Funk has seen a resurgence of late, mostly owing to trendy hipsters and their love of things that aren’t brand spanking new. Bemoan them if you must, but if it’s bringing us stuff like Tuxedo and their brand of fresh, unbelievably danceable funk/neo soul, then who are we to complain?

This unashamedly has its roots in the 70s and I am very ok with that! No doubt that anyone that was a fan of Uptown Funk (so, everyone) will dig this ditty – it has a very similar, energetic but not overbearing, sense of coolness.

Do you have problems with being the most gosh diggidy darndest coolest person you could be? Do most of your coolness inadequacies stem from the fact you use words like ‘gosh diggidy darndest’? Then you are in luck, my soon to be hip friend!

Monophonics are a band not out of Canada, for once: they hark a little more south in the musically-rich San Francisco Bay Area where they collude to create a cool collection of catchy… tunes (I ran out of positive c words). This is some effortlessly hip funk that feels like an entirely genuine slice of the 70s: bold, emotive and incredibly slick.

Ok, it’s Stevie Wonder: you already know what you’re in for. Funk is seeping out of every possible pore of this tune: the bass line, the beat, Stevie’s voice and that glorious Hohner Clavinet made famous in Superstition combine to create something that is so goddamn funky that I literally (YES LITERALLY – PENDANTIC GRAMMARISTS BE GONE) cannot stop moving to it. I’d like to see you try and stop! I could theoretically write more about this track, but it’s late and I’m tired and also it’s STEVIE FRIGGIN’ WONDER, so stop expecting quality from me and experience actual quality from Mr. Wonder instead.

‘Tis the season for riotous frivolity, friends and copious amounts of liquor. Also, dancing. And if you’re dancing, you’re gonna need some funk. So, if you’re an aspiring DJ and you’ve booked a big gig, but suddenly realised “OH MY GOSH, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO MUSIC WHATSOEVER” then you are in luck, my friend! I’d recommend reconsidering your career, but in the meantime, I’ve got your back.

Curtis Harding (formerly a backup singer for Cee Lo “Fuck You/Forget You” Green) well and truly brings the funk with this wonderfully spirited (and groooooovy) number. There’s certainly more than a hint of Mr. Marvin Gaye in that singing, that’s for darn sure!

Like the cocky, stuck-up hipster that I am, I bemoaned the inordinate attention that Daft Punk’s admittedly catchy Get Lucky received upon release. Partly because I absolutely must hate anything that’s popular, but mostly because it was a derivative of 60s/70s funk that really didn’t do anything much except mirror the kind of stock-standard definition of the genre.

As such, it’s always a pleasure to go back in time and pull out some truly excellent funk – or rather, let my brother do it for me. Allow me to present Stretch, a group that was initially formed to replace the members of Fleetwood Mac during their crazy period of infighting during the 70s. Once that hoo-ha settled, Stretch was officially formed and this single was released. Despite having less chords than Get Lucky, this song seems to do a whole lot more with them. Funkalicious, baby!

James Brown, man. I need not say more! If, for some reason, you’ve never heard any funk before, you’re about to get a friggin’ masterclass in it, so prepare to groove the heck on out. Yes, it’s a little repetitive, but this is the quintessential song for getting you off your butt, even if you’re sleeping off an almighty night out on the turps. Not that I am, mind you!

Evidently, it seems like I am in a funk…y mood. But hey, you don’t go looking for the funk: the funk finds you. And this is some prime funk! If I didn’t have to use words to write these posts, this one would just be full of clicking thumbs and head bopping, with the occasional “ooo yeah” and “kick it” thrown in. Alas, I have to use actual words so… ah, sod it. Just listen to it and bathe in its funktacular chill.

Who likes electronic funk? That’s right, everyone! Allow me to introduce David Holmes, an Irish musician and composer, who is probably most famous for the work he did on the Ocean’s trilogy. Now, if you liked the music in those films (very slick, very funky, and very damn cool), then you’ll most assuredly like this song as it pretty much sounds like a missing composition from the soundtrack. It’s time to strut, people!

Awwwww yeah, it’s time to get all up and funky! I am quite the fan of the Ocean’s films, all of which feature insanely brilliant soundtracks. When you’ve got a fun, smart series of heist films, you need a suitably funky soundtrack to go with it. Heck, I’d become a master thief just so I could have these soundtracks playing in my ear when I carry out jobs. Jail time is but a detail to me!

Michael Franti from Spearhead has featured on either/or before, but it’s safe to say that it was a little different to what I’m bringing you today. From a classic soul tune to something that, while inspired by soul, feels totally different. And in a good way! Would it be weird to call this lusciously smooth? It is, you say? Well dang, I’m going to go with it anyway, because that’s what it is!