The Witzard

CREDIT: Ivan Scruby/NOBL (@noblphotos) Total Nonstop Action by The M-Tet "Growth is a slippery slope for musicians. Once you've become established for a sound and style, the expectation to adhere to what put you where you are looms overhead at every writing session, rehearsal, and show. Purists for Meters-style Funk would, probably, scoff at a band suddenly rolling out Yamaha DX-7's and double-neck guitars, no matter how stank the groove. But, then, there's the musician's inner itch for exploration, experimentation, and expansion that keeps the process that much more exciting at a time where most of us won't reach higher tax brackets through music. The incentive to keep going is growth. But, perhaps, the most difficult feat is straddling the line—to grow and build upon a trademark sound while managing to not alienate a core audience. Bay Area Funk quartet, The M-Tet, manage to pull off the ever elusive Option C on their sophomore long-player, TOTAL NONSTOP A...

Detroit -based Funk Night Records (Fnr) has continually released a slew of phenomenal records, over the years, including 45's and 12-inches from the likes of The Great Revivers , The Soul Surfers, Guilty Simpson & Musca , Phat Kat, Aeon Seven , Nico Collins & The Soul Chance, and Scone City Players . Founder and in-house DJ/producer Frank Raines has meticulously selected artists from as far reaching as Detroit, Germany , and everywhere in-between for touch-stone releases on Fnr . For their latest double-release, Funk Night Records quietly issued two separate 45's from San Francisco -based Instrumental/Classic Soul quartet, The M-Tet : "Redbone" B/W "Ray Ban, Part 2" and "Gotta Be with You" B/W "Shades of Joy." Yes, "Redbone" is, in fact, an impassioned Instrumental Hip-Hop/Soul cover of Childish Gambino 's break-out hit from 2016's "Awaken, My Love!" but, unfortunately, all 250 limited-press F...