Chitlin Circuit Double-entendre -filled Soul 2004 (and onward) Theodis Ealey's "Stand Up In It" is a song of the year

And okay, here's a link to his 2009 album, which leads with "Fishing Hole" (in which he says he want to keep his catfish to himself btw):

http://www.swapacd.com/cd/album/1620841-call+me+what+u+wanna

There's a number of Southern soul songs out with fishin' hole metaphors and themes (some that female readers and feminists and others might not appreciate). Bobby Rush's "Night Fishin'," Sheba Potts-Wright-"Private Fishing Hole" and I think others that I can't remember right now or find via google

Now that is something that should be talked about in a presentation at the EMP Pop Music Conference...

Awwww man, just discovered that Barbara Carr is gonna be at the Solar Eclipse in DC next Saturday with Chick Willis and Robin Roberts, but I already have tickets for Gilberto Gil that night. I just a Carr best-of on Ecko, but she's on a new label now.

Speaking of woman Southern soul artists, I understand that Miss Jodie has a new cd out. I have to get that and Barbara Carr's latest.

If only I could spell--that's Ms. Jody http://www.eckorecords.com/

And um, Roy Roberts, a North Carolina singer is gonna be on that Saturday March 13 bill with St. Louis' Barbara Carr. Robin Roberts was a pitcher for the Phillies. http://www.cdsrecords.com/barbaracarrsavvywoman.htm

So the Barbara Carr cd was from '09 but the Miss Jody one is 2010. I need to get the cd and then convince the NY Times Magazine section that a Miss Jody profile would be as relevant and important as that Jody Rosen from Slate penned Joanna Newsom one from Sunday. Not sure if Miss Jody is into "spirit animals" and communing with nature, but I could ask her.

They'll probably say it would have needed to be pegged to the release date. (Which is stupid, given that most Times readers would never have heard of Miss Jody in the first place, but I get the idea that's how it's done. Also possibly works, consciously or not, as a way to keep out the low-rent riff-raff who don't believe in spirit animals and communing with nature, since their labels can't afford huge national press lists wherein advance mp3s are sent out months in advance.) Not trying to discourage you, though! You should make the pitch -- maybe my cyncicism will prove wrong. (And come to think of it, Josh Kun's narcocorrido piece in the Times Art Section yesterday probably wasn't pegged to a release. The magazine might be more stringent, though.)

Anyway, abridged from the buy that for a dollar thread, in recent weeks:

Pickier about $1 records than 50 cent ones. I've bought a couple Suburbs and ZZ Hill and J. Blackfoot LPs this year that are pretty scratchy or even warped (in at least two cases I couldn't play the lead cuts on either side), but that's really rare, actually. .
― xhuxk, Sunday, 28 February 2010 02:36

$1 today, End Of An Ear in South Austin
Z.Z. Hill Down Home (Malaco 1981 - pretty scratchy again; I'm starting to get the idea Southern Soul fans don't take very good care of their vinyl)
― xhuxk, Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:22

Even my local alt-weekly is tied into release dates (Miss Jody's cam out in February) and a long feature piece where I would go and join Miss Jody and interview her and commune with nature with her ala Joanna Newsom, could only happen if I somehow could take leave from parenting and dayjob responsibilities.

Jody Rosen just got the communing with nature and spirit animals story from Joanna (who also apparently told it to Erik Davis), I wanna top that and actually get to go on such a retreat with Miss Jody.

But seriously, it continues to amaze me how little 'rock' and alt-weekly and daily paper media coverage there is of this stuff. But even ILX soul fanatics dismiss these artists so maybe I should not be surprised.

So, J. Blackfoot's Physical Attraction. Came out in '84, year after City Slicker (which I talked about a few paces up), and J. knew what was working for him, so "Hiding Place" swipes pretty much the exact same melody from "Taxi"; just doesn't have words near as good. (He wants a lady he's cheating with to take him to her hiding place instead of wanting a taxi to take him to the other side of of town.) On the totally ridiculous LP cover he's straddling a piece of exercise equipment in a weight room, with a woman co-straddling right behind him in red sweatband and aerobics wear. Back cover has his five-guy/one-girl "Street Gang Band" all dressed tough in black leather and red epaulets and bandanas like they've been studying all the right Michael Jackson videos. Lead cut is the bubble soul "The Girl Next Door," who is so sweet that J. imagines she could've come from a candy store; only problem is, as far as I can tell, she also appears to be underage. Last song is a cover of "Kum Ba Ya," the (quasi-Eastern I guess?) hippie church mantra, complete with somebody named Rod Kennedy Sr. reciting a spoken prayer on top, and I don't think I've ever heard anybody actually sing that song on a record I've owned before, and personally I don't think J. Blackfoot seems like "Kum Ba Ya" kind of guy. Hayes/ Porter-penned "You Got Me Hummin'" is a sort of James Brownish semi-disco that nonetheless was making me think J. had been listening to early '80s Robert Palmer even before I noticed that the syn-bass (or whatever) at the end sounds a lot like "Looking For Clues." But the best track, and main reason the album winds up being a keeper despite all its wackitude, is J.'s cover of John Conlee's Harlan/Braddock-written country hit "I Don't Remember Loving You," which is sung from the point of view of a man who's drunk himself to craziness, addressing his wife from his bed in a mental hospital, asking for his crayon so he can write down her name since he has no recollection of ever seeing her before. Great weird hilarious disturbing song, and J.'s falsetto soul retooling kills; sounds like it could've fit on Swamp Dogg's Total Destruction Of Your Mind. Album still doesn't come close to City Slicker, though. (Btw, I noticed on emusic that the covers of both albums changed over the years; the '83 one was eventually reissued as Taxi. Not sure if that's a CD-era or digital-era innovation.)

Top ten songs on this month's Boogie Report newsletter playlist, plus a few others I should make a point of trying to hear sometime:

1.I'm Sorry Lenny Williams
2.Mr.Bus Driver J Blackfoot
3.The Best Time Wendell B.
4.Bring It On Home Sir Charles Jones
5.Every Day I Have The Blues Latimore
6.Rumble In The Bedroom James Smith
7.One Good Man Karen Wolfe
8.I Take It Back Archie Love
9.Somebody Mr.Sam
10.I Don't Want To Leave Shirley Brown

12.The Bop Ms. Jody
13.Everybody Knows The Revelations fea Tre Williams
14.People Don't Do Bobby Rush
17.Pop A Pill Ghetto Cowboy

Also:

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
MARCH 2010

1. "I Can't Do It"------------Mel Waiters
Everyone's been holding their breath, waiting for Mel's next big thing. Exhale. It's a beaut', with an Omar Cunningham-like background singer (maybe Omar himself), a foxy beat and even a dash of rock guitar.

2. "I'm In Love With A Woman Other Woman Talk About"----------Captain Jack Watson
Carl Marshall serves up this feast of a ballad showcasing an artist--Captain Jack Watson--who has perfect Southern Soul pitch and perfect Southern Soul tone.

3. "Come On Let's Dance"-------------Donnie Ray
This uptempo tune sounds simultaneously like a slow jam. Its romanticism is so full-fledged and unapologetic it takes you back to another, more innocent, era.

4. "Am I Mr. Right"----------------William Bell
No telling how good this new one from William Bell is. The groove is so patented-prime Bell that it may very well become as big as William's recent "New Lease On Life." Love those disco effects, too. Bell's soulfulness insures they work.

5. "Can I Get To Know You Girl"------------Bigg Robb
This mellow tune--the best hip-hop-produced Southern Soul you're going to hear anywhere--has just enough punch to make it interesting.

6. "Get Out"--------------Pat Cooley
One of Pat's best. The song rocks. Pat Cooley just keeps coming at us, with one single after another.

7. "I Ain't Your Lady"-----------B. B. Queen
Her work may sound a trifle thin on first listening, but there's undeniable substance to B. B. Queen, in the way there was a substance to Jackie Neal's early efforts.

8. "Guitar Cry With Me"-----------Unckle Eddie
Unckle Eddie shifts from humor to current events with this interesting cut.

9. "Alvaretta's Night Out"--------------Robert Banks
Another fine song, this one uptempo, from the guy who sounds a bit like a Tex-Mex Robert Cray.

10. "Shake Rattle & Roll"------------Willie B.
Nice to hear from Willie B., who once held down a spot on Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 Southern Soul for "Larry Licker." This one isn't earth-moving, but he's still got that sweet, Larry-Lickin' voice.

My Saturday radio station Southern soul show only plays a few of those I think. I need to find that online southern soul station I posted about about a long time ago.

I think I heard that Sir Charles Jones song off the Boogie Report and liked it, but I don't remember specifics. Too busy with the rest of my daily life and other writing these days to find time to listen to all of the above.

Maybe this weekend I can try to catch up some.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2010/03/12/live-saturday-soul-triple-bill-with-barbara-carr-at-the-solar-eclipse/

"Pop A Pill" by Ghetto Cowboy appears to be about Viagra. ("Girl you make me want to a pop a pill, so I can give you a thrill...I ain't no young buck just runnin' around, but every now and then I need some help to get down.") 3:49 is too long for the joke though. Version on youtube says "feat. Bigg Robb," but Robb just grumbles backup hypeman stuff, never raps. For most of the song, I barely even noticed he was there.

Youtube says "I'm Sorry" by Lenny Williams is from 1981. Midtempo sort of post-disco smooth-jazz strut. Apparently he was the lead singer in Tower of Power, born in Little Rock but raised in Oakland. No idea why he's #1 on that Boogie Report chart; doesn't seem to have died lately.

"Somebody" by Mr. Sam -- Whoooooeeee, okay, this is kind of a beaut; grown-folks quiet-storm soul ballad of the year so far, not that I've actually heard any other ones I can think of, but still. "She don't need to have no Ph.D./Just smart enough to know what she has with me." Still, five minutes is long -- just imagine it's a luxurious bubble bath. Probably too generic a bubble bath, but a bubble bath nonetheless.

Not finding many others on youtube yet, but I'll hunt more when I can.

Most of Daddy B. Nice's March top 10 is not on youtube. I did find Unckle Eddie "Guitar Cry With Me" that is a droll recitation of tragic incidents--terrorist attacks, earthquakes, etc. It's ok but doesn't wow me.

RIP Rockie Charles, the New Orleans "President of Soul". He rarely ever toured and his records were not widely distributed but he could sing

Early New Orleans Rock N Roll/R&B

There may be 2 zillion acts from multiple genres (but mainly indie) down in Austin for SxSW but I have yet to read about a single Southern/Chitlin Circuit soul group being there. Labels like Ecko and CDS and Malaco are silly not to try to crossover, and if they're waiting for an invitation that's likely never to happen as this genre flies under the mainstream radar. But if you're reading this thread you know that, I guess.

Well, there is a New Orleans Bounce Street Party Sissy Rap Showcase Saturday night w/ I believe DJ Jubilee and Katie Redd and Magnolia Shorty, which is at least on the oustkirts of Southern Soul. But otherwise, yeah, I think you're right.

There's a publicist handling that one who is also representing the great Ponderosa Stomp event in New orleans that brings old school soul artists and rockers onstage in New Orleans, and to Lincoln Center and in years past SxSW. Perhaps that publicist should seek out Southern soul labels.

Someone gave me a free ticket to see harpist/vocalist Joanna Newsom last night in a sold-out show. Eh, I was not wowed. I will take Denise Lasalle and Miss Jody over Newsom. I'd also settle for those 2 soul vocalists getting even half the media attention Newsom gets.

RIP New Orleans singer Marva Wright.

Damn, hadn't thought about Marva in a while. Knew she hadn't been well in recent years.

Hey Curmudgeon, have you (or anyone here) seen Bobby Bland recently? He's coming to town, nice intimate jazz club show. Tix are expensive, though, and I've heard he can be pretty hit or miss. (The only time I saw him was at Jazzfest, in 2002, and he was weathered but wonderful.)

I don't think Marva was that old, but yes she was ill for several years.

Booby Bland's last DC area appearance (maybe billed as an 80th birthday tour I think) was cancelled because of illness. I have not seen him in a long time-- he was doing that snorting thing on the high notes, but I think he's been doing that for quite awhile.

Ha ha, yeah he was doing that "snnnnnooorkkk" a lot when I saw him.

Heard Bland's "Members Only" on the radio a little while back. Luv that one.

Wish I had seen live way back when, during one of those tours with BB King he used to do.

When I was in Grand Cayman in '86, "Members Only" was pretty recent; radio played it every few hours, bands in clubs covered it. It was like a HUGE hit.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2010/03/marva-wright-blues-singer-dies.html A Marva Wright tribute

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_en_mu/us_obit_wright

I saw her in New Orleans once. When she was living up my way after Katrina I always missed the various benefit shows for her somehow.

Heard a decent but not amazing song from Miss Jody's latest cd on WPFW yesterday. I need to quiti procrastinating and buy the thing and review it somewhere (even if it came out 2 months ago or whatever)

Hmmm, wonder if Ecko has downloads? Will check later tonight.

Roy C.'s gonna be back in the DC area on 4-17 at Lamont's in Pomonkey.

Reviews of the new Sharon Jones cd are everywhere in the 'mainstream media' but alas, until I buy and review Miss Jody's new one, there are none for her. And yes I know that their styles are a tad different.

Some interesting back and forth views last week on the Yahoo Southern Soul e-mail group regarding the late Johnnie Taylor's son Floyd's new cd. I have not heard it yet. Some folks liked it, others dismissed it in that soul purist manner that causes some people to avoid this thread and others to only like Sharon Jones and obscure 1967 reissues.

http://www.amazon.com/All-Me-Jewl-Floyd-Taylor/dp/B0039208ZS/ref=sr_1_1

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I missed that recent Roy C. show but caught part of an interview with him on WPFW where he got more political in the subject matter he wanted to talk about than I expected.

folks might want to see original DC soul and funk singer Sir Joe Quarterman tonight (heard a great song on youtube--his 1973 r'n'b top 30 number) at the U. Street Musical Hall along with Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth (10 piece retro-soul group just signed to David Byrne's label). Mingering Mike is emceeing (he designed the cover for Kings Go Forth's new cd) and Kevin Coombe is dj'ing along with that guy who discovered Mingering Mike- D. Hadar. NPR is taping this. And don't get me started on why they are taping this but did not tape Roy C. at Lamonts in Pomonkey this past Saturday

As my son would say, "I need to step up my game" and do some writing about this stuff. Sharon Jones is everywhere and yet there's not a single google hit for Miss Jody.

I am totally losing touch with this stuff this year, which is sad.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

MAY 2010

1. "If She's Cheating On Me, I Don't Wanna Know"-------------Luther Lackey

The lullaby-like melody and the gospel-drenched choruses have the familiar feel of a childhood nursery rhyme. The brilliant lyrics end with:

"If she's with Marvin Sease,
He's a candy-licker.
If she's with Theodis,
He's standing up in it.
But I'm in trouble
If she's with my brother.
If she's with O. B.
He ain't playin' with it."

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD, MP3's

2. "Birthday Suit"--------------Certified Slim

An emotionally-true, mid-tempo outing in the classic mold of William Bell. The carnal lyrics--

"I'd like to see you
In your birthday suit.
Nothing else but
Your high-heeled shoes."

--are delivered with a lover's reverence.

3. "Everybody Knows (It's A Small Town)"---------------------Tre' Williams & The Revelations

As much as I liked it, I'll admit I suspected Tre' Williams' soulful breakthrough "I Don't Wanna Know" would be a fluke by a northern band. Not only are the Revelations touring the chitlin' circuit and giving its audiences love, the band more than proves its Southern Soul mettle with this awesome follow-up reminiscent of Gene Pitney's "A Town Without Pity."

4. "P's & Q's"----------------Reggie P. and Sir Charles Jones

Once you adjust--that is--once you're comfortable with the snippet of a melody, the in-your-face rhythm track and the wash-of-strings mix--you can sit back and listen to two of the most exciting vocalists in Southern Soul trading stanzas like the greats of old.

5. "Reality Slowly Walks Us Down" -------------LGB

One of those special debuts that makes you wonder, "Why wasn't this niche ever filled before?" LGB is a huskier-voiced Barbara Lewis sound-alike. The odd title masks an incredible song done in the Lewis style that must be heard to be believed. At times LGB outdoes her influence.

Bargain-Priced Reality Slowly Walks Us Down CD, MP3's

6. "Outside Man" ---------------John Cummings

This song. I presume, is by old friend and venerable Southern Soul songwriter John Cummings, and it's good for the same reasons as the songs of songwriter-slash-performer George Jackson or the Floyd Hamberlin (Will T.) version of "Mississippi Boy"--it's raw, direct and vulnerable.

7. "Got A Good Woman" ------------Lee "Shot" Williams

Leeeshaaaaaad ventures into B. B. King territory and triumphs with an authentic delivery. He sounds like he's singing through a broken bottle in a dark and twisted, sticky-countered, butts-on-the-floor dive.

Bargain-Priced I'm The Man For The Job CD, MP3's

8. "Don't Give Up On Our Love"---------Latimore

The romantic and dreamy atmosphere reminds me of Clarence Carter's poignant "What Was I Supposed To Do?"

Bargain-Priced All About The Rhythm & The Blues CD

9, "Sorry, I Didn't Know It Was Your Momma" -----------Lenny Williams

It's not "Can't Nobody Do Me Like You," but it's hooky. And it'll have to do until Lenny breaks out the next big one.

Bargain-Priced Unfinished Business CD

10. "You Won't Miss Your Water"-----------Falisa JaNaye'

An impressive debut from a singer whose diminutive frame launches a big punch.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

APRIL 2010

1. "Everybody Makes Mistakes" ------------Bigg Robb

From Bigg Robb's upcoming album, Grown Folks Gospel: Songs Of Encouragement, "Everybody Makes Mistakes" is the big man's greatest song since his cover of "Good Lovin' Will Make You Cry," and as with that tune, Robb's synthesizer-enhanced vocal on the memorable chorus makes you forget you ever cared about the human voice.

2. "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'" --------------Vick Allen

When I heard this on the radio, I was blown away by the surprising hootenanny style. "Beat Me Rockin'" sounds like it was written by label-mate Omar Cunningham with a Vick Allen-style bridge. Yet another hit from last year's Truth Be Told album. Great rhythm section.

Bargain-Priced Truth Be Told CD, MP3's

3. "No Ordinary Pussycat" by Ms. Jody w/ J. Blackfoot

It's just the kind of Top 40-style song I wish Ms. Jody had put on her Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again album. "No Ordinary Pussycat" is actually an under-played version of the "Meow" song from J. Blackfoot's Woof Woof Meow CD in which Ms. Jody contributes 95% of the vocal.

4. "The Preacher's Wife"---------------Luther Lackey.

The brash, musically-sophisticated title cut from what might be the first great Southern Soul CD of 2010: The Preacher's Wife. Luther's back, baby.

5. "Be A Man"---------------------Pat Cooley

Really love the acoustic, Latin-flavored sound of this record, anchored of course by the authentic Southern Soul singing of Pat Cooley, without which it would fall apart. It's a new and viable direction for Southern Soul, and it reminds me of the affecting version of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sir Charles Jones on his most recent album. Both songs showcase the strength of Southern Soul--its singers--against minimal backgrounds with stunning results.

6. "All Of You, All Of Me"-------------Floyd Taylor

What can you say about Floyd? He's as consistently dependable as the old masters like Willie Clayton and Marvin Sease and Mel Waiters. On this classic slow jam he curls his voice around the lyrics with typically sensitive care. The background chorus is to die for.

Bargain-Priced All Of Me CD

Comparison-Priced All Of Me CD

7. "Mississippi Girl"------------Wendell B.

One of the new cuts from Wendell B.'s still hard to get pair of new LP's.

8. "The Bop"-------------Ms. Jody.

This one IS from Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again. "The Bop" is a throwback--almost like a line dance from the late fifties or early sixties. And if you like your great soul divas negotiating dance tunes (as I do) it'll quickly grow on you.

9. "My Old Man & Mrs. Jones"-----------------Pat Brown

The new and long-anticipated album by Pat Brown is due soon.

10. "Cheating On The Back Street"----------Adrena

Adrena has all the tools--and a better-than-average song on which to showcase them.

Have heard the LGB song and like it. I need to track down and splurge on some of these others--Lackey, Floyd Taylor, and Lee Shot Williams to name a few. I have heard Floy and Lee songs that I've liked.

My Top 15 Southern Soul singles of the year so far. (Been catching up on the Boogie Report and Daddy B. Nice tracks that I can track down on Rhapsody -- which is a lot of them, but not all. Anxious to check out Luther Lackey's entire album, and probably a couple other ones.)

1. Robert Banks – Alvaretta’s Night Out (Banx Music Productions – Actually, Daddy B. Nice listed this as a single this March, so I'll take his word for it, though the album seems to have come out in 2004.)
2. Luther Lackey – It Ain’t Easy Being The Preacher’s Wife (Ecko)
3. Bigg Robb – Everybody Makes Mistakes (Over25Sound/Robbmusic)
4. Luther Lackey – If She’s Cheatin’ On Me I Don’t Want To Know (Ecko)
5. BB Queen – I Ain’t Your Lady (Hearon)
6. Jeff Floyd – Shake Somethin’ Loose (Wilbe)
7. Archie Love – I Take It Back (JEA)
8. The Revelations featuring Tre Williams – Everybody Knows (Decision)
9. J. Blackfoot feat. Ms. Jody – No Ordinary Pussy Cat (JEA/Right Now -- actually Daddy B. Nice lists Jody's version, which apparently gives her more vocal time, but I've only heard the mix on Blackfoot's album)
10. Bobby Rush – People Don’t Do (Deep Rush)
11. Lenny Williams – Sorry I Didn’t Know (Lentom Entertainment)
12. J. Blackfoot – Mr. Bus Driver (JEA/Right Now)
13. Mel Waiters – I Ain’t Gonna Do It (Waldoxy)
14. Latimore – Don’t Give Up On Our Love (LaStone)
15. Latimore – Every Day I Have The Blues (LaStone)

Luther Lackey, fwiw, is from Claksdale, Mississippi, and has 45 Myspace friends, and also no songs on his MySpace page, which therefore seems somewhat pointless to link to. Here is Daddy B Nice's page for him:

http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/artistguide.cfm?aid=126

Bigg Robb is 42 years old and from Dayton, Ohio (so not technically Southern, probably.) His album is called Jerri Curl Muzik!

http://www.myspace.com/biggrobblove

Okay, Bigg Robb also used to be in Zapp, which probably explains why he dresses sort of like T-Pain and sometimes sings through a Vocoder:

http://www.soulbluesmusic.com/biggrobb.htm

Robert Banks comes from Tyler, Texas, according to the bio on this CDBaby page:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robertbanks/from/daddybnice

I heard this great song on 88.7 at around 8am on Saturday. Yes.com says they didn't play it (hmmm). DJ said he just HAD to play this song by Uncle Eddie. I googled and came up with Uncle Eddie and Christy Delight: "Stop Talking Too Much." But I can only find one page on it. Here's a decent description of the song from that page:

"a child is saying something like, "I'm telling momma" and the daddy is telling her to "stop telling everything you know" I might not be correct on the words but the child is in the car with her daddy (I assume that's her dad) and she sees him up to no good and she says that she is telling."

What is this song??

I talked about that song way upthread, Kevin! But couldn't figure out who did it either. Definitely heard it on 88.7 a couple times since:

Real funny mostly-talked song on the Southern Soul show today: Krystal (or Crystal?) Somebody, "Stop Telling Everything You Know." Girl who sounds like the girl in "MyBabyDaddy" (B-Rock? The Bizz? whoever) catches her dad kissing a woman who isn't her mom; her dad, who sounds like Snoop's dad asking him for five dollars in the "Gin and Juice" video, claims he was just helping the woman get something out of her eye. Daughter asks then how come her lipstick was messed up when Dad finished with her eye. (End of song, he helps her with her dress, too.)
― xhuxk, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:00 PM (1 year ago)

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I think that great Jeff Floyd song "Shake Something Loose" may be from last year but it is still getting radio single play impact this year.

Yeah, a bunch of those tracks are clearly from '09 albums (maybe even late '08 in some cases), but especially with singles, I go with the Pazz & Jop Year of Impact rule. Maybe even with albums -- Bigg Robb's Jeri Curl Muzik apparently came out in April '09, but I'm loving it and may well consider it for my Pazz & Jop ballot this year (somehow T-Pain-era AutoTune now makes Zapp-style electro-funk seem oddly un-anachronistic, and he does a song or two -- the least likeable things on the album, I'd say so far -- that are clearly meant to sound more like up-to-date r&b for young folks anyway. Either way, I really don't think T-Pain's made any album half this fun. May take me awhile to suss out what's so great about individual tracks -- there are a lot of them; it's a long album -- but hopefully will eventually. Incidentally, if Robb is in fact just 42, and my math is right, he couldn't have been in Zapp in their and Troutman's prime, unless he was barely a teenager. So probably in a later edition of the group? Haven't researched that yet.)

Luther Lackey album is also good, though so far I'm wishing he stuck to the emotive countryfied soul prettiness of those two singles and didn't try to get funny and funky, which (unlike lots of these guys) he seems less good at; that is, I'm not really loving "I Got Caught Butt Naked."

Also should mention that Zapp-style vocoder funk is only one trick in Bigg Robb's bag, but hardly the only one; helps that he seems to be a way better singer than either Roger Troutman or T-Pain.