This episode we listen to classic soul hits of the 20th century, and take a peek at some of the bands who keep this sound alive today.

Track List:

– “Ooo Baby Baby”, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

– “I’m Glad”, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

– “When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know)”, The Altons

– “Feels Like Summer”, Al Green

The track list this week consists of 4 songs total. 3 of these 4 songs are more than likely recognizable across at least 3 generations of ears. The later half of this episode however, begins with an oddly familiar sound blending in perfectly with the other 3 tracks despite being released nearly 60 years apart. It is the kind of familiarity that warms your heart, a familiarity like seeing an elderly person in public who resembles a grandparent. This third track is refreshingly reminiscent. It feels like a long lost bonus track to your favorite album, old yet somehow new.

The Altons, the band responsible for this third track, “When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know)”, are a group originally from Los Angeles CA. Though their earlier work is more similar sounding to their indie/rock contemporaries, this upbeat single showcases the modern soul sound that they have grown into with hints of their East Los Angeles origins sprinkled in through the latin rhythms.

“When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know)” was released as a 45 in the year 2020, featuring the single “Over and Over” on the B side. If side A was the bands attempt at finding a new sound rooted in soul music then side B is their homage to the classic genre, as lead singer Bryan Ponce, floats in and out of the slow tempo song with a falsetto reminiscent of a Smokey sound we all know and love.

When I first came across this single, I was pleased to learn that this 7″ EP was only one of many released under Penrose Records, a division of Daptone Recording Co. This single was part of a series of 45s, that were eventually all pressed into a full 12″ LP named “Penrose Records Vol. 1”. The record featured songs from groups across the Daptone and Penrose lineup.

The vast line up of artist between Daptone, a Brooklyn based record label, and its younger brother in California, Penrose Records, is responsible for the revival of soul music allowing it to live on today with its own modern twist. Home to groups like Los Yesterdays and The Frightnrs, these related record labels bring youth to the soul genre. Their artists consistently put out work that is new to the ear yet familiar to the heart. They have found the perfect balance of bringing innovation to soul music without straying too far from its origins.

Now this isn’t to say that this modern, retro soul doesn’t exist outside of the Daptone Recording group, (Other honorable mentions include Thee Sinseers, with Colemine Records, as well as the more widely known Durand Jones and the Indications who are under the record label Dead Oceans.) However, the groups recently receiving more commercial success within the genre often have a level of overproduction to them that takes away from the authenticity of the soul sound, an overproduction that can only be attributed to a larger record label.

This year brought wide spread attention to the soul genre as the duo Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (under Atlantic Records and Aftermath Entertainment respectively), released their debut album “An Evening With Silk Sonic”. Though labeled an R&B record, this project received much attention for its nostalgic tone rooted in soul yet lacked the raw sound that I attribute to the old genre. It lacked the grit that I am glad to have found in the groups I shared with you today.

I hope more light can be shone on these little record labels, who serve as the home to bands with big sound. I pray that they continue to push the genre forward, keeping it alive without straying too far off the path. I look forward to hearing what has yet to come.

Later this month Thee Sacred Souls, a band out of San Diego CA, will be releasing their debut, self titled album under the Daptone Recording Co.