The collective that includes the Poets of Rhythm, Whitefield Brothers and Karl Hector & The Malcouns present a series of rare funk, jazz, soul and world-psych singles compiled as an album. Presale at Stones Throw Feb. 6th. Worldwide street date Feb. 28th.

It’s been nearly fifteen years since the vinyl-only releases by the various ensembles helmed by Jay and Max Whitefield – also known as the Whitefield Brothers and the nucleus of the revered Poets of Rhythm – were collated onto an Original Raw Soul album. The last – 1997’s More Original Raw Soul – largely contained the duo’s heavy funk and soul… well before the aughts’ Deep Funk revival that one could argue began with these two German siblings’ earliest recordings.

Fitting, then, that this – Original Raw Soul III – looks back at recordings dating back over twenty years but never once sounds dated or dull. There’s the garage funk of the early Poets incarnation the Bus People Express; the deep jazz of vocalist Bajka gigging with a Max Whitefield ensemble; the pan-African psych-jazz of the Whitefield Brothers. And that’s just three of the ensembles contained within. Original Raw Soul III’s sixteen tracks that span the gamut of forty years of musical innovation, recorded over the past twenty years, and presented anew today.

Contains two previously unreleased songs by The Transgressors, which also released on a 7” in conjunction with this album. Download one – the garagey funk number “Money For Born Money For Die” – below.

Download: Transgressors “Money For Born Money For Die.”

Now-Again is happy to announce the inaugural release on Orivious Records: the official, from-the-master-tapes issue of the most sought after sweet-funk single ever recorded! Pre-sale NOW at Stones Throw. Worldwide street date: Feb. 7th.

Now-Again launches New York funk/soul researcher and archivist David Griffith’s Orivious Records with a masterpiece: the sole document of a lost and unlikely teenage “sweet-funk” collaboration between Rochester, NY vocalists The Darling Dears and backing band Funky Heavy. Originally issued in 1972, the record never made it beyond city’s west side. Today, this rare and exquisite blend of fragile female harmony atop an unexpected bed of raw, plodding funk commands four figures at auction when it appears in its original form.

Tracking the band and finding their assumed-lost master tapes took Griffiths the better part of seven years. In recognition of this Herculean task, we’ve spared no cost in assembly: the masters were officially licensed from the band; lacquers were cut directly from the original master tape by vet John Hull at his historic Musicol in Columbus, Ohio; test press after test press were rejected until near-perfect sound quality was achieved.

A limited variation – 100 numbered, hand made silk-screened picture sleeves – will be made available for a while supplies last; more details to come soon. Both of the Darling Dears and Funky Heavy’s songs will appear on the forthcoming anthology Loving On The Flip Side, which is scheduled for release in mid 2012.

Download: Darling Dears And Funky Heavy “And I Love You.”
Buy: Darling Dears And Funky Heavy “And I Love You/I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Love Another” 7″.

The latest post in Egon’s NPR series Funk Archaeology follows him on a trip to New York as he attempts to find five great records for less than $100. Well, we shouldn’t write “attempts:” since the column has been published, it’s obvious he succeeded. With that in mind, we’re offering an additional download by the Swedish psych-weirdo Prefix below – his altogether mind-blowing “Duke Of War.”

Link: It’s a Buyer’s Market: Digging For $100 A Day – Egon’s Funk Archaeology at NPR
Download: Prefix: “Duke of War.”
More: Egon’s Funk Archaeology at NPR.

The collected recordings (1973-1977) of India’s best-known psychedelic rock ensemble, and the story behind their genesis in an extensive booklet full of rare photographs and ephemera. Out NOW!

Now-Again Records presents an important document of India’s little know psychedelic rock period. Obsession collects a wealth of rare and unreleased psychedelic rock and funk from the various incarnations of the Atomic Forest.

The Atomic Forest’s mix of blistering, fuzzy rock and synth-lead funk inspired collectors the world over to fork over thousands of dollars for original copies of their solitary release, Obession ‘77. Part of the interest certainly stemmed from its liberal doses of searing fuzz guitar. Part of it sprung from the oddity of it all: India, a country that had, quite literally, churned out tens of thousands of albums during psych- and hard-rock’s heyday, only produced this one, lonely psychedelic album? Part of it sprung from the album’s rarity: unknown for years, Obsession ’77 suddenly became a top want on every global-rock collector’s short-list. Now, packaged in a paste on CD Sleeve with O-Card and a in a deluxe 2LP slip case, this ungodly fusion of funk and psychedelia – along with Egon’s extensive liner notes and annotation – is available to all.

Download an example of Atomic Forest’s fury below – the title track “Obsession ‘77 (Slow)” from our Obsession anthology. Pictured above – the incarnation of Atomic Forest that recorded Obsession ‘77 at the Jonny Castle rehearsal space in Mumbai, India. 1978.

Buy: Atomic Forest: Obsession
Download: Atomic Forest “Obsession ‘77.”

England’s Guardian just ran a story detailing the story behind our East of Underground anthology. An excerpt from Ben Beaumont-Thomas’ piece:

“In 1971 the US was pulling troops out of Vietnam, and its bases in Germany were full of draftees at a loose end. “You were painting shovels, picking up cigarette butts – it was a lot of busy-work,” remembers former serviceman Lewis Hitt. “There was a longing by everyone, especially the draftees, to get home and go back to what you were doing before.” This was the crucible in which were formed scores of raucous funk bands made up of servicemen, four of which have just been compiled by Now-Again Records. Adoring crowd noise was crudely dubbed on top of their records, which were then distributed in recruitment centres. These bands were used by the army to present service as varied, even hip. But the songs they cover – the bitter, suspicious likes of Backstabbers and Smiling Faces Sometimes – undermine any potential propagandising.”

Read the full article: “Funk Songs From Vietname GIs” by Ben Beaumont-Thomas (Guardian UK, Friday, 12.16.11).
Buy: East of Underground: Hell Below.
Download: East Of Underground “Hell Below.”