Blackwater
Florida's Mofro know you don't need a studio full of fancy  effects to make a funky record. The act's debut CD spins tales from the  Blackwater region around "front-porch soul," a stripped-down collection  of bottom-heavy beats and hip-shaking rhythms. This is the kind of  record G. Love should be making, a flawlessly tight package of funk,  gospel, blues, and rock & roll fronted by singer/songwriter J.J. Grey.  Although there are a number of instruments filling out the songs--slide  guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards, sax, and percussion--the  arrangements all feel sparse enough to create an organic, authentic,  easygoing vibe throughout the record. From the early Rolling  Stones-esque blues of "Brighter Days" to the mouthwatering funk of "Ho Cake,"  Blackwater pays the highest respects to this area of northern Florida,  both musically and lyrically.--Jennifer Maerz