Free Soul Music Saturday for January 28, 2012I’m a week behind, let’s get to it! Only notable this week is that I’m separating LPs and EPs (which contain vocals and original compositions) from Beat Tapes (which are mostly instrumental). Here is my complete listening list for the past 2 weeks and here is my Spotify playlist. Thanks to all the artists, producers, DJs, podcasters and music bloggers that bring this music to light!
LP/EP OF THE WEEK
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
HONORABLE MENTION
EPs & LPs
BEAT TAPES
SINGLES
       
Free Soul Music Saturday for January 14, 2012Welcome to Free Soul Music Saturday. Since I’m focusing on fewer selections for the blog, I wanted to give you all some ammunition for finding your own new music online. Mine is just one of many great music blogs out there, and the following video will give you a way to find many more and fortify your hard drives with much more awesome free music. TUTORIAL: How to Find Great New Free Music Online
 Here is my tutorial on how I find new and exciting music online. Make sure you’re logged into your Google account and have your iTunes open. And then hang on, because your hard drive will never be the same.
I was worried that by excluding podcasts, my list would consist mainly of Beat Tapes. It was great to find that’s not the case at all, as I found some excellent EPs and Singles from some pretty amazing artists. 2012 is already shaping up to be a great year from independent Soul Music. Here is my complete listening list for the week and here is my Spotify playlist. Thanks to all the artists, producers, DJs, podcasters and music bloggers that bring this music to light!
LP/EP OF THE WEEK SINGLE OF THE WEEK
HONORABLE MENTION EPs, BEAT TAPES & LPs
SINGLES
       
January 2012 Newsletter – Setting Goals and How To Find Great Free New Music
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season and are enjoying the new year. This is going to be a fantastic year for the music industry and all Philip Clark projects in general. I’m looking forward to sharing a whole bunch of new ideas and songs with you all. 2012 is going to be an unforgettable ride, so stay tuned here for further updates. And, as always, share this email with a friend and turn them on to some great independent Soul Music. TUTORIAL: How to Find Great New Free Music Online
As promised in the video update, here is my tutorial on how I find new and exciting music online. Make sure you’re logged into your Google account and have your iTunes open. And then hang on, because your hard drive will never be the same. “Best of 2011″ Lists are now up! Make sure you check out my favorite picks of Songs, Free Albums, Albums for Sale and Beat Tapes in 2011. All on my blog. 2011 in Review: Best Songs The Road to 1000 Facebook ‘Likes.’
If there is anything you could do for me this year, it’s to make sure you ‘Like’ my band page on Facebook. I’d really love to hit 500 followers before the end of the month. That’s a real challenge! So, I’m asking that you reach out to your friends (feel free to share this email) and encourage everyone to check out the Philip Clark Band Facebook page and give it a ‘Like.’ You can also just hit the ‘Like’ button on the Philip Clark Website. If we reach the followers goal by the end of the month, I’ll post a special surprise. Let’s make it happen! Thanks again, and have a prosperous 2012! Philip        
Free Soul Music Saturday for Janurary 7, 2012It’s the return of Free Soul Music Saturday! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and are enjoying the new Western calendar year. As for me, I took a much-needed break, caught up on some TV and time with my family and set some new goals for 2012. So, a few things are going to change on the blog, mostly due to time constraints. There is really so much music coming at me on a weekly basis, that’s it’s truly impossible to give everything a fair listening. I’m talking specifically about podcasts and mixes. For the better part of last year, I really simply glossed over a mix/podcast to assess whether it got mention on the blog. That’s not fair to the blog or the mixes I’m featuring, so I’ve decided to eliminate the Mix category from future postings. I’ll probably still include them in the Google Doc and Spotify playlist when I can, so look for them there. I’d rather concentrate my time and focus on Albums, EPs, Beat Tapes and Singles. But keep an eye out on this blog for tips on how I find new music. That will more than likely include a list of podasters that I subscribe to, and I’ll more than likely make a list of them here at some point. Well, 2012 is not messing around, music-wise. Both Diggs Duke and Robert Glasper came out of the gate at a full clip. Tons of producers hit with their beat tapes, and we got a great compilation of Jill Scott remixes from Bama Love Soul. Here is my full listening list as a Google Doc and also this week’s Spotify Playlist. To catch up with December, here are my Spotify playlists for last month. 12.31.11 Thanks to all the artists, producers, DJs, podcasters and music bloggers that bring this music to light!
LP/EP OF THE WEEK
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
HONORABLE MENTION
EPs, BEAT TAPES & LPs
SINGLES
       
2011 In Review BONUS: Beat TapesIn this BONUS edition of my “Best of 2011,” I’m giving props to the best in Beat Tapes this year. I listened to a lot of instrumentals this year, and these guys made a lasting impression on me.
HONORABLE MENTION (Google These!)        
2011 in Review: The Best For Sale2011 was just yet another year that independent Soul Music simply exploded. Continuing with the best of the year, here are my selections for the best of what you got to pay for in 2011. See my entire playlist on Spotify here. In order of favoritism:
One of the best bangs for the buck and a record I was pretty much obsessed with for the entire year. If you can find it, there is a free version of this record around, but I wholeheartedly recommend you shell out the meager 6 bucks and get the bonus material of the Deluxe Edition. These guys are ones to watch in 2012.
Tracy’s sophomore effort was simply a masterpiece. I was impressed by the sheer amount of thought, originality, passion and vocal talent that went into this record. It gets my vote for the best songwriting of the year, and I really think the mainstream Soul blogs really missed out on highlighting this record more than they did.
You’ll notice a significant theme in 2011: Women dominated. Deborah Bond’s “Madam Palindrome” ran neck and neck with the Tracy Cruz record for my favorite spots. It was really difficult choosing a favorite. Bond does have the distinction of having my favorite music video of the year, “You Are The One.”
I’ve been singing Michelle’s praises since late 2010. So it’s not surprising that “Purple Skies” is still dominating the iTunes music charts in Japan, maintaining the #1 spot. With a new publishing deal with BMG, it’s just a matter of time before she blows up stateside.
Man, this one came out of nowhere. Who’da though one of my favorite records of the year would be a Roots Rock album? This quartet is quickly gaining serious heat and buzz nationwide. This record is like hearing Janis Joplin and Otis Redding’s lovechild. Solid Southern Rock & Soul.
If you know anything about me, you know I like well-crafted live Soul music. Weeland & the Urban Soul Collective has that great combination that takes me back to groups like The Brand New Heavies, Repercussions and The Brooklyn Funk Essentials.
I’ve known Paris since the old original MP3.com days, and his band, Mothers Favorite Child, has always cranked out top-notch material. So it was a great surprise to see him using the band to highlight his own compositions. This record has some powerhouse musical and vocal performances in it. My only potential gripe with this recording is that some of the songs sound edited short. I would have loved to have heard the full version of all these songs.
Ebrahim definitely made his presence known in the past year. Not only with this release, but his two-album project from late 2010. There’s something in the water in Toronto that is cranking out fantastic indie Soul. And at only one dollar, this record is a steal.
By far, however, for my vote of the best 99¢ you’ll spend all year goes to Diggs Duke’s “Gravity.” Chock full of thoughful songwriting, excellent production and superb vocal execution, this is a must-have for your 2011 collection.
The Dark Horse of the year. I hardly expected this record, which came out so late in the year, to be one of my favorites. But Anthony Hamilton upped his game even further with the amazing songs a vocal performances in “Back to Love,” inching his way into my Top Ten. Honorable Mention (Google these!)        
Happy Holidays!Wishing you and yours the most merry of holiday seasons. Thank you for a wonderful 2011. I’m looking forward to making 2012 even better, and I know with your continued support I can. Happy Holidays! A couple of gifts for you… Don’t miss out on my special “Best Songs of 2011″ from my Funky White Boy Podcast. I’ve taken the best from everything I listened to this year (which was A LOT) to make you this 2-HOUR mix! Hope you enjoy it. Also, check out my “Best Free Soul Music of 2011″ post. These are the Must-Download albums of the year. And the best part is they’re completely legal and free. Over 16 albums are represented, so fill your stocking (or hard drive) with some of the best Independent Soul Music of the year. And stay tuned to the Philip Clark website for even more “Best of 2011″ lists! All I want for Christmas is your Facebook ‘Like.’
If there is anything you could do for me this holiday, it’s to make sure you ‘Like’ my band page on Facebook. I’d really love to hit 1,000 followers before the end of the year. That’s a real challenge! So, I’m asking that you reach out to your friends (feel free to share this email) and encourage everyone to check out the Philip Clark Band Facebook page and give it a ‘Like.’ You can also just hit the ‘Like’ button on the Philip Clark Website. Thanks again, and have a great holiday! Philip        
2011 in Review: Best of Free Soul Music2011 was a fantastic year for free Soul Music. If you’re a regular follower of the blog, you know we’ve featured hundreds of albums, EPs, mixtapes and singles. The following are my picks for the best free EPs or LPs of the year. There were a couple of selections that made it to this list that are no longer free. Hopefully I’ll be able to include them in my “Best For Sale” list. In no particular order…
Combining De La Soul with Fela Kuti, this was easily my favorite Hip Hop project of the year. A serious must-download.
Chris Rouse has an excellent voice and a talent for seriously soulful hooks. Why this isn’t mainstream radio R&B is really beyond me.
A passion project of Martin and DJ Devi Dev, this project is something you can easily put on at the end of a romantic date. Break out the bubbly and groove to this one.
Shakka has a very interesting syle that mixes Ragga with R&B and Pop. This concept album follows Shakka on a soulful heist.
Admittedly, I’m not a big Mayer Hawthorne fan, but this respectful batch of covers was well executed and catchy.
Returning for his third installment of free covers, Zo! delights us with some great renditions of tracks we’ve all come to call favorites. Not to mention the greatest Wham cover ever.
Probably one of the grooviest offerings of the year, this one came as a total surprise. Excellent beat production, substantial lyrics and solid rap delivery. Great alternative Hip Hop.
Make sure you scroll down for the free link. Very insightful R&B by a rock-solid vocalist.
J. Mitchell made quite a splash with this Future Soul offering, featuring production by Exile.
Daley’s debut mixtape gave us not only some fantastic original R&B tracks, but also some nifty covers and appearances from special guests.
This mixtape has a great blend of smooth soul and guitar driven grooves. Coupled with Anduze’s voice, which harkens to me of performers like Chico DeBarge, Van Hunt and Robin Thicke.
Did someone order a heaping helping of funky white soul? Daniel de Bourg follows up his critically acclaimed “The Prelude” with this collection of further vocal goodness.
This band is definitely vying for “ones to watch in 2012.” Bolstered by their fantastic cover of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us,” this EP features one of the best new bands of the year.
Giving Balance and the Traveling Sounds a run for their money, Brooklyn crew Green Street are also offering up fantastic live jazzy Soul Hop. This also features Free Soul Music Saturday favorite Ken Ross.
Fans of Van Hunt and Amp Fiddler will appreciate Martin Luther’s solid free EP. “The Facebook Song” alone makes this a must-download.
Make no mistake, Tre Williams can SANG. This 9-track offering is just retro enough to be cool yet not too derivative.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (Google these!)        
2011 in Review – Best Songs
Click play to hear my “Best of 2011″ mix! Welcome to the 1st installment of my “Best of 2011″ posts. This one highlights the soundtrack of my year. Not unlike 2010, 2011 was a great year for independent and mainstream Soul and R&B. It was difficult settling on a few songs to highlight, but here are just a few of my favorites from this year.
Speed of Light – Malice & Mario Sweet 
What an unbelievably pleasant pairing of voices. With some firece production by Tall Black Guy, this was the feel-good track of 2011.
Tonight Feat. Meshell Ndegeocello – Miguel Migs 
To say this groove is infectious is an understatement. It’s good to hear Meshell doing something a little more soulful and simple.
So In Love (ft. Anthony Hamilton) – Jill Scott
Heroine – Wildcookie 
Pretty dark in its undertones, but the groove and vocal are fantastically on point.
The Light – Funkommunity 
I wore this track OUT. I mean, I was obsessed. This is where Future Soul is headed. And I love it.
Love’s Galaxy – Tracy Cruz 
From her sophomore release, Universoul Symphony, which you will more than likely see on my “Best of 2011″ albums list in the coming weeks.
Free – Teri Tobin 
A fantastic message, harkening back to they days of Donnie Hathaway. Teri Tobin is definitely one to watch in the coming year.
Trouble – José James 
Such a pleasant surprise to get some new Jose James this year. And he knocked this one out of the park.
Everything She Wants feat. Phonte – Zo! 
Zo! absolutely killed on this Wham remake. A perfect vocal performance by Phonte and a nod to Michael Jackson at the end make this a must-listen
The Cure – Slakah the Beatchild 
Not only did Slakah craft a genius song here, he also produced and directed his own music video for it. “Talented doesn’t even begin to describe this guy.
Welcome – Acer Maple featuring Michelle Escoffery 
This probably gets my vote as the most beautiful song of the year. A wonderful acoustic performance with the sultry vocals of Michelle Escoffery. Sheer perfection. Please make sure you check out my full mix on my Podomatic. Hope you enjoyed this list, and we’ll see you soon for more “Best of 2011″ goodness.        
2011 in Review - Best Songs
Click play to hear my "Best of 2011" mix! Welcome to the 1st installment of my "Best of 2011" posts. This one highlights the soundtrack of my year. Not unlike 2010, 2011 was a great year for independent and mainstream Soul and R&B. It was difficult settling on a few songs to highlight, but here are just a few of my favorites from this year. Speed of Light - Malice & Mario Sweet What an unbelievably pleasant pairing of voices. With some firece production by Tall Black Guy, this was the feel-good track of 2011. Tonight Feat. Meshell Ndegeocello - Miguel Migs To say this groove is infectious is an understatement. It's good to hear Meshell doing something a little more soulful and simple. So In Love (ft. Anthony Hamilton) - Jill Scott Probably the most mainstream of my picks. But it's really hard to do much better than Anthony Hamilton and the incomparable Jill Scott. Heroine - Wildcookie Pretty dark in its undertones, but the groove and vocal are fantastically on point. The Light - Funkommunity I wore this track OUT. I mean, I was obsessed. This is where Future Soul is headed. And I love it. Love's Galaxy - Tracy Cruz From her sophomore release, Universoul Symphony, which you will more than likely see on my "Best of 2011" albums list in the coming weeks. Free - Teri Tobin A fantastic message, harkening back to they days of Donnie Hathaway. Teri Tobin is definitely one to watch in the coming year. Trouble - José James Such a pleasant surprise to get some new Jose James this year. And he knocked this one out of the park. Everything She Wants feat. Phonte - Zo! Zo! absolutely killed on this Wham remake. A perfect vocal performance by Phonte and a nod to Michael Jackson at the end make this a must-listen The Cure - Slakah the Beatchild Not only did Slakah craft a genius song here, he also produced and directed his own music video for it. "Talented doesn't even begin to describe this guy. Welcome - Acer Maple featuring Michelle Escoffery This probably gets my vote as the most beautiful song of the year. A wonderful acoustic performance with the sultry vocals of Michelle Escoffery. Sheer perfection. Please make sure you check out my full mix on my Podomatic. Hope you enjoyed this list, and we'll see you soon for more "Best of 2011" goodness. 
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