Best neo-soul/funk?

Forgive me if this has been done before, I saw a few similar threads when I searched but thought I'd make fresh one

So. I love a lot of late 60s/70s soul and funk music (though certainly not an expert that has heard everything there is to hear by any means, still plenty for me to find) but as well I have recently been looking for some contemporary (ish) takes on this stuff. Obviously D'Angelo is the big one, my mate turned me on to him, and I think he is fantastic and so I am just wondering what stuff is in a similar vein? I listened to Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and some of Erykah Badu's Baduizm, neither of which I loved as much as D'Angelo (Though maybe if I give it some time I will). As well as this I listened to Like Water For Chocolate, which was very good (though I am not that big a fan of rap as a vocal style), and more recently I enjoyed To Pimp a Butterfly.

Does anyone have some good suggestions? Either from the 90s, or even more recently?

 

Should also say, that if you know of any good modern funk, then that's great too! not just looking for that 'quiet storm' D'Angelo type of sound.

 

No idea if this would be up your alley, but I totally dig Liquid Soul. Totally!

 

Baduism really grew on me after a couple of listens. Even better, try her album Mama's Gun. But really I can't name a Badu album I don't like.

Also check out Van Hunt. He just released a new album that's pretty cool. And the self titled Van Hunt album is good.

 

Check out Raphael Saadiq.

 

The Family Stand - Connected

 

Lady - Money (Truth & Soul Records)

 

Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming! I'll listen to them all in the morning.

 

D'Angelo's Voodoo and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite are the two neo soul masterpieces in my opinion, and they're the two best artists in the genre. And for neo soul/hip hop, Common's Like Water For Chocolate and the Roots' Things Fall Apart are the two defining albums. I think Erykah Badu's best album is New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) from 2007.
I also like:
Angie Stone: Mahogany Soul (or Black Diamond) (neo soul but she often has a more contemporary urban style. She co-wrote "Jonz In My Bonz" on Brown Sugar and 4 songs on Voodoo)
Floetry: Floetic (two English women: Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart. "Say Yes" is truly gorgeous. Also, they wrote "Butterflies" for Michael Jackson)
Jill Scott: Who Is Jill Scott? Words And Music Volume 1 ("Getting In The Way" is a brilliant song)
Les Nubians: Princesses Nubiennes (two Afro-French sisters from Paris; a bit like Sade if Sade had more of a hip hop/urban influence)

 

I would have said that was hard trance. It certainly isn't either soul or R&B!

 

I think Maxwell's "Embrya" is a much better and more cohesive album than the more accessible UHS. It feels like D'Angelo in dreamland.

 

I've heard this is good but haven't checked it out yet.

 

I think Thom has hit the ball out of the park !
In addition to your calls on Maxwell, D'Angelo, and Kendrick Lamar, I would also commend the first two Erykah Badu's, the above mentioned Angie Stones's, and the Jill Scott. These three ladies pretty much define the genre, I think.
I don't know if you would classify it as neu soul, but I also suggest the first Indie Arie (on Motown I think, and involving Stevie Wonder), of course the Lauryn Hill Miseducation of Lauren Hill (a true classic), and the early Alicia Keys (Songs in A Minor etc).
I'm not up with much current funk, but Prince's two releases from last year (one with his girl group) show that he is still very much a player.
Good luck.
Also, check out Soul Brother Records in London. The guys there (e.g. Laurence) really know their stuff and are very helpful: www.soulbrother.com.

 

The lists above are pretty comprehensive, but also check out Bilal.



And Sharon Jones, although she is probably more Soul Revival, than Neo-Soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ouI5KcyHfE

 

Give Maxwell's MTV Unplugged a spin or two. I think it's a superior version of Urban Hang Suite.

 

I really like Adrian Younge's stuff
try this one out:
http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/adrian_younge_presents_venice_dawn/something_about_april/

 

And yet no one has mentioned this. It belongs in the conversation with every top neo soul album from that era.

Donnie - Welcome To The Colored Section (originally on Giant Step Records before Motown picked it up)


Smart, political, smooth, beautiful, and funky.

Personal faves:
Cloud 9
Do You Know
Big Black Buck
Welcome To The Colored Section (full version)
Our New National Anthem

Also, there's an alternate version of "Rocketship" that wasn't on the album that slays the album version, imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y9aXsAUilw

 

Someone you US guys never seem to mention in these type of things, wiki says:

"Michael Kiwanuka is a British soul musician who is signed to Communion Records. He has been compared to Bill Withers, Randy Newman, Terry Callier, and Otis Redding, as well as Van Morrison and the Temptations."

 

Try Cody ChesnuTT's Landing on a Hundred!

 

I LOOOOOOOVE DAPTONE! And Lee Fields, but Daptone is amazing how deep their roster is with good tunes, not just Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, but the smaller things like Menahan Street Band, Budos, etc.

 

Sorry, as a Brit (and a Londoner to boot) I should have picked this up in my earlier thread.

Michael is a very talented young guy who won BBC most likely promising artist (or similar) for 2012 and issued his debut album Home Again that year. It's a record of real beauty, a mix of soul, folk and jazz if you can imagine that. For me the closest parallel I can draw in the sound and songwriting is Bill Withers, but maybe a bit lusher.Some of the tracks perhaps recall the jazzy sounds of an Astral Weeks/Moondance era Van Morrison. Hard to categorise, it's quite spiritual too, and sounds like it was recorded in a small room. Well worth checking out (though I'm not sure it is neo soul, whatever that is). Haven't heard anything from Michael since 2012, what happened ?

 

Check out Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings! Though not every song is R& B or Soul, but the Alabama Shakes certainly have those influences. Those might be what you are seeking.

Rick G

 

This band depends a lot on who's singing...but with this woman they're amazing: