Rasputin's Stash

What about a funk group from Chicago paying homage to the famous Russian prophet/mystical? The band, founded in the early '70s by session musician Martin Dumas Jr, debuted with a killer album on Cotillion (a subsidiary label of Atlantic, operating from 1968 to 1986) in 1971 showing their intense power and a full-on blaxploitation aesthetic. Their sound was mainly a mix of fuzzy guitars and tight horns arrangements, with lots of cool percussion thrown in. At times, you can tell there's almost a Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band vibe to their approach, but mixed with some lysergic influences -- think about early Funkadelic -- verging on their more rock side of things.