Though GRiZMATiK have been hugely popular on their tours together, “As We Proceed” marks their first new production since 2013.

The future-funk icons bring the best of their unique sounds on this new single. GRiZ pulls no punches with his signature synth work, while Gramatik’s funky guitar/piano riffs and snare-heavy backbeats provide the pulsing heart of the song. Gramatik’s love for swing and jazz has a heavy influence in this production– especially apparent in his selection of vocal loops. No track with GRiZ’s name on it would be complete without the brassy and sassy horn support to go along with the sexy sax solo.

This instant classic is sure to have you grooving along by the end of the track. The feel-good nature of this song is undeniable; you’ll definitely be hearing this track on dance floors near you! Here’s to hoping for more GRiZMATiK (and maybe a tour) in 2017.

Future

[Funk/Soul] Charles Bradley – Good to Be Back Home

Posted by Jordan Coburn - April 6, 2016

Charles Bradley
Good to Be Back Home

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Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but in the case of Charles Bradley, an old dog can certainly teach us a whole lot of stuff. Like how to release an album at the age of 67 that will bring a gaggle of millennials to their knees, and re-instill the power of funk and soul into a generation that needs it. I’m talking, of course, about Bradley’s latest Changes, and the song that epitomizes the power of Charles Bradley and funk in general, “Good to Be Back Home.”

Upon first listen we couldn’t believe our ears. From the first shout we had to convince ourselves that James Brown, the artist that Bradley largely credits his motivation to, hadn’t miraculously returned. But then you keep listening and get the essence of Bradley himself very quickly– an artist with power, passion and a voice whose tone alone speaks wisdom. This song is an epic return track that’s placed perfectly in the beginning of the album and serves as a doorway to the soul/funk journey ahead; and even better, it doesn’t just take us back down memory lane. It brings the lens of soul into a piece of modern music, and it’s so great that we’re able to experience the vantage point from a legend himself.

Soul

[Electronic] Craig David – All The Way (aywy. & Sh?m Edit)

Posted by Jordan Grammer - September 13, 2014

Craig David
All The Way (aywy. & Sh?m Edit)

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We’re getting wavy tonight wavy, Ninjas. Whoever says R&B is dead is clearly no friend of mine; in fact I’d argue it’s in a new renaissance. Usher, JT, and John Legend are just a few names of artists who have revitalized their careers recently and the future looks bright with stars like MNEK and Craig David on the horizon. Luckily for us, the homies aywy. and Sh?m share the same viewpoint and are able to recognize real when it crosses their path. I’m assuming Craig David is to the UK as Jennifer Lawrence is to us, so let these two take you back to 2005 with a twist. Share this with your parents, your friends, your landlord, doesn’t matter. This song is literally for everybody.

Digital Farm Animals – Buggin’ ft. Tyson [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - October 1, 2013

Digital Farm Animals
Buggin' Feat Tyson

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With only the third single to his name which rounds out a brief extended play entitled Bugged Out, London’s Digital Farm Animals has already put together quite the impressive group of tracks. Fusing the stylings of synth-pop, nu-wave, house and a solid sprinkling of pop influenced instrumentation, DFA quickly slid onto our radar, and has remained near the top of our ‘artists to watch’ in 2013. The latest effort “Buggin'”, featuring the vocal stylings of Tyson, finds the young producer tackling a much more club-centered dancefloor vibe, pumped up by very retro and 80’s leaning synthesizers and a glittery kick-drum. Now that we’ve had the chance to feature all three tracks from Bugged Out over the last few months, including “Adore You” and “Bad Idea” as well as a revealing personal interview, it’s your turn to take our advice to go ahead and download the entire EP for the hefty price of one “Facebook Like” (which you can complete here) and start getting your Digital Farm Animals on.

[Funky House] Felguk feat. Sirreal – Move it Right

Posted by Michael Serratore - July 25, 2012

When we think of Brazilian electro house duo Felguk, what instantly springs to mind are gritty synths and filthy, bass-induced drops. We don’t generally envision funky basslines, bright horns and cheesy vocals. And yet, with their latest release this is exactly what they bring to the table. And you know what? It works. Better than that, it sounds as if they have been producing this kind of music from the start. Featuring on the soundtrack of the 2012 edition of FIFA Street, this tune captures all the funkiness and fun party vibes that I would imagine in a Brazilian street festival or celebration. If I owned the game myself and had sunk as much time into it as I have purely listening to this track, I guarantee I would be a professional by now. If this is what Felguk are capable of creating in this lighter style of bouncy house music, then I sincerely hope this won’t be their last foray into the genre. My only gripe is that the fadeout ending seems like a really weak way of concluding this amazing tune, but at least it gives me ample warning to hit repeat before it finishes, over and over and over again.

’Felguk feat. Sirreal – Move It Right ‘

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