Diplomats of Solid Sound

Oh yeah, this is the stuff! Just when every Tom, Dick and Harriet is putting out a minimalist garage punk record, these Iowa cats have come out of left field with some of the most soulful and tasty grooves this side of the early ‘70s. Taking some heavy cues from original funk masters the Meters, Soul Kaisers Booker T and the MG’s and the king of the Hammond B3 organ, Jimmy Smith, the Diplomats play sweet-ass instrumental rocking funky soul. With zero references to the band Television nor any dirty disco lyrics you and your 55-dollar trucker hat are out of luck here, kid, but if you’re ready for full-on Southern BBQ rump shakers like "Ribsticker" and "Don’t Touch My Popcorn,” the Syndicate have you covered. A party from start to finish, this record is jumping enough for your own backyard party yet slick enough to rock at your upscale restaurant job (which you hate). The band is filled out by additional baritone and tenor sax as well as conga drums, but the heart of the band is Nate "Count" Bassinger on the Hammond B3 and Rhodes electric, and when he’s really rocking this album is at it’s best. While this record is near perfect, the only thing that could have made it even sweeter is a rawer, hotter production job. Wouldn’t it be great if an Estrus release got airplay on jazz or soul radio?