Austin, Texas is a host to such great events like SXSW, that sometimes its rich local scene can go overlooked. For a fine example of this, look no further than the Austin-based Mama K & the Shades, an 11-piece collective that has opened for the likes of George Clinton & P-Funk with a sound that touches on funk, jazz, R&B, and soul. They also played at this year’s SXSW to acclaim. Their most recent album, Honey Made, was released last year and is a consuming, diverse release that spans from smooth jazz-laden crooners like “Midnight Train” to brass-laden soul-strutters like “Good Things” smooth soul-rockers such as “Like A Fool”, which sports some excellently suave keyboard work. It’s a fine release with multiple vocalists and pursued styles that warrants a full listen-through, at the very least:
