Today’s scorching forty five comes courtesy of a split 7″ from label mates Camellia Hartman & The Soulful Saints and Billy The Kid. Dala Records founder Billy Aukstik aka Billy the Kid rides the flip of this double side of soul, and this Chicago native residing in Brooklyn has put together some very authentic sounding soul music on this seven. Touring for half a decade with the Daptone Records family, he eventually branched off to start Dala Records, producing for bands/ singers such as John Fatum, The Rad Trads, Michael Harlen, Patrick Sargent and Camellia Hartman. The last, Camellia Hartman is on the A side of this new record, and this East Village siren used that melting pot of her neighborhood, plus her range with playing a variety of instruments as well as that sultry voice of hers along with The Soulful Saints backing her up give us “Breathin’ Hard (Over You)”. A Motown-esque Northern soul side, this record is our favorite soul record of 2017 so far, and seriously will make top ten lists at year’s end. It’s that good. Authentic sounding, no retro throwback bullshit at all, it’s raw and lovely at the same time. Billy The Kid commands the spotlight with some psychedelic soul on the B side with “Honey Bee”. Lo-fi but packing a wallop of sound, he takes advantage of lap steel guitar, Farfisa organ, Maestro Rhythm King drum machine and fuzz guitar, and that haunting voice of his to take this B side into the sunset. While both sides of this record represent Dala Records proper. it’s not just the representation that’s the reason you should own this record. It’s authentic soul through and through, it’s out of New York City, and both sides are special in their own way. Check out both tracks below.

Get the record here.

Keep Diggin’!