New from UK publisher Freestyle Records is Mighty Righteous by The Fantastics! If you’re having a backyard party this summer, this album should be the soundtrack. It’s hot and funky with cool in all the right places. Put it on a great sound system and you’ll think they’re live in concert.

Kick off the celebration with “Don’t Follow Leaders.” It’s upbeat, with big sound and big heart. This vibe carries through subsequent tracks—“Nine Lives,” “The Doctor Is In,” “Kinshasa Five,” and “Soul Sucka.” Track 6, “The White Out,” is ultra cool, like a Steven Soderberg film. It’ll make you want to rob a casino and then fly off somewhere fabulous.

Most of the album is strictly instrumental, but two tracks do feature the flamboyant vocals of Noel McKoy: “Soul Child” and “I Can’t Dance with You.” Of these two, TravelTracks prefers the latter.

“Blue Sunday” offers a mellow finish to the album and borrows from one of the empires of cool, snagging a little riff from the Mission Impossible theme song.

To hear samples of their music, check out The Fantastics! MySpace page. If you like what you hear, you can buy the whole album at Amazon.com.

Love International by Kokolo
This ska and funk flavored album is tinged with some island flair, especially on the title track. Latino touches show up as well, as in track 5, “Congo Bongo,”and track 8, “Sabroso.” Most tracks are sung in English, but Spanish influences a few. Track 7, “While I Got the Microphone,” is funky and infectious. The overall vibe is peace, love, harmony, and let’s party.

Fried Samba by Malena
Disco and South American instruments are in symbiosis on this upbeat, danceable album. Track 1, “No Llores Mas,” calls Diana Ross to mind with its disco-heavy beat. Track 2, “More Afro,” has lots of intoxicating horns—makes you want to find a darkened dance floor and a sultry partner. Track 5, “No Me Digas Nada,” is refreshingly downbeat, and track 6, “Que Dificil Es,” is meandering, jazz-inspired slow dance. Things pick back up with track 7, “Llega El Verano,” and keep rolling to the end.

Bagunca, The Very Best of Sirius B, 1998-2006
Brazilian music and jazz meet on this album, set off by the lovely voice of Azhar, who sings in both English and Portuguese. The jazz element lends a slightly frantic, scattered feel to many of the tracks, which a true jazz fan will be able to appreciate. Bonus: The disk includes a cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man.”

Homenaje by Brownout
Horns and a 1970’s vibe (with a Latin twist) pervade this album. Track 3, “Laredo 77,” feels like the theme song to a “Starsky & Hutch”-style cop show. Track 1, “Brown Wind and Fire,” is a bit scattershot, with a discordant mix of horns, guitar, and drums. Most of the album—which is largely instrumental—has it’s stuff together, with a lot of upbeat horns and danceable tracks. Best song title: “Latin Asscape”—it’s track 6.

Tremendo Boogaloo by Manteca
The fast and fun tracks on this album back up its party CD cover. A strong Latin flavor carries the CD, but hints of 60’s-esque jazz pop up. Almost every track is sung in Spanish, with the exception of track 3, “Every Monday.” Singer Martha Acosta’s voice is rich and clear, bringing depth to the collection.

Atlas by Guida de Palma & Jazzinho
If you love jazz, you need to add this album to your collection. Singer Guida de Palma splits her time between Portuguese and English, offering a unique twist on the American musical invention.