Roxie Ray At Juno Download

Review: The first single to grace our collections since their impeccable debut album Take From Me, "My Lovin' Is All About You" is a quintessential swoon-funk jam complete with harmonised horn refrains and beautiful vocal delivery from Roxie who strikes the perfect balance between emphatic and laid back. For those who've got the album and can't work out whether the single is a worthy investment or not, head for the second track: "King Cash" is unreleased. And what's more, it's a demo version! Total madness; with such a polished finish, tight groove and yet more delightful vocal delivery, it's not your common rough n' ready unmixed demo. But then Dojo Cuts aren't your common rough n' ready funk band...

Review: Emerging from the same Australian heavy funk scene that gave us The Bamboos and Cookin' On 3 Burners, Dojo Cuts offer an authentically breezy take on revivalist funk and soul dripping with emotion. Having initially formed in 2008, they've finally got round to recording and releasing their debut album. Take From Me is pretty damn good, too. There are, of course, similarities with the Bamboos, but Dojo Cuts' sound is noticeably sweeter, breezier even. While the rhythms are fat and often furiously fast, the emotional vocals of Roxie Ray soften the sound somewhat, making Take From Me more Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings than Cookin' On 3 Burners or Quantic Soul Orchestra.

Review: A cut from the Aussie Afro-funk band's self-titled debut LP, "Let It Go" features Dojo Cuts' Roxie Ray on vocal duties, not to mention a rocksteady bassline and some of the smokiest funk guitars imaginable. Wrapped around an 8-bar riff that sounds as expansive as the Mojave desert, the raw drums and free-flowing solos are an expertly produced joy, as are the swooping Fela-like brass motifs on "Crisis Point" - also included on the release and an uptempo counterpoint to the slow and assured title track.