Despite all the groove and soul that is packed into this short, 20-minute EP of five songs, Baton Rouge’s Jive Train also manages to pack in an awful lot of cheese and pretension. The arrangements are slickly produced and pleasing to the ear, while the songs take from the sappiest elements of Earth, Wind and [...]
Saxman Maceo Parker’s musical history is almost a direct parallel to the history of funk, the present of which he continues to contribute to. Parker landed a gig with the James Brown’s band, the JBs, in 1964. His sax is an integral part of now legendary James Brown songs. In 1970, Parker left the JBs [...]
While the band’s name may imply a dirty, dirty funk, this quartet’s debut album achieves a more glossy type of sound, which nonetheless succeeds in its funky uniqueness. Take the bouncy silliness of Bootsy-inspired P-funk vocal raps, add a healthy dose of robotic, Afrika Bambaataa-influenced synths and vocal modulators, throw on top the soulful R [...]
At first glance, it would be practically impossible to tell what kind of music lies within the packaging of this album. With a name like Outlaw Nation, which is emblazoned on the back cover in a steel metallic font over the solemn gaze of the African-American band, you would sense that this is hip-hop or [...]
