If this Northern Soul classic sounds reminiscent of Motown there’s a good reason for that. Sidney Barnes learned his trade with the label.

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East London rapper Ghetts creates a chill vibe for his afrobeats and amapiano-influenced tune Tumbi.

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My mellow May playlist is perfect for chilling in the garden with a glass of something – a margarita, a mojito, a vermút, perhaps a long cool tinto de verano. We’ve got equally cool sounds: blissful jazz piano, heavenly harmonies, smooth reggae, blues, soul, hip-hop and tributes to the late great Sonny Rollins, Dennis Locorriere, David Allan Coe and Beverley Martyn.

Billie Eilish contemplates death and finds consolation on this song from her ironically titled second album Happier Then Ever.

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The Magnetic Fields singlehandedly defined a unique musical genre that might perhaps be called indie-cabaret.

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The Bones Of J.R. Jones is the alter ego of one-man band Jonathon Linaberry, drilling down into old-time acoustic blues.

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Jackie Mittoo was the organ playing child prodigy of Jamaican music who churned out countless hits at Studio One for Coxsone Dodd in the Sixties.

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The legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins dipped his toe in the waters of rock’n’roll when he agreed to record with The Rolling Stones.

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Spencer Wiggins recorded the definitive version of Up Tight Good Woman and made it one of the definitive Memphis soul songs of the mid-Sixties. (more…)

What I love most about Bonita Applebaum is that it’s musically a hybrid of reggae, jazz and hip-hop – and even a sitar sample.

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