Two Miles High Music

Short for 'Capital City Soul,' the Columbus Ohio Capsoul label's history spans only five short years throughout the 1970's. Founded by Bill Moss, a local singer and DJ at WVKO in Columbus, Capsoul released just a dozen 45's and one highly sought after LP resulting in a few regional hits. Numero 001 is a compilation of twenty tracks spanning the label's all but forgotten history.

How does a record become a hit? As history has shown, for every chart-topper, there are easily 10 equally well-made and compelling songs which never become widely-known. Case in point: Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label, documenting the tiny Columbus, Ohio label's output during the 1970s. The selections included here are closer to the gritty sounds of Stax than to high-polished Motown soul, but the musicianship and performances would not sound out of place next to the same era's familiar classics from Memphis and Detroit. The Kool Blues' "I'm Gonna Keep On Loving You" apes Sam & Dave's back-and-forth vocal approach, while Four Tops-style harmonies are the template for the Four Mints "Too Far Gone" and "Row My Boat". This collection is an unexpected surprise for the adventurous soul-lover looking to discover something new from the old days. --Ben Heege

The platinum-selling Mint Condition continues to make an impact as one of the hottest bands In R&B music. Producing such hit singles as "Breakin' My Heart" (Pretty Brown Eyes), "U Send Me Swingin' " and "Someone to Love," Mint Condition won fans with their special brew of funk, scorching soul ballads and R& B. Now the band brings their trademark sound – with something a little extra – to their exciting new album, E-Life: a rumination on life and love in the Information Age. This time Mint felt free to experiment with incorporating computer-generated sounds into their music and to explore life and love in the Information Age. The single "Baby Boy, Baby Girl" about parents more obsessed with MySpace than their kids has quickly become a favorite on urban adult contemporary radio stations across the country.

Mint Condition stands for excellence in music; this is LIVE music at its very best. "We gonna do some new stuff, we gonna do some old stuff. Y'all down with it, right?," Stokley Williams, the magnificent lead singer of Mint Condition, the quintessential R&B band of the `90s, teasingly asks an audience that lets him know the answer. Now back with this slammin' live CD, Mint Condition proves the band's bigger and better than ever as the quintet (lead vocalist Stokley, guitarist Homer O'Dell, keyboardist Larry Waddell, saxophonist Jeff Allen and bassist Rick Kinchen) takes its incomparable grooves to the next level on stage at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Growing stronger over the band's ten years together, Mint Condition has developed a hot, seductive sound, irresistibly combining soul, jazz and gospel. The set features all of Mint Condition's top hits, including the blazing "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," "What Kind of Man Would I Be?," "So Fine" and "Is This Pain Our Pleasure?," as well as songs from their latest album Livin' the Luxury Brown including "I'm Ready," and the summery smooth "Whoaa". For live music at its best, you've got to get it in Mint Condition!

The renaissance R&B group from Minneapolis is back with another classic release! Livin' the Luxury Brown is a continuation of the R&B, rock, jazz alternative, hip-hop sound that the band developed in 1989 with their breakthrough album Meant to Be Mint, which included the hit single "Pretty Brown Eyes." Mint Condition continued to grow their loyal fan base with songs like "U Send Me Swingin'" on the album From the Mint Factory and the song "What Kind of Man Would I Be," their platinum single from the gold album Definition Of A Band. Including their last release, Life's Aquarium, Mint Condition has sold over 3.8 million records.

The world has plenty of R&B vocalists, but when it comes to actual R&B bands--you know, the ones with actual musicians playing actual instruments--the pickings are on the slim side. With Tony Toni Tone AWOL, Mint Condition are not only the template for contemporary R&B bands but practically the only contenders in the category. Yet the lack of competition hasn't made them any less eager or hungry. In fact, the band's fifth CD, its first on Elektra, is its most focused to date. Written and produced by the band, Life's Aquarium finds Mint Condition in a more sexually aggressive mood than on their previous CDs. That assertiveness is evident on cuts such as the rugged "Touch That Body," the jittery bump-and-grind of "Who Can You Trust," and the soft wet kisses of "Pretty Lady" (the latter featuring a cameo from the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson). Where once Mint Condition showed off their chops by launching into extended but aimless jazz-fusion riffs, or tried to impress the listener with chord changes and arpeggios straight out of a music-comp course, they now bypass the showboating and stick to simple but effective songs. All of which makes Life's Aquarium satisfying, soulful, and the best music to date from a band that has earned its stripes. --Amy Linden