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...

Secret Sidewalk is an Oakland/San Francisco, California-based "Organic Electronic" quartet consisting of Alex "Pu22l3" Abalos, Mike Boo, Michael Reed & Marcus Stephens . While they've been a band since about 2010-11, Secret Sidewalk are just now releasing their debut full-length, Primal Dap , on their own imprint, Primal Dap Sound . Their aforementioned album, Primal Dap , will, actually, be released tomorrow, Friday, October 11, 2019. We've already posted about Secret Sidewalk 's first album single, "Common Core" and now, the Electro-Acoustic quartet have returned with their next string of pre-album singles: "HARP" and "D E S C R A M B L E R." Secret Sidewalk 's "HARP" music video was uploaded a matter of weeks after the "Common Core" preview clips. It appears as though "HARP" was filmed at a Secret Sidewalk gig with videography by Daniel Miramontes & Heroic-Dose.com, live...

Secret Sidewalk is an Oakland/San Francisco, California-based Electro-Acoustic quartet consisting of Alex "Pu22l3" Abalos, Mike Boo, Michael Reed & Marcus Stephens . Founded in 2010, Alex, Mike, Michael & Marcus are "a close-knit group of musicians, all born and raised in The Bay Area, yet, at the same time, deriving from vastly different backgrounds and crafts." Michael "Mike" Reed is, actually, part of The Witzard regulars, The M-Tet , as well, and Mike Boo recently formed yet another Hip-Hop-leaning 4-man crew with D-Styles (THE BEAT JUNKIES,) Excess, & Pryvet Peepsho . Since 2010, Secret Sidewalk have released Truncate Mastadon The Dragon Wilson, Cholo Curls 45, and Does Anyone Knock Anymore? as digital singles, cassettes, and 7-inches. Secret Sidewalk have secretly been working on their proper debut full-length, now-titled PRIMAL DAP , since about 2017 at Bird & Egg Studio and The Swill in Richmond & Oakland, California, r...

A Change Is Gonna Come by The M-Tet feat. Joe Baer Magnant Chris Lujan is the founder of Pittsburg, California-based Lugnut Brand Records and a talented multi-instrumentalist, who's currently the bandleader of a number of active and now-defunct bands. Lugnut Brand's label roster—most, featuring Lujan's own talents—includes: Thelugknuckles, Majestic Soul, The Incredible Say Whats!, Capriccio, Magnant & Associates, The M-Tet Plus Two, The 238s, Thee Baby Cuffs, DJ Platurn, The Viscous Seeds, Pawn Shop Soul, Princes of Nigeria, Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7, Chris Lujan & Electric Butter, Noble Hustle, and, of course, The M-Tet. Last we heard from Chris Lujan , he was expertly covering Childish Gambino, The Isley Brothers, and Shades of Joy with The M-Tet on to separate limited edition 45's for Detroit's Funk Night Records . Now, following two super-limited edition vinyl-only 7-inch singles for Lugnut/Fnr , Chris Lujan & Co. have returned with two ...

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...