Awesome Soul

“Four long years to say, you’re not coming back to me either way.” Michael Kiwanuka serves up laid-back but powerful tracks in his fourth album, Small Changes. The dramatic shift from his grandiose style may be disappointing to some fans. But if you’re into sad bastard music, this one’s filled with future classics, including our pick, Four Long Years.

Postmodern Jukebox dusted off The Romantics’ 1980 hit What I Like About You and sent it even further back in the time machine. Their fresh interpretation gives the pop hit a 1960s sound, straight out of Motown, and clearly inspired by The Way You Do the Things You Do. That’s singer Tia Simone belting out the soulful vocals.

Musical mashup genius Bill McClintock created a new musical group called James Against the Machine by combining Rage Against the Machine’s Take the Power Back and James Brown’s Soul Power, with a little Atomic Punk energy from Van Halen tossed in for extra flavor.

Listen to Lauryn Hill’s track Ex-Factor as you’ve never heard it before. Musician Ronobir Lahiri shows off both his sitar-playing and vocal talents with this impressive and unique cover of the 1998 soul track hailed as one of the greatest breakup songs of all time.

Get Get Up. James Brown meets Judas Priest in another genius mashup by music editor Bill McClintock. Mixing soul vocals and heavy metal rhythms, the track is a real banger that makes us wish this collaboration had happened in real life. See if you can spot the audio cameos by Metallica and Megadeth.

Proving you most definitely can’t judge a book by its cover, musicians Allen Stone and Teddy Swims do Daryl Hall and John Oates proud, belting out a fantastically soulful duet of Hall’s 1978 love letter to his girlfriend, the classic track Sara Smile. (Thanks Craig!)

Chili’s “I Want My Baby Back (Ribs)” is one of the most memorable jingles ever associated with a brand. Now go inside one of the tune’s recordings session courtesy of singer Alvin Chea of Take 6, along with Louis Price of The Temptations, and the late Willie McCoy aka “Wolf Johnson.” Does anyone want a half slab tonight?

“Now I slay beats… ‘member when I would slay freaks.” Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe’s smooth sound and positive vibes are a breath of fresh air, complemented by soulful backing vocals and jazzy instrumentals as he performs Houston Tribute, Caged Birds, Against the Grain, Shine, and I’m Dope. at the NPR offices.

With the powerful vocal stylings of Rett Madison leading things off, Scary Pockets succeeded at breathing new life into Cat Stevens’ early ’70s classic Wild World with an ample dose of soul and a dash of funk.

The talented musicians of Scary Pockets teamed up with singer-songwriter Reeve Carney for a phenomenal cover of Never Gonna Give You Up, boiling down Rick Astley’s hit into a soul-stirring new version, thanks in large part to Carney’s smooth and powerful vocals.

Scary Pockets teamed up with vocalist Mario Jose to perform a funky interpretation of of Guns N’ Roses’ hit Sweet Child O’ Mine, unlike any we’ve ever heard before. Between the Rhodes keyboard, horns, and Mario’s soulful voice, it’s a truly special listening experience.

“I’m eccentric, I’ll amaze. I am wonderful, just let me count the ways.” A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammed teamed up with fellow star producer Adrian Younge to form The Midnight Hour. Their debut single Questions is a slick soul track with CeeLo Green on the mic.

Headed up by the silky smooth vocals of entertainer Maiya Sykes, the guys from Postmodern Jukebox offer up a soul-stirring soul cover of The Cranberries’ haunting 1994 track Zombie. Man, that song always gives us the chills.

NPR Music introduces us to a talent we weren’t acquainted with before, but now that we’ve heard Benjamin Booker’s raspy, soulful voice, we want every single one of his songs. He’s joined by vocalist Saundra Williams, whose gospel sound is a perfect complement.

During a recent appearance at BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, the talented Rory Charles Graham aka “Rag’N’Bone Man” and his band turned in an extraordinary, soulful cover of the 1969 Rolling Stones’ classic, Gimme Shelter. Damn, that man can sing.

Put on your hot pants, get up offa that thang, and crank up your speakers for the next 45 minutes to honor The Godfather of Soul in this great compilation of all of his performances from Soul Train back in the 1970s.