Sound Check's Page

Nearly 40 years before George Clinton claimed his cosmic heritage and before Crass declared that if no-one else would release their anarchic noise then they'd just do it themselves, a pianist from Birmingham (or Saturn, depending on who you ask) named Herman Poole Blount (again, depending on who you ask) set out to redefine the possibilities of music on his own terms. Although there are many many origin stories out there for the great Sun Ra, here's the version of the story that…

He may not be a household name but if you’re a fan of jazz, funk, alternative or rock and roll then you have heard Bernard Fowler’s voice and you have probably seen him perform countless time. Fowler’s first taste of success came in the early 80’s in the form of the club hit “Don’t Make Me Wait” as a member of the New York Citi Peech Boys. From there, Bernard Fowler has been a featured vocalist on a number of records for a plethora of artists including Yoko Ono, Stevie Salas,…

What makes an artist part of the Afro-punk community should be pretty self-explanatory; it's right there in the portmanteau. But the complicated truth is that there as many different ways to define racial identity as there are ways to define genres of music. The roots of Afro-punk predate the first slave to sing in defiance and continue through modern artists who may not have ever heard a note of Bad Brains. That is to say; what makes an artist Afro-punk exists in how they look…

This just in from NY-based singer/songwriter and Travie McCoy collaborator, Tim William: "Wednesday February 22, 2012 - Tim William is set to release his new EP 'Ash Wednesday' with DJ Benzi. The EP includes Tim William’s songwriting/production, and features from D.A. Wallach (Chester French), Travie McCoy, and production from Bjorn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John), as well as a remix by Alex Suarez (Cobra Starship) for the smash 'Tripping'. Tim William encapsulates a moment in…