Pastor T.L. Barrett: *Do Not Pass Me By Vol. I*

If you know T.L. Barrett, you know him as the pastor that’s been sampled in Kanye’s “Father Stretch My Hands,” but the Chicago pastor was a prolific recording artist, recording for Stax’s gospel imprint, and a variety of Chicago labels. This album, which features his choir and sermonizing, is the sequel to our last T.L. Barrett exclusive, Ship Without a Sail, and it’s a must own for fans of soul and gospel history.

World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love’s a Real Thing - The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa

David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label is basically top of the game when it comes to compiling world sounds into compilations that make them make sense together somehow, and their World Psychedelic Classics series is Exhibit A. This edition compiles love songs from the West African music scene, making a comp that is both impressive in scope, and also feels like it tells a tidy story. If you want to spend this shut-in winter like you’re travelling the world, this album is a good place to start.

Otis Brown: South Side Chicago

Otis Brown was a prolific scenester on the Chicago soul scene, recording and working for, and starting and closing, many labels across the city’s musical neighborhoods. He played with the likes of Muddy Waters and the city’s legends, but he was always on the periphery, never quite breaking through, no matter what gimmick or how many labels he opened. Numero Group has brought some clarity to Otis’ musical endeavors, compiling them into this album, which captures his different vibes and talents. If you love ‘60s and ‘70s soul, you need this one on vinyl.

Dadawah: Peace and Love - Wadadasow

Recorded in one take, and in one night, the deeply tripped-out reggae of Dadawah has made his stellar album Peace and Love - Wadadasow a sought-after album, particularly since it’s one of the few reggae albums that feels like it was made to take mushrooms and have a spiritual awakening to. It’s never been released in the U.S. until VMP’s color edition; until now it was only available in its original form and in reissue abroad. If you like reggae and want something to vibe out to, this is the only album you need.

Mutiny: A Night Out With The Boys

Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey is an American drummer who started performing in the early 1970’s with several R&B groups from the likes of The Unifics, The Chambers Brothers and The Five Stairsteps where he developed his unique style and finesse on drums.

Later in 1975 he joined George Clinton's P-Funk collective and has appeared on many of Parliament & Funkadelic’s most popular recordings (some of which he also co-wrote). Brailey played on classic albums like Mothership Connection and One Nation Under A Groove.

But George Clinton’s funk empire was not without its disagreements, and Jerome Brailey’s Mutiny project was a direct result of just such a disagreement (as well as one of the more notable offshoots of the P-Funk axis). Mutiny performed in a style not far removed from the classic P-Funk style, and with a lot of emphasis on the dual lead guitar work. But what makes them unique compared to their contemporaries is that at times their recordings also emit a darker, more sinister feeling.

The group release a couple albums on a few majors, before releasing an album that would become a collector’s item, and nearly lost to time: A Night Out With The Boys, a funky, dark album that sells for hundreds of dollars in its original form. Luckily for you, this color version goes for much less than that. You can grab it here.

Toto And Brian Eno’s Dune Soundtrack

It sounds like something written on a notepad during a coke-fueled night in Hollywood in 1981: A Dune movie adaptation directed by David Lynch, who repeatedly admitted that he didn’t have much affinity for the book, and felt free to change the story as much as he wanted. Then, he got Toto and Brian Eno to make the soundtrack for said movie, said movie tanked, but became a cult classic. Dune is unfilmable, but at least someone tried! And the soundtrack rules; it’s like doing spice on the back of a space worm all over Dune, you know what I mean? Anyway, this record is being reissued because there’s another Dune movie coming in 2021, and that one definitely won’t have Brian Eno on the soundtrack. You can buy it here.