Mighty Fine - "Black Train"

How have I never heard of the Mighty Fine?  I feel like my friends have let me down. "Black Train" (mp3) has that down and dirty garage soul sound somewhere between the Dirtbomb's Ultraglide in Black and the Black Joe Lewis. This New Orleans band doesn't have much of a web presence, but apparently it's been 5 years since they released their debut EP (which I just ordered). The good news is that the full length album, Get Up To Get Down, should be released this year. I can't wait to hear it.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Mustang Ranch"

"Mustang Ranch" may not have been my favorite song off Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears' Scandalous—I preferred "Booty City" and "You Been Lyin'"—but this animated video is pretty damn awesome. It really captures the song's casual humor and sass. Combined with the red hot version off DJA's mixtape, featuring Project Pat and Juicy J, and this song quickly shooting up my frequently played list.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Scandalous (2011)

In 2009 Black Joe Lewis and the infamous Honeybears slapped me upside the head with their up-tempo R&B jams. Jams that would have made the hardest workin' man in show business rise from the dead. Now in 2011 they are back with Scandalous and are ripping it up as usual. Songs like "Booty City", "You Been Lyin", and the "Ballad of Jimmy Tanks" are getting me majorly geeked for the summer. Every song on the album is great, but these three to me embody my favorite kind of summertime venue. The kind of scene where everyone is dancing, hot weather with even hotter women; cold beers, and smiles from wall to wall; entrance to exit, to the bar and back. If you got a puss on your face or a hand on the rail get the hell out. If you can't have fun here, check your pulse cause' you might be dead. Black Joe Lewis man! This IS the after party! Normally bands that blow me away with their first album disappoint with their follow up. I don't know why. Usually they try and get too experimental and do too much, or they try and go mainstream and do too little. I don't know, maybe I expect too much. But Scandalous bucks the trend. The band stays true to the R&B/soul groove, but then added a new element to when they slow it down by getting way bluesy and coarse sounding. Songs like "I'm Gonna Leave You" and "She's So Scandalous" scratch my soul where I didn't even know I had an itch. Get the album, but make sure you see them live too, real talk.

Black Joe Lewis - "Booty City"

Watch this video and tell me you aren't excited about their new album, Scandalous!