The Witzard

Following the recent announcement of his sophomore album, Get On The Otherside, Helsinki-born artist Bobby Oroza shares a new single and accompanying video, "Sweet Agony." The 12-track album will feature the new single, closely following the quasi-title track, "The Otherside," and the string of singles released last year, including "Make Me Believe," " I Got Love," and "Loving Body." The visual for "Sweet Agony," which Bobby directed and edited himself, plays out like a nightmarish audition tape where he casts himself as a vampire with aspirations of being a performer, singing the soulful ballad to a group of unimpressed talent agents. The song itself mirrors that vulnerability, addressing the tug at the heart that comes with longing for someone dear, and acknowledges the sweet side of such intense emotions. Having conquered "The Otherside," Bobby Oroza returns to cast another spell of Dreamboat Soul and achingl...

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, Live 2016 (SOURCE: Flea Market Funk) Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (BRSB,) the mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany, have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7-inches and two critically-acclaimed full-length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their third album, aptly-titled Expansions, BRSB are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega-hits to deep album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago. Part of the allure of a new record from Bacao is finding out what covers they chose. However, die-hard fans are, also, waiting to hear the original numbers, like the stellar album opener "Tough Victory." Its air-tight rhythm section, brass arrangements, and...

Hip-Hop recently celebrated its 45th "Birthday" this past Saturday, August 11th on the anniversary of DJ Kool Herc's now-infamous Back-to-School Jam at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue AKA The "Rec Room" in The Bronx. Hip-Hop has gone through many stylistic permutations in the 44 years since, inadvertently birthing multiple sub-genres including: Boom-Bap, Gangsta/Mafioso Rap, Electro-Rap, Trip-Hop, Noise Rap, Chopped & Screwed, Trap/Drill, Horrorcore, New Jack Swing, Backpack Rap, and more. However, one of my personal favorites sub-genres of Hip-Hop is Instrumental Hip-Hop—no, not Breakbeat or J Dilla's Beat CD '05-style beat tapes—think, something more along the lines of The Roots with self-played interpolated "samples," rather than sampling actual records, tapes, CD's, etc. Aside from The Legendary Roots Crew, one of my favorite Instrumental Hip-Hop groups is Truth & Soul/Big Crown Records co-founder Leon Michels' El Michels Affair, w...