Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick Radford also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration. The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album which also features the instrumental and production skills of Lack Of Afro.

Freestyle Records springs into 2011 with the release of the debut album Colours by Frootful, guitarist Nick Radford’s new project. Frootful bridges the gap between past and present, acknowledging influences, while reflecting the creative process of looking back to move forward. Those classic influences include 60s soul-jazz, latin, ska and R&B. Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration.

The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album. Having played guitar in the Lack of Afro live band for several years, Nick began making some home recordings of his own material. The Colours recording project came about when Adam Gibbons (Lack of Afro himself) seemed suitably impressed by the demos and offered his services to helm the production.

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Free download of Sol Selectas Moombahton Massive EP III, courtesy of DJ sabo

MOOMBAHTON MASSIVE EP III
1. I Can Make You Dance – Pickster One & Melo
2. Patchy Moombahton – Sabo
3. Lemme See Ya Pop – A-Mac
4. Fix Up (Sabo Moombahton Edit) – Jay Vegas
5. Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South remix )
(Nadastrom Moombahton Edit) – Temper Trap
6. Fich So Saxy – DJ Apt One

DOWNLOAD NOW

Their first full-length album of original songs

On April 5th, The Easy Star All-Stars will release FIRST LIGHT, their first full-length album of original songs, which will coincide with the First Light Tour. Look for much more detail on the album itself to come in the next few weeks, including info on special pre-orders for the album.

The band worked on the album over the past six months in between the extensive touring schedule. The All-Stars are very excited to put out an album that features original songwriting and contributions by every member of the collective group. Fans at Jam Cruise and the Pai Festival in Thailand last month were treated to live sneak peeks of tracks from the album including “Don’t Stop The Music,” “Paid My Dues” and the title song, “First Light.” The band can’t wait to play more tracks from the album on the upcoming tour.

The First Light Tour officially begins March 31 in Baltimore (with one early show at Mt. Snow in Vermont a few days before as well). The tour runs the entire length of the Atlantic Coast, from Canada to Florida and back. The first 10 shows features support from the biggest up-and-coming band in reggae today, Hawaii’s The Green, as well as from Easy Star artist Cas Haley, who just released his latest album, CONNECTION, last Fall.

After those first dates, Cas Haley will support all of the remaining shows, which makes sense considering he also is a guest artist on FIRST LIGHT, singing the song “Unbelievable.” This leg of the tour runs through April 26 in Burlington, VT, with more shows to be added soon. One highlight comes April 20 in New York when the All-Stars will co-headline a show at the Highline Ballroom with label mates John Brown’s Body.

FREE SONGS

Easy Star All-Stars
“First Light (Ramblin’ Fever)” (mp3) “One Likkle Draw (Feat. Junior Jazz and Daddy Lion Chandell)” (mp3)
from “First Light”
(Easy Star Records)

More On This Album

“Rio Arriba” is the sophomore album from ZZK artist Chancha Via Circuito who molds local South American rhythms into global artistry. 

Rio Arriba bubbles up from the Andes like percussive lava, seething as it is soothing.  Layers of drums play out like water and earth battling heat – heat brought by Chancha Via Circuito, the Pig on the Circular Train.

Chancha has forged a path from his town outside the urban sprawl of Buenos Aires in the east of Argentina up across the border with Bolivia and into the Northern hemisphere where he’s bringing new fans to native drum traditions.  In his first release, Rodante, Chancha took cumbia into uncharted territory retrofitting the Latin rhythm for a worldly audience.  With Rio Arriba, South American folklore takes the reins and, under Chancha’s steady hand, obscure backwoods rhythms take on a top shelf lifestyle as folklore hits the club.

Obscure backwoods rhythms take on a top shelf lifestyle, mixed and chopped by Chancha.  Chancha developed his singular craft playing for crowds at Zizek Club in Buenos Aires and on tour DJing across the US, Canada and Mexico.  Fans from Chile to St. Petersburg to Coachella have found love for his music; Chancha’s production was requested by National Geographic TV for a New Zealand band and won a remix contest of Angolan kuduro put on by Mad Decent.  He imports raw material to metro landscapes, reminding listeners of the mysteries of nature lurking beyond urban gates.  A sentry on stage, Chancha tracks lead listeners up ancestral mountain paths to leap streams and strut summits, on dance floors from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to Montreal.

Cumbia made Chancha’s first album Rodante a stand out, Rio Arriba takes his sound primal, rooted in rhythm, but worldwide in scope.   With recent remixes of The Ruby Suns (Sub Pop) and Gotan Project (Ya Basta/XL Recordings), Chancha proves his production can cross continents and pollinate.  Rio Arriba annihilates the obvious – it’s a fresh breeze from the city of good air flooding the urban habitat, sending you dancing upstream.

Available at ZZK Records shop

TOUR DATES

Rio Arriba Tour – Page

Fri 4/8 – Unsound Festival @ NYC, NY
Sat 4/9 – Tormenta Tropical @ SF, CA
Sun 4/10 – @ Atwater Crossing Courtyard, LA, CA
Fri 4/15 – @ Peligrosa, Austin, TX
Sun 4/17 @ Communikey Festival, Boulder, CO
Tue 4/19 @ Team Tuesdays, Santa Fe, NM
Fri 4/22 @ Mundial de Musica (MdM) Festival, Chicago, IL
Sat 4/30 @ Round Corner Cantina, Pittsburgh, PA

The brian eno produced album sees Kuti finding his own idiosyncratic voice as songwriter, singer, and band leader, heading up Egypt 80, the extraordinary combo first fronted by his renowned father, Fela Kuti.

The mighty ‘From Africa With Fury: Rise’ is produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself, with additional production by Godwin Logie. Eno – an avowed fan – has nothing but the highest praise for Seun and his band, hailing them for “making some of the biggest, wildest, livest music on the planet.” Co-producer Reynolds (whose work as musician, producer, and mixer spans such artists as Sinéad O’Connor, U2, and Natacha Atlas) agrees, applauding Kuti and Egypt 80’s distinctive Afrobeat as “a musical adrenaline rush.”

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