I love seeing live music, but life often gets in the way of going to as many shows as I would like. But it only takes a few seconds to log on and download music from Freegal. Freegal is a service available to Hoboken Public Library Resident Card Holders. You can download up to three free songs per week. The songs are permanently yours once you have downloaded them. It is a great resource for finding songs from popular musicians such as Beyoncé and Adele, when there is a long waiting list for their CDs at the library. I listen to a lot of Goth and Industrial music and some of it can be hard to find, but Freegal has a variety of artists available in even hard to find genres and international musicians. So take a peek and download some music! https://hobokenlibrary.freegalmusic.com/users/sndlogin.
Cruxshadows
The Cruxshadows are a Goth band originally from Florida. I have seen them numerous times live including at clubs in NY, the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Convention DragonCon in Atlanta (which they perform at yearly), and even on the Gothic Cruise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. No matter what the venue they are at the Cruxshadows always put on amazing show. Rogue, the lead singer, is energetic and will often wander through the audience. At one performance, he hung off a balcony above the crowd. He is also probably one of the nicest musicians you will ever meet and always makes time for his fans. Their lyrics are thoughtful and often mix in mythological reference such as the Orpheus myth. Their songs also have good beats for dancing and several of their singles have been number one on the Billboard U.S. Hot Dance Singles Sales Chart. When I lived in Boston, Marilyn, My Bitterness was played constantly at ManRay, the local Cambridge Goth club. Hoboken Public Library Card Holders can download it and other songs from their album Telemetry of a Fallen Angel (one of my favorites) on Freegal.
Rasputina
The Cello Rock Band Rasputina is my favorite live band. Their lyrics are quirky and range from topics like the historic year without a winter, to mayflies, to ice hotels. The habit of wearing Victorian Undergarments such as pantaloons and corsets onstage adds to their whimsy. The main force behind Rasputina is cellist, Melora Creager, though I have also enjoyed solo cello performances by some of the musicians that have been part of the band through the year including Zoe Keating and Erica Mulkey (of Unwoman). I have seen Rasputina over a half dozen times in a variety of venues, but my favorite shows will always be the ones at the sadly soon to be closed Maxwell’s here in Hoboken, where due to the short height of the stage and the necessarily seated position of musicians playing cellos the audience was always asked to sit on the floor, which gave the show an added surreal feel reminding me of elementary school assemblies in the gymnasium. Since Creager lives in New York, the band plays frequently in this area. But even if you don’t make it out to one of their shows, you can sample songs including my favorite, The New Zero, from three of Rasputina’s albums on Freegal including Thanks for the Ether, Transylvanian Regurgitations, and How We Quit the Forest.
VNV Nation
VNV Nation is one of my husband’s favorite Industrial/EBM bands. I saw them once opening up for Apoptygma Berzerk and then several years later headlining with And One opening for them. The Irish/English Duo of Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson are now based in Germany, but they tour frequently so although they currently have no local dates scheduled, you may have the opportunity to see them in the future. With meaningful lyrics, a great stage presence, and a sound that ranges from upbeat danceable tracks to ballads, they are definitely worth checking out. Songs from Of Faith, Power And Glory (including my favorite song Tomorrow Never Comes) and Reformation 01 are available from Freegal.
My musical tastes had their origin in the music of my father and uncle: my father a local rock drummer and my uncle an internationally known jazz drummer. From my father I began by listening to the music he played in his local cover band – The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc. However, both he and my uncle really had a taste for unique fusion jazz of the 1970’s. As a result, I also listened to bands like Return to Forever, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorious, Weather Report, and most certainly Frank Zappa. As such, I started out exploring the music of a previous generation. Years later, my musical tastes are still shaped by these classic sounds.
In the contemporary world of music there seems to be a significant trend for music that has a distinct sound from another time. You can see this even in the most popular of musical acts:
Amy Winehouse or Adele offering up robust soul and jazz vocal with clear lines to Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday.
The Black Keys chugging out garage-infused blues and rock – I can imagine them listening to R.L. Burnside when putting together their first album The Big Come Up.
Mumford & Sons giving you a wave of often rowdy British folk, not too far off from legends like The Pogues and similar to some American rowdy revival folk like Railroad Earth.
This may be how music has always progressed – with new genres forming from combinations of previous styles with a good measure of pastiche. Perhaps now there is a little more notice because there seems to be both a variety of different styles being revisited and some of the biggest selling artists tapping unexpected genres like 1930s/1940s jazz vocal.
My musical background covered, I’d like to present my thoughts on some genres that have been getting a little bit of revival attention that remind me of some of the music I loved growing up listening to: Soul and Funk. First let’s just say that soul and funk cover quite a lot of ground – James Brown, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, etc, etc. Blues offers up even more of a span, reaching all the way from Robert Johnson and Leadbelly to John Lee Hooker and B.B. King to R.L. Burnside. While this is all a big span of sound, I also think this these are all very American-rooted genres that offer up something of the American condition, history and experience. To know this music is to understand something visceral about America’s cultural history.
With that being said, let’s get right to some of my favorite contemporary bands creating wonderfully funky, soulful and bluesy music with a distinct energy and flavor. You can also be thankful you don’t also have to pair listening to these bands with having to wear clothes like these:
Below I’ve listed various albums which are linked directly to the library catalog where you can request them instantly – just click on the link 🙂
Record Label with Soul: Daptone Records
Daptone Records is a musician owned and run record label out of Brooklyn, NY. It was created by Gabriel Roth and Neal Sugarman after the demise of Desco Records. Daptone specializes in funk, soul, Afrobeat and gospel. There are some truly special artists on this label with a great retro, but contemporary sound. Standouts include Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Antibalas, The Budos Band and Charles Bradley. Check them out and keep on the lookout for new releases – the library certainly will!
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears – Debuting in 2007, Austin-based singer and guitarist Black Joe Lewis put forth his first album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! along with his band The Honeybears. This band plays great funk/soul/rock with distinct influences from James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Howlin’ Wolf. This band can give you tons of danceable energy or some chugging soulful blues. They even played at Maxwells a few years back! Their new album Scandalousoffers up more of the same – you won’t be disappointed.
Gary Clark Jr. – With comparisons to greats like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr. has some big hype to start out. It’s unfair for anyone to get saddled with those heavy comparisons, but that also means there’s some serious talent there. 29 year old Gary Clark Jr. hails from Austin, Texas and offers up some serious Texas Blues a la Stevie Ray Vaughan with songs like Don’t Owe You a Thang. With a repertoire of slow, thoughtful blues mixed with energetic Texas Blues/Rock, Gary Clark Jr. is a great place to find contemporary blues in the way of Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Lee Hooker or R.L. Burnside. Check out his latest album, Blak and Blu.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – perhaps the biggest star of Daptone Recods, Sharon Jones has found middle-age success where previously her talents went unrecognized. Emanating James Brown soul and charisma, Sharon Jones has produced several top flight albums since the late 1990s. She has largely performed with the Dap Kings band, whose members are drawn from Daptone Records ensemble of musicians. The band got a break in the early to mid-2000s when they worked with Amy Winehouse and were her backing band in her first U.S. tour. Sharon Jones offers up all you’d want in soulful/funky singer, and has a great band backing her up. Check out any of her albums, including 2010’s I Heard the Hard Way and her debut 2002 debut album Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.
Antibalas – Antibalas has been one of my favorite bands for almost 10 years running. This group has modeled itself strongly after the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and along with Eddie Palmieri’s Harlem River Drive Orchestra. Antibalas is Brooklyn based (also on Daptone Records) and has also performed on Broadway, providing the music for the musical Fela!, based on the life of Fela Kuti. Since their 2001 debut album Liberation Afro Beat, Vol. 1 they have been pumping out intoxicating beats that is almost impossible not to move to. They released a new self-titled album in 2012 – Antibalas. Check out the cuts Sare Kon Kon (Running Fast) and Dirty Money. You can also find these other albums from them in the library’s system: Security, Talkatif, and Who is This America!
Budos Band – This band draws much from Antibalas, having been formed at a jam session hosted by Antibalas. The group includes several members of the aforementioned band and is also featured on Daptone records. Look for plenty of Afrobeat and Latin rhythms, but with some added soul-jazz to spice things up. Check out their song Black Venom from their latest album The Budos Band III to get you hooked.
Eli Paperboy Reed – Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone magazine describes Eli as delivering “classic soul and horn-heavy R&B soaked with the blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.” What’s not to like about that? He gives you some classic sounding Detroit/Chicago blues and soul. Check out his 2010 album Come and Get It through the library.
Alabama Shakes – The newest band on this list released their first and only album in 2012. Alabama Shakes may have a sound that is not exactly a retro sound, but they play intoxicating blend of fiery blues and Southern soul that is hard to ignore. They’ve drawn comparisons from The Black Keys, The Detroit Cobras and even Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and recently played a concert along with several other groups at the White House that became the PBS special Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul. The special just aired on PBS on April 16th. While their first album is not perfect, their southern soul sound and the passion of their lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard will hopefully make this a band to watch. Check out their first album Boys & Girls.
Charles Bradley – This soul and R&B singer grew up on the streets and spent most of his life only playing music on the side. Finally, he was recognized by Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records and released his first album with them at the age of 63. Charles sings with a soul and passion in the vein of early James Brown or Wilson Pickett. If you’re looking for a sound right out of the 1950’s and 1960’s with a ton of soul and emotion, then look no further than Charles Bradley. For a perfect example check out his song Heartaches and Pain written about real events in his life of the album No Time for Dreaming.
Soulive – This trio has been around since the late 1990s and features drums, organ and guitar. They play a super funky organ-driven instrumental groove-jazz that is hard not to dance to. This band has been popular for years in the jam circuit and can certainly find some appeal for lovers of funk. They have plenty of albums to dive into – try some of their earlier albums like Doin’ Something or Next.
Galactic – If you are a fan of the wonderful show HBO series Treme , you might have caught this band performing in one episode as they hail from New Orleans. Galactic is another band that has been popular for years in the jam circuit, but also as a New Orleans staple since the mid-1990s. Galactic serves up a distinct New Orleans flavor with a mix of funk, jazz and good dose of horns. This is a great band to try if you want to push a little more into the jazzy side of funk. They can also start to introduce you the plethora of great New Orleans bands that are out there, where jazz, funk and soul have been alive and well for years. Check out their latest album Carnivale Electricos.
The Black Keys – This band likely needs no introduction at this point, with its most recent albums now charting high on the Billboard and iTunes charts. Their recent sound has pushed far more into the alternative, garage dance rock side of things. However, this band’s first few albums on Fat Possum and Alive Records give us some great garage blues. Even if you are not a fan of the current sound of this band, their first album The Big Come Up sees them playing some classic blues songs with a great garage-blues sound.
NPR Discover Songs: Soul Revival – NPR put together this compilation album, pinpointing a number of great bands in the soul revival trend. Certainly worth a listen and can be checked out from the library – NPR Discover Songs: Soul Revival.
– Written by Matt Latham – Reference Libriarian + manager of the music and comics/Manga collections
You can borrow music on CD from the library or through any of the other 75+ libraries in the BCCLS system. You can search our catalog by going to our website and then clicking on catalog. If you are interested in an item just click on “Request This Item” – you just need the barcode on your library card and your PIN number (usually the last 4 digits of your phone number). If an item is at another library it will be shipped to the Hoboken Library for you to pickup! If an item is available it usually only takes a couple of days.
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 