“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Gets a New Orleans Makeover by The Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels add some New Orleans flavor to Eurythmics’ 1983 smash “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” The band does a superb job with their urgent, brass-driven overhaul of the synth-pop classic and make it their own—which is no mean feat with such an iconic, highly recognized song. It’s just an amazing cover, with the band infusing new life and energy into the track.   

The Soul Rebels are a brass ensemble that incorporates elements of funk, rock, hip hop, jazz and pop music with a traditional New Orleans brass band sound. The band was formed in 1991 by bass drummer Derrick Moss and Lumar DeBlanc (snare drums). The two musicians met while members of Harold Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band.  They shared a mutual desire to play contemporary music that they heard on the radio but within the framework of the traditional New Orleans brass sound that they had grown up on.  With this aim in mind, they formed the Soul Rebels, which consisted of eight highly talented players. In addition to DeBlanc and Moss, the other members of the ensemble are Julian Gosin (trumpet), Corey Peyton (trombone), Erion Williams (saxophone), Paul Robertson (trombone), Edward Lee, Jr. (sousaphone) and Marcus Hubbard (trumpet).

The Soul Rebels first made a name for themselves as the house band for New Orleans bar Le Bon Temps Roule, where they played every Thursday night. The band still plays there when they’re not on tour. The New Orleans octet now have a dedicated international following. They have toured extensively across the U.S. as well as Europe, Canada, South Africa and Brazil. Also, the band has played at a number of well-known festivals and prestigious venues worldwide, including The Fillmore, Hollywood Bowl, Playboy Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, the Highline Ballroom, and the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) Festival.

The band is known for their rousing live performances in which they create a festive and funky party-like atmosphere.

And the band has played with a plethora of celebrated artists and bands from a wide cross section of musical genres. Some of the notable musical acts that the band has shared the stage with include Counting Crows, Snoop Dogg, Suzanne Vega, Allen Toussaint, the Gap Band, Seal, George Clinton, Better than Ezra, Marco Benevento, Metallica, Kanye West, Green Day, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Arcade Fire, Maceo Parker and the Neville Brothers. It was Neville Brother, Cyril Neville, who dubbed the band the Soul Rebels. When the two acts performed together in ’93, Cyril said, “Hey, you're a brass band, but y'all got funk and soul. Y'all are like soul rebels." The name stuck and the band has been calling themselves the Soul Rebels ever since.

The band has been getting a lot of television exposure of late. In 2010, they appeared on the HBO series Treme where they performed Grayson Capps' song "Drink a Little Poison (4 U Die)" for the finale episode of season one. They were also the official house band for the Annual NFL Honors Awards show, which aired on CBS prime time on February 22, 2013 and was hosted by Alec Baldwin.  And in December of 2011, the octet performed “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” on Later... with Jools Holland, a British late-night music television show. Metallica and Lou Reed appeared on the same episode. The members of Metallica were so impressed with the Soul Rebels that they invited them to open and share the stage with them for all four of their 30th anniversary-week concerts at The Fillmore in San Francisco. And last year, the Soul Rebels appeared and performed on the Conan show on TBS

The Soul Rebels released several albums on various independent labels before signing with Rounder Records (Concord) in 2011. Under the Rounder label, the band released their first nationally distributed album, Unlock Your Mind, on January 31, 2012. The album was produced by Scott Billington, who’s a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and blues musician. The band’s cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” is included on the album. Their cover of Stevie Wonder’s epic classic “Living for the City” is also on the album.

The Soul Rebels have garnered a lot of critical acclaim for their music and performances over the years. They won the New Orleans’ Big Easy award in 2010, 2008 and in 1999, as well as nominations in 2012, 2011 and in 2009. And they have been nominated for Best Of The Beat: Off Beat Awards in 2011, 2010, 2009 and in 2008. They were also nominated for four 2012 Best Of The Beat Awards: Best Artist Of The Year, Best Album Of The Year, Best Brass Band Of The Year and Best Brass Band Album Of The Year. They won Best Brass Band Album Of The Year for Unlock Your Mind.

The band is set to embark on a European tour, which will kick off tomorrow at La Défense Festival in Paris, France. The tour will also include stops in London and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Download Sweet Dreams at Amazon

Related blog entry: Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This): New Wave Soul

Sly & the Family Stone Four-CD Anthology, Higher!, Set For Release On August 27th

The musical legacy of Sly & the Family Stone will be celebrated in style with the comprehensive four-CD box set, Higher!, which is scheduled for release on August 27^th through Epic/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.  The career-spanning retrospective features 77 tracks by the innovative soul/funk/rock band, 17 of which were previously unreleased.

Higher! was put together in celebration of Sly Stone’s 70^th birthday, which was on March 15. The funk pioneer was the band’s mastermind and guiding light. His massive influence on music spans more than four decades and can be heard in numerous genres today, including R&B, pop, rock, hip hop, and alternative, among others.

The anthology tracks the evolution of the band’s groundbreaking sound, and it also shows how Sly’s outlook had drastically changed within a short period of time. He went from idealistic counterculture champion on Stand! (1969) to the disillusioned creator of the dark, cynical funk masterpiece There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971).

In addition, the deluxe box set features a 104-page book, which includes a liner notes essay by Jeff Kaliss, author of I Want To take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly & the Family Stone, the band’s only authorized biography; track-by-track annotations by original band members including Sly himself; rare and uncirculated photography; an illustrated timeline of the band's career; 45 rpm label and picture sleeve repros; vintage concert posters; and ticket stubs from Sly & The Family Stone concerts; and more.

The package also includes rare pre-Epic Records solo tracks by Sly during his tenure as A&R-producer-songwriter-staff musician at San Francisco's Autumn records, circa 1964-'65.

And in homage to the era of transistor radios, the package features rare mono masters of  the band’s signature hits, including “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again),” “Everyday People,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” and “Sing a Simple Song.” The box set also features rare recordings of some of the band’s legendary live performances.

So there’s enough here to sate the appetite of even the most voracious Sly & the Family Stone fan, as well as funk aficionados and music lovers in general.

“Hey music lover
Music for the human race
I'm gonna add some funky bass”

Preorder Higher! at Amazon

Related blog entry: Review of Sly & the Family Stone's Stand!

Just Funnin' by Mtume: Joyful Funk

"Just Funnin'" is an irresistible funk nugget by R&B/funk band Mtume. The 1978 release is a rollicking, bumpin’ groove with a little P-Funk flavor thrown in for good measure. I love the little piano intro that kicks the track off and continues to percolate beneath the groove throughout the main part of the song, very cool. The track also has some sweet guitar licks, a phat bass line, and some funky horn work. Befitting its title, "Just Funnin'" has a light-hearted, goofy charm. Whenever I hear this song, I envision a funky circus rolling through town.

Mtume was formed in 1973 by songwriter, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist James Mtume, a Philadelphia native and son of acclaimed jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath. James also worked as a percussionist for Miles Davis between 1971 and 1975.

The band Mtume had several hits, but they’re most remembered for their much-sampled R&B chart-topper “Juicy Fruit” (1983).  "Just Funnin'" is a single from their 1978 album Kiss This World Goodbye, released on Epic Records. The song didn’t have a strong showing on the charts, only climbing to number 93 on the R&B charts. It’s surprising that it charted so low, because it’s such a great cut.

The lineup for Kiss This World Goodbye was James Mtume (lead and backing vocals, congas, percussion), Tawatha Agee (lead vocals, percussion), Basil Fearrington (bass), Hubert Eaves III (keyboards), Howard King (drums), and guitarist Reggie Lucas, who also played in Miles Davis’s band in the ‘70s. “Just Funnin” was written by James Mtume, Lucas, and King.

In addition to their work with Mtume, Reggie Lucas and James Mtume were a successful and much sought-after production team. The duo formed the production company Mtume/Lucas Productions and wrote and produced tracks for notable artists such as Lou Rawls, Jennifer Holliday, Roberta Flack, and Phyllis Hyman. They won a Grammy in 1981 for their composition “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” which was recorded by popular R&B artist Stephanie Mills and became her biggest hit.

Download Just Funnin' at Amazon

Singer-Songwriter Banks Impresses With Debut Single "Before I Ever Met You"

"Before I Ever Met You” is a mesmerizing track by Banks, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter. The song captured my imagination a few months ago while I was switching stations in my car. I stopped cold when I landed on this track and was hooked. Banks’ sultry voice meshes well with the hauntingly seductive trip-hop groove. This is one of those tracks that creeps into your consciousness and stays with you. And Banks delivers an understated yet powerful vocal performance.

“Before I Ever Met You” was Banks’ debut single released in early February of this year. She dropped her equally impressive second single, “Fall Over,” in March. Banks is a self-taught pianist, vocalist and songwriter, and she cites Fiona Apple and Lauryn Hill as influences. She had previously collaborated with UK DJ and producer Lil Silva on the club banger “Work.”  Banks is signed to LA-based independent label IAMSOUND Records. I’m keeping an eye out for this emerging new talent and looking forward to her next release.


Download track at Amazon

Stone Temple Pilots and Deftones Among Lineup for Epicenter Festival 2012

Deftones

The 4th Annual Epicenter Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 22 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California. The festival will feature an impressive lineup of musical talent, including Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, Deftones, Hollywood Undead, Escape the Fate, Dead Sara, Crash Kings, Scars on Broadway, Chevelle, Beware of Darkness and more.

The event is presented by Right Arm Entertainment (creators of Ohio's Rock on the Range Festival) and will feature performers on multiple stages. The festival will kick off at 11:30 a.m.

The inaugural Epicenter Festival was held on August 22, 2009 at Fairplex in Pomona, California and featured prominent bands such as Tool, Linkin Park and Alice in Chains.

To learn more about this year's festival, visit their website.

Jane's Addiction Headlining the Doheny Days Music Festival

A diverse array of musical talent will be joining groundbreaking alternative rock band Jane's Addiction for the Doheny Days Music Festival this weekend (September 8-9). The event will take place at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California. In addition to Jane's Addiction, some of the other bands scheduled to perform at the festival include Jimmy Eat World, The Flaming Lips, Santigold, Steel Pulse, Beats Antique, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the White Buffalo, and Midnight Hour among others.

The Doheny Days Music Festival began in 1997 and was held annually through 2004. After that, the  festival went on a six-year hiatus and started up again in 2011. The event embraces the eco-conscious beach/surf culture of Southern California and is produced by Omega events, which has successfully operated 26 festivals at Doheny State Beach, including the world-famous Doheny Blues Festival.

To learn more about the Doheny Days Music Festival, visit their website.

"Nappy" by The Brides of Funkenstein

"Nappy" is another stellar track from the Brides of Funkenstein's excellent debut album Funk or Walk (1978). It's amazing how many great tracks are on this album. "Nappy" has a nostalgic 1920s flow to it, sort of like P-Funk meets The Great Gatsby. And the groove is quite infectious, with a terrific horn arrangement by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley. Worrell also contributes some great piano parts to the track.

 Brides Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry deliver another quality vocal performance on this track. Their vocal work here further displays their versatility as singers, showing they could skillfully handle a variety of styles. And their voices complement one another nicely.

"Nappy" was written by George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Garry Shider and Jim Vitti.


Related blog entry: Disco To Go by The Brides of Funkenstein: Jumbo-Sized Funk