Fitz & the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up the Pieces (2010)

This was a surprise I found on sordo. Someone put the link up and tagged it as soul, which isn't the most common thing. Looking into I'll be damned if it isn't a real soul act from Los Angeles. Their biography isn't too hard to find if you're interested in that, but basically they pretty new but seemingly catching on quickly. The bandleader is a former studio engineer who's talents likely contributed to the high quality of the recordings despite them having been conducted in his living room according to the L.A. Times. Although this is certainly most directly influenced by soul, it does sound like the Jackson 5 or other Motown acts because of the excitement exhibited. The best comparison to a contemporaneous musician I could conjure is like a more showy and lively version of Mayer Hawthorne's smooth soul music. They even dress the part, where retro suits and the female vocals in flashy girl pop attire. The best part is how heavy the songs are on the old fashioned organ sound, I can hardly get enough of that.

To be had here:
Fitz & the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up the Pieces [160 kbps]