Soul music legend Eddie Floyd has been singing, recording and touring for something like five decades, and the man shows no sign of letting up today. This classic recording of “Ninety-Nine and a Half” is pure molten gold – just puts a lot of more contemporary records flat to shame, I’m afraid.  Probably best known for “Knock On Wood” – a song he co-wrote with Steve Cropper which was a hit in 1966 and subsequently covered by like a hundred major artists, some of whom also charted with it – Eddie Floyd is a real as real gets. Listen to his voice on this, and then tell me how you feel about the auto-tuned piffle that’s so prevalent these days. This is a gr8 record you should have at the ready, to heat up those cold winter nights.

Eddie Floyd
“Ninety-Nine and a Half” (mp3)
from “Sweet Soul”
(LocoBop)

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Virtuoso acoustic guitar jam fer daze. Perfect find for the slow autumn drizzle that descends like fine mist on this SuperFan’s Oaksterdam home today. “Today is forever, now that we are through” is the haunting refrain that frames this instrumental exploration of steel string slide guitar, furious pluckin’, and one suspects, a little blood.  Mad @ The Live Creek? Or Live @ The Mad Creek? Take your pick. Mad flatpickin’ from a talented solo artist on the ever lovin’ ItsAboutMusic label.

The Lew Jones Act
“Today Is Forever” (mp3)
from “Mad @ The Live Creek”
(ItsAboutMusic.com)

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Ah, the travails and adventures of a good motorcycle road trip. Somewhere between a Bob Dylan yarn and a Lynyrd Skynyrd cautionary tale, we find Nathaniel Street West seeking help from a stranger, sleeping under a stove and running for his life. I won’t tell ya the rest, that would be a spoiler. But I am delighted to present this honky tonk, rock and roll, blues-y fried number for your listening pleasure.

Nathaniel Street West
“Motorpsycho Nightmare” (mp3)
from “Light Out For The Territory”
(Puffin Records)

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Rediscovered in recent years through re-releases and bootlegs of her classic 1970′s records, Betty Davis’ amazing voice and incendiary vision blew away the walls between soul, funk, and rock. I’ve crowed about her in these pages before, but I think we need another dose of her exquisite musical medicine. The vocal on this song is an unrestrained outburst of passion that is physically affecting. This is the uncut, the real, the antidote to auto-tune. Take it away, Betty!

Betty Davis
“Is It Love Or Desire” (mp3)
from “Is It Love or Desire”
(Light In The Attic)

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Without gimmicks or slick production tricks, Australia’s Revelators win the old school way: with great composition and performance. It’s nice to hear music like this – so rooted in American country, blues and rock – stand out today, and sound original and contemporary in its own right. Real high quality stuff here.

The Revelators
“When the Spell Is Broken” (mp3)
from “The Revelators”
(Head Records)

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The great Jerry Butler revisits his hit song “He Don’t Love You Like I Love You” and takes it higher with the wisdom of a man who has lived it all at least twice. And the lyrics – “he’s had so many rehearsals” – I mean give me a break! This is a top flight old school song by a class performer and a truly great singer. Hats off to Jerry Butler.

Jerry Butler
“He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” (mp3)
from “Brand New Me”
(LocoBop)

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Take a truly old school motor city blues, with guitar and piano boogying and harmonica wailing out, add 100% contemporary lyrics and you get a modern classic of industrial strength blues. Perfect lemonade made out o’ some raw lemons.

Harmonica Shah
“Blues for Ford, Chrysler and G.M.” (mp3)
from “If All You Have Is a Hammer”
(Electro-Fi Records)

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Just some tried and true old school houserockin’ blues, baby. And anyone who drops “Stacey Adams” in a lyric gets bonus points from this Fan. Los Lonely Boys, live and uncut, before they were famous.

Los Lonely Boys
“Friday Night” (mp3)
from “Live At Blue Cat Blues – Dallas Texas”
(Blue Cat Blues Records)

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What a total hit. Great song, great vocal, great recording, great in every way.

Cha Cha, Tony Evans and His Orchestra, Tony Evans
“Mercy” (mp3)
from “Dancebeat 15: Don’t Stop the Music: Latin Heat 7″
(Tema International)

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Dayumb. These cats can PLAY! Wicked roadhouse shakin’ blues rock jammin’ at a high level. Enjoy w/ BBQ and a fine lager.

Nick Moss & The Flip Tops
“Spare Ribs & Chopsticks” (mp3)
from “Live At Chan’s – Combo Platter No. 2″
(Blue Bella Records)

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