Mavis Staples Saved Funky Trunk

There's nothing like a great song to get the Funky Trunk blog back up and running. After taking time to listen Mavis Staples' new album, You Are Not Alone, from beginning to end I realize that I haven't enjoyed a full album from "cover to cover" in years. I'll listen to a few tracks, jump around or get distracted and hit pause.

Mavis has my full attention. Paired with producer Jeff Tweedy, Ms. Mavis has a collection of traditional gospel tracks, songs from the Staple Singers, Randy Newman, Allen Toussaint and new tunes by Tweedy that range from soulful blusey to Wilco-y rock.

Her cover of Toussaint's 1975 release Last Train is the one that brought the Funky Trunk blog back from semi-retirement.

Turn it up!

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Oh, and if that's not enough for you...Here's a great video of Ms. Mavis and Jeff Tweedy singing Wrote a Song for Everyone written by John Fogerty. Another reason to love these two artists...

Killing it with Galactic

There are songs out there that kill me when I hear them. I have to listen over and over...and the song keeps sounding better and better. Galactic's cut from their new album YA-KA-MAY is one of them. It features the Soul Queen of New Orleans Irma Thomas. This is Galactic's second collaborative album, the first being From the Corner to the Block, which was loaded with hip-hop artists. It had an amazing sound, and YA-KA-MAY (from the 2 tracks I've heard) proves to be an even more exciting mixing old with new.

YA-KA-MAY is set to be released Feb 9, 2010 on Anti Records. The album features established legends such as the Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Big Chief Bo Dollis, Allen Toussaint and Walter "Wolfman" Washington with younger artists like Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry, John Boutté, Josh Cohen and Scully, and Glen David Andrews, as well as groundbreaking new "Bounce" artists like Cheeky Blakk, Big Freedia, Katey Red, and Sissy Nobby.

Find out more about Galactic at www.galacticfunk.com.

Turn it up!

Funky Trunk

I have had the pleasure of hosting Funky Trunk on Utah Free Media, www.utahfm.org since the station's inception in May 2008. Look for music posts on funk, blues, R&B, soul and anything groovy.

I've got a trunk full of funk, and I'm happy to share with you.

Yeah you rite.