100% Pure Poison
Coming Right At You

“Chase the sun with me,” beckons singer Rebecca Jade during the chorus of “Come With Me,” the funky uptempo opening track of Running Out of Time. It’s a fitting start to the second full-length by Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact, which sees the San Diego supergroup build on the distinct brand of West Coast soul it developed in its 2016 debut. Anchored by vintage tones and tightly knit grooves, the album fills a modern rock meets R&B space previously staked out by Alabama Shakes and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.Jade herself shows up with Mavis Staples-like dynamism when called for, injecting power into soul shaking numbers including “Come With Me” and the revved up “I Only Smoke When I Drink” (and its follow up lyric “I only drink when I think of you”). The San Diego native has been touring nationally with Sheila E., and echoes of the 90s R&B she grew up listening to are woven through Running Out of Time, found in the summery pop of “Worth My Wait,” and torchy, Caribbean inflected “New York.” Elsewhere she balances her potent gospel-like choruses with breezy Minnie Riperton sweetness, as in the Hammond organ-drenched “Miss You” and timeless vintage of album closer “Change.”The soft brass swells of “Change” and other mid-tempo tunes lend textural contrast to the percussive funk blasts livening up other parts of the record. Horn arrangements were contributed by Andy Geib, the San Diego music vet who’s brought brass sections to a litany of projects, including Toots and the Maytals, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and B-Side Players. Most of the band behind the Cold Fact is comprised of frequent Redwoods Music collaborators, including drummer Jake Najor, bass player Jason Littlefield, and evocative lyricist Alfred Howard. Along with their accomplished crew of musicians, Howard and co-producer Matthew Molarius display a studied fondness for the output of their spiritual predecessors with Staxx records and the Wrecking Crew, while adding a tinge of Hollywood Hills psychedelia to the mix.Rebecca Jade credits a convergence of influences for bringing so much creative energy to the new album. “The guys in the Cold Fact bring an extensive catalog of music with them.” she says. “My musical upbringing had a lot of soul and R&B, more radio friendly stuff. We get together and listen to these deep cuts they love, that spark ideas for all these different directions we might go. I’m really grateful to work with them, because they open my world up big time.”

After a long wait, Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (The POAO) have released their second album, ‘Naming & Blaming’, a pulsing, percussive journey into classic afrobeat. Recorded by a 17 piece ensemble, led by fierce vocals and a howling horn section, it’s a fitting 21st-century response to the world-shaking music of 1970s Nigeria. The result is true to the afrobeat blueprint of hypnotic, extended songs, improvisation and political comment but adds to the formula a host of pan-African influences and hip-hop elements that reflect the deep ranging roots of the band.As the title suggests, and in true afrobeat tradition, Naming & Blaming pulls no punches. It is an outspokenly political record, a cauldron of strong opinions where indignation and optimism coexist. Led by the vocals of MC One Sixth and singer Lamine Sonko, the critique of colonialism is applied to both the African and Australian experience, the battles of many cultures informing the group’s ethos as does the importance of community and staying true to one’s convictions. Uplifting visions of a brighter possible future as laid out in “No Passport,” the album’s rambunctious opening song, are balanced with honest reflections on injustice like guest Robbie Thorpe’s take on Australia’s chequered history in the title track.

By popular demand, the beloved 2017 label debut from saxophonist/singer/composer, Braxton Cook, is now available on vinyl for the first time anywhere, courtesy of Fresh Selects. The record comes in your choice of either a limited edition clear, see-through vinyl or the standard black LP. Both colorways come in a custom album jacket with a die-cut silhouette cover, giving you the choice of either a black or salmon colored background on a reversible insert, plus a printed Euro-sleeve with photos from the album’s recording sessions, with the original album mixes now remastered specifically for vinyl.