Retro soul

The Delines: “Left Hook Like Frazier”

You know what they say: you can take the woman out of Texas but you can never take Texas out of the woman. It’s a bit of a moot point, considering the Lone Star State sure ain’t a shining beacon of women’s rights, and that sets natives up to become ex-pats. Still, it’s a sentiment that rings true…especially in the world of music.

Like, look at singer-guitarist Amy Boone. Back at the turn of the millennium, Amy was a real boon to the Austin scene thanks to her work with The Damnations. These days though Amy’s up in Portland as frontwoman of retro country-soul quintet The Delines, sporting a twangy southern charm that’s inseparable from her vocal performances – and a perfect fit for the rhythm-and-songwriting team of prominent Richmond Fontaine veterans. But after a dozen years together and loads of lyrics that dwell on downfalls, The Delines are setting themselves up for a more optimistic outlook in 2025.

And that’s through their fifth full-length, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom, dropping next Valentine’s Day. On top of the usual Americana-folk infusions found in their sound, Luck & Doom takes a noticeably upbeat and soulful approach to the protagonists of these eleven women-driven narratives – a welcome change of pace to those who are sick of getting punched down on. And speaking of punches, since the Tyson-Paul matchup was such a disappointment, we’re thankful for the contender that is Luck & Doom‘s lead single, “Left Hook Like Frazier”.

Good vibes from the first guitar chord all throughout its conga-and-tambourine pulse, heart-mending horns, and evocative vocals, “Left Hook Like Frazier” will easily leave a couple marks on your face. Not with a broken jaw or a disfigured ear, but with a smile and an earworm.

Kelly Finnigan: “Be Your Own Shelter”

We’re starting to sound like a broken record over here…but the retro soul renaissance? Not only is it verifiable; it just keeps getting better and better. And one of the movement’s biggest players is back at it again.

We’re talking about Kelly Finnigan, the chief songwriter and class act frontman of psychedelic soul giants Monophonics who’s also found plenty of success on the solo tip. When you hear Kelly sing, you might assume that his pipes are his strongest skillset outside of piano. But even when he’s not behind the mic or the ivories, Finnigan’s become a prized producer and engineer for other soul outfits thanks to his careful flirtations with pretty much anything you could categorize as “classic R&B-soul”, including a deep understanding of old school mixing. Seriously, it’s almost unnecessary to liken Kelly’s compositions and arrangements to specific artists, since his expansive discography offers so much ’60s-and-’70s-inspired variety.

And although we were anticipating the instrumental version of 2022’s Sage Motel for the next installment of Kelly Finnigan’s incredibly consistent release schedule, this year we’re getting something completely fresh: A Lover Was Born, out October 18th. Kelly hasn’t missed yet, and we’re not expecting him to on this near-dozen batch of new tunes. Because where some of the most creative beatmakers have breathed new life into dusty sounds through sample flips, Kelly once again internalizes and rejuvenates those R&B-soul rarities that exist within and enhance said genres.

Hear for yourself on the LP’s second lead single, “Be Your Own Shelter”, and try not to imagine Isaac Hayes and co. nodding their heads in approval.

The Tibbs: “Ain’t It Funny”

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again; the retro-soul renaissance of the last 10-15 years has been one of the most refreshing trends to break into the mainstream. And it’s been especially intriguing to hear countries outside of the U.S. tackle that classic Motown/Stax sound with their own takes on those brassy, upbeat, vocal-driven formulas.

And of those who’ve represented Western Europe, few have done it quite as long as Amsterdam’s The Tibbs. Starting off with their cover-stuffed 2014 LP Cleaned Out, this septet’s spent the past decade-plus scoring millions of streams thanks to a tenacious work ethic and unwavering dedication to the iconic ’60s-’70s aesthetic, even down to their album artwork. In terms of American soul interpolations, The Tibbs don’t just make a pastiche of the classics; they mix in a timeless potpourri of garage grit, sophisticated jazz-funk, mid-century pop, and even a little bit of blues and ska to boot.

Well, with a respectable amount of records already under their belt, last Friday The Tibbs announced their third full-length, Keep It To Yourself, set for release late next month. At a dozen tunes, Keep It To Yourself is expected to at least go toe-to-toe with Fall 2020’s Another Shot Fired. Yet with that extra element of post-COVID compassion, and the invaluable few additional years of experience, Keep It To Yourself may turn out to be The Tibbs finest work to date. And based on the LP’s lead single, which came last Friday alongside the release announcement, we’re willing to take that bet straight to the bank. Because between the transparency of its music video (which shows off the seven-piece’s live chops), some unforgettably in-the-pocket horn lines, an undying rhythm section that effortlessly support keys and guitar, and of course Roxanne Hartog’s soon-to-be-iconic pipes, “Ain’t It Funny” can only make us laugh in terms of how friggin’ good it is.

Donovan Keith: “Cruel Fools Eye”

The mainstream success of Black Pumas has made Austin a destination for lovers of retro R&B-soul. But of course, that style’s not strictly property of the Pumas, and certainly not the only act in town to flaunt the sound. Take for example, Donovan Keith, who moved down here from the midwest in 2009 and began unleashing some serious dance skills and killer pipes. Choreography aside, Keith and his project Soul Track Mind couldn’t stop captivating local dive bar crowds and eventually graduated to opening spots for Erykah Badu, Fastball, Tower of Power, Snarky Puppy, Enrique Iglesias and even the late, legendary Charles Bradley.

More recently though, Donovan Keith has doubled down on an eponymous solo adventure, which received a Black Fret nomination in 2018 and has continued to capture the vintage magic of mid-to-third-quarter-century funk-soul-R&B. In the next couple days, Donovan Keith drops his debut solo album Hot Off The Wire and celebrates with a release show 8PM Thursday night at Antone’s alongside Aaron Stephens and Emily Keeley. So for this cloudy week, invite Keith’s sunny vocals, call-and-response chorus singers, and warm horn riffs into your home with Hot Off The Wire‘s final lead single “Cruel Fools Eye”.