[Doc] Muscle Shoals (Greg 'Freddy' Camalier, 2013)

 Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America's most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the "Singing River," as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios.

Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama's cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the "Muscle Shoals sound" and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound. Greg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals' magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today. -

Lauren Desberg - Sideways ep (2013)

Born in Los Angeles to a musical family, Lauren Desberg has been living and breathing music since day one. Desberg discovered her love of jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where she honed her vocal skills. While attending LACHSA, Desberg was selected to participate in several programs including the Gibson-Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensembles and the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony. 

Desberg attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on scholarship and graduated in 2012. While at Berklee, Desberg won the ASCAP Foundation’s Leiber and Stoller Music Award. She sang with the Beantown Swing Orchestra and participated in numerous Berklee events and ensembles. 
Award-winning jazz & world music vocalist Gretchen Parlato has been a mentor of Desberg’s since she was a teenager. Desberg took voice lessons from Parlato throughout LACHSA to her time at Berklee and, after encouragement from fellow musicians, she approached Parlato about producing a demo which eventually became her 5-track EP, Sideways.

Kerbside Collection - Mind The Curb (2013)

“A gritty rhythm section of old school drums and Fender or upright bass, alongside funky Hammond and Rhodes, with some sweet George Benson-ish jazz guitar licks on top.” From the quiet tropical suburban back streets of Australia's 3rd largest city (Brisbane) comes a young all instrumental ensemble called Kerbside Collection, creating a mixture of some forgotten rare groove sounds – good times instrumental jazz funk with a touch of soul.
The sound of Ravi Welsh (Guitar), Jason “Paprika” Bell (Drum & percussion), Chris Poulsen (Hammond & Fender Rhodes) and Jeremy O’Connor (Fender “P” & double bass) harks back to the 60s and 70s Californian West Coast music of artists such as Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Chico Hamilton, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, whilst tipping its’ hat to today’s contemporaries keeping the ‘feel’ alive (Soulive, Bobby Hughes, James Taylor Quartet, Eddie Roberts & The New Mastersounds, The Menahan Street Band, The Stance Brothers, Frootful etc).

The Electric Peanut Butter Co - Trans​-​Atlantic Psych Classics Vol. 2 (2013)

A collaboration between Ubiquity artists Shawn Lee & Adrian Quesada

As mutual fans of each others work, both Shawn and Adrian always looked for a way to work with each other and after meeting in Adrian’s hometown of Austin in 2010 for SXSW it was decided it was time to get to work once their respective schedules freed up. Inspired by ‘60s freaky psychedelic folk, rock, soul and all funky tidbits in-between and bands such as Los Angeles Negros, Federal Duck, US69 and El Chicano the duo set forth on their task to create “Trans-Atlantic Psych Classics Vol.2.” The album’s name references the recording process behind it’s creation. Both heavily steeped in studio experience and amazing multi-instrumentalists in their own regard, partial songs and sometimes single tracks were recorded and sent back and forth across the pond.

Lay Far - So Many Ways (2013)

Several years in the making, “So Many Ways” is the artistic manifestation of one’s own freedom, the attempt to reflect the diversity of the world around us, the countless opportunities, scenarios and creative means we all have. It’s a breath-taking soulful journey, where uplifting house tracks (Let Me Fly Away, A Little Faith, Can’t Help It) interchange with serious political messages (Stand Up), romantic dance ballads (Summer Vacation, A Piece of Devotion, So Many Years), infectious jazzy grooves (Yes You Can, When I’m Seeing You), introspective bangers (That Dream, We Are the Drum) and ironic interludes, making fun of trends and consumerism culture. Drawing his influences from mid 70’s jazz and funk, Brazilian fusion, electroacoustic music, afrobeat, soul, hip-hop and mixing them together in a very unique, mysterious manner (like only Russians can do), Lay-Far managed to create a comprehensive, multi- layered piece of work, which is sure to satisfy the trinity of body, mind and spirit! Essential listening for the fans of warm, analogue, organic and deep sound!

Ian O'Brien - Understanding is Everything (2013)

" In so far as an instrumental record can, this work represents my resolute opposition to war and violence of any nature. Despite the sometimes disturbing world we live in, I continue to dream of World Peace and co-operation between people and nations no matter how absurd that may sound, or how far we may be from that place and time. One day, the day will come when all wars and conflicts will end - the day the last person says "no more."
This album is simply my dream of that day." (Ian O'Brien)

V/A - White Mink: Black Cotton vol. 3 (2013)

The sounds and style of the 1920s and 30s turned upside down and smuggled into the 21st century.

White Mink : Black Cotton (Electro Swing vs Speakeasy Jazz) Vol. 3 is a double digipack CD compilation and download album. As with the previous album-charting, silver-disc'd CDs, side one (White Mink) presents a diverse modern take, while the other side (Black Cotton) is all vintage. It is the latest, long-awaited, instalment in Freshly Squeezed's hugely succesful and highly influencial album series described as "Electro Swing's first landmark moment" by Mixmag. It is this series more than any other that was part of the van-guard of a global zeitgeist and that sets the gold standard for this new genre.