Sharon Jones + Southern soul + analog = good times

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings are popping up all over the place in advance of a new album hitting stores next week. That's a good thing.

Jones generated critical acclaim a few years ago with the release of "100 Days, 100 Nights," a throwback to mid-60s Memphis soul. The Dap-Kings earned some fame on its own, backing Amy Winehouse on her hit "Back to Black" album.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings give old-school soul a new twistJones and the DK's will release a new album "I Learned the Hard Way" next week. NPR is streaming the entire album for free until then. After one listen, I can't say "Hard Way" knocked my socks off like "100 Days" but it's still top-notch soul worth follow-up listens.

And I'll be listening more closely after reading Jim Fusilli's band profile in The Wall Street Journal today that reveals the new album was recorded using analog equipment at a homegrown studio (as opposed to the digital formats that represent 99% of all music released today). Such techniques, favored by people like Jack White of the White Stripes, provide a warmer sound than the harsh, compressed digital recordings so common in modern music. It's a perfect match with Southern soul, a genre known for punchy, passionate arrangements.

Jones was so into the analog thing that she herself wired the electrical sockets in building the studio. Can you imagine any star other than Jack White tackling dirty work like that?

If you're a glutton for more, head over to NPR/all songs, which is streaming a recent Jones/DK gig at SXSW. I say the more the merrier.