First of all I LOVE that a band would have the cheek to call themselves The Midwest Beat. I mean, why not? Ya got your Mersey Beat, your English Beat, so why not a Midwest Beat? Like a young American version of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (work with me, people!) playing a high school prom somewhere in Wisconsin and dreaming of one day getting to New York or LA to become rock stars, this is The Midwest Beat. And they are all the rage here at Superfan2010 today. “Get It Started” was recorded live in a church, it rocks hard, the midwest rocks, rock ‘n roll rocks 4evar, and you do too. Bye now.

The Midwest Beat
“Get It Started” (mp3)
from “At the Gates”
(Dusty Medical Records)

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Aw, look out. Today’s mp3 niblet is from Moon Palace Revival, outta the insanely fertile musical crescent of Brooklyn, NY. Touring and session keyboardist, Peter Levin steps out on his solo debut, with original material in the vein of the soul artists that he grew up emulating & appreciating. An instrumental gem, with a tight combo led by Levin’s badass organ part. I love the dissonant sharp in the main riff, and I love where the group takes it from there. Delicious funky jazz boogie, bebbeh. Bust it.

Moon Palace Revival
“The Ghost Of Harlem” (mp3)
from “Moon Palace Revival – EP”
(reapandsow, Inc.)

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Bring it back! Bishop Perry Tillis lays it down for all the preachers out there who may talk the talk but not so much walk the walk. Recorded at his church in Samson, Alabama in 1972, here is a lesser known American blues great, who played Chicago blues circuit in the 1940s alongside Muddy Waters and Furry Lewis. When a revelation convinced him it was the devil’s music, he went back home to preach the gospel. All I know is, wherever the inspiration came from, his music is gr8. This whole CD is a joy. You can read more about it or order a hard copy at the Birdman Records website, or click here to buy the mp3s. Good ol’ soulful music.

Bishop Perry Tillis
“God don’t like it” (mp3)
from “Too Close”
(Birdman Records)

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Not a cover of the famous blues song of the same name, this “Born Under a Bad Sign” comes from Sweden’s Anders Wendin, AKA Moneybrother. In a signal of departure from his earlier punk efforts, this opening track from Wendin’s brand new album “Real Control,” was produced by Peter, Bjorn and John of Peter, Bjorn and John fame. It’s a classic bit of Euro-soul, piled high with pop hooks over a bounding disco-rock beat. Definitely on my “summer fun” playlist. Enjoy!

Moneybrother
“Born Under a Bad Sign” (mp3)
from “Real Control”
(Bladen County Records)

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I discovered the Jive Turkeys last year and I am delighted to post another dose of their fine funky medicine here today. Pure instrumental 70′s funk worship from a band that can really cook. The Jive Turkeys outta Cincinnati O-Hi-Yo, ladeez and gents, doin’ “The Funky Turkey,” from their hot-off-the-griddle “Bread & Butter” platter. Gobble gobble it up.

The Jive Turkeys
“The Funky Turkey” (mp3)
from “Bread & Butter”
(Colemine Records)

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The mad rush to capitalize on the sad demise of pop music genius Michael Jackson has settled down, so I feel like posting this brilliant track from the “Can You Feel It EP (a Michael Jackson Tribute).”  This is dance floor pop candy of the highest order. Countless deejays and remix artists have partied on the wonderful tracks created by Michael and his long time producer Quincy Jones, and this tribute does the work justice while adding a techno twist to bring it to new generations yet to come.

Matthias Heilbronn, Ken Terry
“Can You Feel It (a Tribute to Michael Jackson)” (mp3)
from “Can You Feel It EP (a Michael Jackson Tribute)(feat. Gerideau)”
(Pata De Perro)

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Here’s a faithful yet modernized version of the classic Dennis Brown hit, Revolution, as performed by young Jamaican star, E-Dee. This cover was itself a hit in Jamaica in 2007, and E-Dee‘s career continues to skyrocket. Based in LA now, this dancehall celebrity is taking Jamaican music into American contemporary R&B in big ways. This track is sweet, and as a long time Dennis Brown fan, I give it the big thumbs up! Check it.

E-Dee
“Revolution” (mp3)
from “Revolution”
(Unseen Lab Recordings, Inc)

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In the decades since “Afrobeat” was first invented as a genre, by essentially one original artist – Nigeria’s Fela Kuti – it has spawned pockets of devotees around the world, who do the unthinkable and start bands with 10, 15, 20 players. Little tougher to arrange a tour than with your little power pop trio, but that doesn’t deter groups like Brooklyn’s Ikebe Shakedown from getting up to git down. In the vein of fellow Brooklyn-ites Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Berkeley’s Albino and other practitioners of this exciting musical territory, “Hard Steppin’” steps onto the scene nice and hard.

Ikebe Shakedown
“Hard Steppin’” (mp3)
from “Hard Steppin’”
(Colemine Records)

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More vintage Northern Soul! Completely puerile, innocent and bouncy, naive lust/love/like fare. What could be better, on a nice rainy Saturday? Freddy Kelly was an artist on Detroit’s gr8 indie label of the 50′s and 60′s, Twirl Records. The horn section work on this track is to die for, as are the teen-beat tom-tom fills, and the vocal, which soars nicely over the top like a food-colored maraschino cherry on a mound of sugar and cream. The key change up a whole step to set up the last verse is such a perfect cliché, you’d miss it if it weren’t there. Looking forward to hearing more from these Twirl Records comps. This is pop.

Freddy Kelly
“Then I Met You” (mp3)
from “Twirl Records Story Volume 1″
(Twirl Records)

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Del Shannon, baby! This classic side was a hit in the winter of 1961, just a few months after Shannon’s “Runaway” became an international number one smash. Recently re-released digitally, this old school, live-in-the-studio recording has lost none of its shine. A pissed off goodbye song that captures a timeless human emotion.

Del Shannon
“So Long Baby” (mp3)
from “Twirl Records Story Volume 3″
(Twirl Records)

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