George Clinton and the P-Funk Crew Performing at "Fantasy of Funk" Festival Next Month

Next month, George Clinton and P-Funk are scheduled to perform at the "Fantasy of Funk" festival at Seminole Casino Immokalee, which is located in the town of Immokalee in Florida. The Funk Mob are set to hit the stage at the event on Saturday, July 21. In addition to the P-Funk crew, the other bands scheduled to perform at the outdoor event on Saturday include New Orleans brass funk-rock band Bonerama; R&B/blues band the Nouveaux Honkies; and the Glen David Andrews Band, a brass band out of New Orleans that melds gospel, funk and R&B in its sound.

The "Fantasy of Funk" festival starts 1:00 p.m Saturday and will also feature about 10 food trucks dispensing gourmet treats. To kick off the event, Seminole Casino Immokalee will host a free party at its Zig Zag Lounge on Friday, July 20, at 7 p.m. Party-goers with the funkiest outfits will be rewarded with cool prizes. The Nouveaux Honkies will perform at the Friday jam as well as at  the "Fantasy Funk" fest the following day. All those in attendance should have a funky good time. To get more info about the event, visit here.

Starbelly Jam Music Festival Coming In July

Next month, an impressive line-up of musical talent will be featured at the 13th Annual Starbelly Jam Music Festival. The three-day event will take place in Crawford Bay Park, British Columbia on July 20-22 (Fri., Sat, and Sun.). The performers featured at the outdoor event will cover a wide range music styles, including funk, world music, rock, blues, hip hop, reggae, electronica bluegrass, folk, soul and more. In addition to the live music, the family-oriented festival will offer plenty of entertainment and fun activities for children, and kids under 13 get in free.

Some of the artists and bands scheduled to perform at the festival include Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, the Barr Brothers, the Cave Singers, Gaudi, Youssoupha Sidibe, Jamie Janover, Vortex and a ton of others. The festival will also offer on-site food, a craft faire, free workshops, roaming jugglers and clowns, and much more. Camping is also available at several locations within a few minutes walk from the festival grounds, and there are other accommodations in the area. Starbelly Jam Musical Festival made its debut in 1999 and is put on each year by a community-minded group of volunteers who freely give of their time and expertise to ensure that the festival is run smoothly and is an enjoyable experience for all those who attend. For more info about the festival, visit their website.

"This Is The Way We Funk With You" by Parliament

"This Is The Way We Funk With You" is a super-dope track by Parliament. It was one of the two new original studio tracks from the epic double album Live: P-Funk Earth Tour, released in 1977. The song starts off with loud snoring courtesy of Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton. It's kind of a bizarre cut but very funky nonetheless. The track has sort of a nursery rhyme feel that belies the ribald lyrics sung by powerhouse P-Funk vocalist Glenn Goins.

The extremely suggestive manner in which the the future Brides of Funkenstein (Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry) sing "funk me" in the background killed any chance of the track receiving radio airplay. And let's not forget that this was seven years before Prince released the equally suggestive "Erotic City," in which Shelia E. sings "We can funk until the dawn." Many swore up and down that the Purple One and Ms. Escovedo snuck in another F word in place of "funk" on some parts of the song. However, unlike Parliament's track,"Erotic City" received serious radio airplay. Look at what a mere seven years can do.

Anyway, back to "This Is The Way We Funk With You." The song really showcases what great vocal talent P-Funk had at its disposal. Goins and the background vocalists really shine on this track. The song was penned by George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel and Glen Goins. That's quite an impressive group of songwriters. The groove also has a phat thumpin' bass line.



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Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, The Beach Boys And Other Great Bands To Perform At Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2012

Ben Folds Five

A myriad of distinguished bands and artists will descend on Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tennesee for the 11th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts  Festival on June 7-10. Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beach Boys and Phish are among the headliners at the four-day festvial. The performers at the fesival will cover a wide range of music styles, including hip hop, jazz, bluegrass, indie rock, world music, americana, country music, reggae, electronica and other alternative music. Some of the other bands and artists who will be performing at the festival include the Shins, Black Star, Kenny Rogers,  Alice Cooper, the Roots, Ludacris, Ben Folds Five, the Civil Wars and a slew of others.

The inaugural Bonnaroo Festival was held in 2002. The event was created and produced by Mark Barr and AC Entertainment and is held each year at Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (2.8 km²) farm in Manchester, Tennessee.  In the beginning, the festival focused primarily on jam bands and folk rock but became more eclectic in recent years. However, the festival still recognizes its roots and continues to feature jam bands and folk rock. Bonnaroo has grown into one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S. Last year, more than 90,000 people attended the festival. In addition to the performers, Bonnaroo also features craftsmen and artisans who sell unique products, as well as food and drink vendors, a comedy tent, silent disco, cinema tent and a Ferris wheel.

Each year, the festival draws some of the biggest names in music. Some of the celebrated artists and bands who have performed at the festival in the past include Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, James Brown, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, Arcade Fire, the Flaming Lips, Buffalo Springfield and the Black Crowes. To get more info about the festival, visit their website.

"Lined Up" By Shriekback

I've been checking out this cool track by British post-punk dance band Shriekback called "Lined Up." It's a sick cut and is quite addicting. It has a mysterious, hypnotic groove with an indelible slap bass line. The song was released back in 1983, and it still sounds as fresh and original as it did when it first came out. Abstract keyboard sounds waft through the groove, and the band members sing the cryptic lyrics in haunting unison. The track creates a dark, desolate atmosphere that draws you in. When I first heard the track, the words "swamp funk" immediately sprung to mind. For some reason, the groove always makes me think of someone crawling through the swamp.

"Lined Up" is from Shriekback's debut LP Care (1983). It's one of the band's better-known tracks and was a minor hit in the U.S. and reached number 39 on the Australian ARIA charts. Shriekback was originally formed in North London by Barry Andrews (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals) and Dave Allen (bass). Andrews had previously been a member of both XTC and the League of Gentlemen. Allen was formerly a member of Gang of Four. Shriekback soon expanded into a trio with the addition of Carl Marsh (guitars/vocals), who was previously a member of the band Out on Blue Six.

Shriekback was known for their unique, unconventional sound that melded synthesizers and drum machines with heavy bass lines and eccentric vocals. The band scored several hits on the UK Indie Chart. Over the years, Shriekback has disbanded and reformed a number of times and went for a seven-year period in the '90s in which they didn't release any new material. In 2010, the band released the ablum Life In The Loading Bay, which was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics.



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Aretha Franklin Headlining 2012 Essence Music Festival

Aretha Franklin will be one of the headliners at the upcoming 18th Annual Essence Music Festival. The legendary Queen of Soul will be joining a cornucopia of big-name talent at the four-day festival, which is scheduled for July 5-8 (Thursday through Sunday). The event will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Franklin is expected to be honored with the first-ever "Power Award" during her festival performance. Some of the other renowned musical artists scheduled to perform at the event include Mary J. Blige, D'Angelo, Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Stephanie Mills, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, Estelle, the Stylistics, Doug E. Fresh, the Pointer Sisters, and a slew of others. The event is being billed as one of the largest gatherings of black artists in the country. As in previous years, the musical performances will be held at the Superdome while seminars with influential speakers, artists and authors will take place at the city's convention center.

Democratic U.S. Rep Maxine Waters of California will be one of the highlighted speakers at the festival. Some of the other speakers will include the Reverend Al Sharpton, author/educator Dr. Steve Perry and comedian/actor Steve Harvey, who's the author of the best-selling relationship advice book Think Like a Man.

The Essence Festival made its debut in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine, but grew into an annual music festival that celebrates contemporary African-American music and culture. Over the years, the festival has drawn some of the biggest acts in music. Typically the festival's lineup features a mix of iconic music legends, current superstars and talented up-and-comers. Last year, the festival drew more than 422,000 attendees. 

Since its inception, the festival has taken place in New Orleans, except for in 2006 when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina. Essence will once again partner with the City of New Orleans to help support initiatives that will benefit its young residents.  For more festival info, visit their website.

The Temptations Deliver The Funk On Hit "Shakey Ground"

The Temptations dropped this lethal funk bomb back in 1975. The gutbucket groove reflected the funk movement that dominated R&B music during this period. It seems like everybody was gettin' funky at this point. What James Brown had set off a decade earlier had come into full bloom, and the Temps did not sleep on the funk. "Shakey Ground" is straight nasty, rusted-nail funk. It's probably the funkiest cut the legendary Motown group has ever released. Dennis Edwards' raspy, soulful voice is well suited for funk. His vocals sound so dope here that it makes me wish he had become the lead singer for an all-funk outfit following his exit from the Temps in 1977.

To ensure that maximum funkatude was achieved, the Temptations tapped two P-Funk members to play on the track: William "Billy Bass" Nelson lays down a wickedly funky bass line, and Eddie "Maggot Brain" Hazel contributes some dirty, funky licks. And the P-Funk connection doesn't end there. Hazel co-wrote the track as well. So it's not surprising that the track turned out so funky.

"Shakey Ground" is from the Temptations' 1975 album A Song For You. In addition to "Shakey Ground," Nelson and Hazel also played on the album's funky dance track "Glasshouse." "Shakey Ground" was the last song by the Temps to top Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. And it charted at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many noted artists, including Etta James and Phoebe Snow.



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Related blog entry: "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations