funk

Lena Luca: “Rosebuds”

With the exception of so-called “industry plants”, it’s pretty rare for a superstar to hit their biggest stride during their first project. Think about Kenny Rogers with The First Edition, Danny Elfman with Oingo Boingo, or even Beyoncé with Destiny’s Child. Lena Luca had a classical background in oboe performance and music education before relocating to Austin in 2015 and becoming a centerpiece vocalist for art-funk outfit Bourgeois Mystics. That only lasted about a year before Luca jumped ship and launched a new project, a darkpop band in the vain of ’90s industrial post-grunge rock called Elevaded. Well, turns out even that wasn’t enough to scratch Luca’s creative itch.

Right around the start of the pandemic, they re-emerged under their current moniker, introducing Austin to an unapologetically-queer producer-singer-synthesist solo sensation. Disco, funk, R&B, indie, dance, and pop have all been up for grabs in Lena Luca’s upbeat, melody-anchored formulas since 2020, with a 4-track EP on the way. So if you’re checking out Remi Wolf this Sunday at Stubb’s, be sure to stick around ’til after 10 for an official after show performance by Lena Luca. If not, enjoy Lena Luca’s official selection from this year’s Austin Music Video Festival that accompanies one of L.L.’s most rousing bass grooves to date, an expertly-executed disco-funk phenom that gives Dua Lipa a run for her money, “Rosebuds”.

Honey Made: “Upstairs”

Having played trumpet in a band whose membership ranged from around fifteen to twenty, “the more the merrier” approach didn’t really translate to exceptional songwriting. Thankfully that’s not the case for Austin nine-piece Honey Made. The first leg of Honey Made’s career was spent in the “party band” realm, wowing crowds more with enduring arrangements and a rapid-fire series of high-energy solos. But since they’ve internalized some of the lessons imparted on them by producer Steve Berlin (who helped shape Honey Made’s 2020 debut full-length Brand New), Honey Made’s managed to unstick themselves from the “jam band” mindset and embrace a previously-untapped but intrinsic excellence. Now Honey Made strives to refine their funk and soul so much that it’s sweetness gets stuck in your ears for years, instead of just oozing offstage the minute the gig’s over. Honey Made played last Friday at Radio Coffee & Beer and just today released a stinger of a funk-soul single. Between Honey Made’s signature horn stabs, cool choral harmonies, and vocals that give the late Charles Bradley a run for his money, “Upstairs” proves just how little musical real estate Honey Made needs to create a playful, catchy retro-modern masterpiece.

Quentin And The Past Lives: “I Am The Gun”

We’re in the final seven days of Love Austin Music Month and in the home stretch ofATX Gen Next: Adventures in Person, which features this year’s roster fromAustin Music Foundation’s Artist Development Program. Quentin And The Past Lives especially shines among ADP 5’s Class of 2022, thanks in no small part to the canned heat unleashed by The Past Lives’ eponymoustattooed and often half-nude frontman,Quentin Arispe. The group’s got some exciting opportunities coming up, including a SXSW appearance and a Half Time performance for MLR Austin in late May. But before you catch Quentin And The Past Lives in person, trot along to the alt-rock-soul trigger discipline of “I Am The Gun”!

Anastasia Hera & The Heroes: “Like I Am”

Anyone who’s heard Anastasia Hera can tell that she’s a big proponent of Black activism, making her a prime candidate for the spotlight on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This native Austinitecemented her charismatic sense of verbal cadence early on by memorizing King’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech at a young age, andin 2015 Hera founded CAKE, a non-profit that empowers girls and women interested in musical performance. Anastasia Hera & The Heroes shared two new singles as part ofAustin Music Foundation’s Artist Development Program and their 2022 compilation ATX Gen Next: Adventures in Person including a luminous piece of R&B-funk perfect forLove Austin Music Month,”Like I Am”.

OKAMOTOS: “Band Music”

When a group’s been dubbed the Japanese analogue to golden-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, expectations are pretty high. And yet Tokyo-based four-piece OKAMOTO’s manages to live up to that hype and well beyond with a raucous, irreverent brand of punk-funk-rock that gives Freaky Styley a run for its money.

In the same vein as the Ramones, the members of this audacious quartet have adopted each other as informal family members, with a bond that’s gone above and beyond into their ninth LP, KNO WHERE. KNO WHERE is an epic, seventeen-song experience best enjoyed in its entirety, but if you can’t clock out to rock out quite yet, you can still hop aboard OKAMOTO’s locomotive energy with “Band Music”!

Cory Henry: “Dreaming”

If you’re a connoisseur of contemporary jazz-soul, then you’re likely already in-the-know about New York’s Cory Henry. This Snarky Puppy veteran multi-instrumentalist-producer-composer shines chiefly on keys and vocals, and invites the classic gospel, funk, and R&B tones of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Marvin Gaye into the realm of “future-soul”.

Cory Henry shared his aptly-titled LP Best of Me last Friday and kicks off a week-long stint at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club tonight. At just shy of a dozen tracks, the high-level ingenuity of Best of Me puts it in conversation with iconic soul records like Innervisions, Future Shock, and What’s Going On?, albeit with an inherently modern quality, best exemplified on “Dreaming Of”!

Flyjack: “Can’t Catch Me”

Even with the mass proliferation of digital production trends in the past three decades, there’s something inherently retro about the funk-soul sound. Austin group Flyjack knows this all-too-well, having just released a record named after an airline that bit the dust right when computers were becoming commonplace in the music world.

Pan Am gives you a first class ticket to a full spectrum of soul and funk and presents Flyjack soaring higher than they’ve ever been. Pan Am is out now without any of the restrictions you’d experience on a present-day flight, and today Flyjack’s given us another complementary carry-on, the heist-oriented music video for “Can’t Catch Me”!

Sunshine Boysclub: “Don’t See Why”

In recent memory, L.A. singer-producer Sam Martin’s occupied a singular role at the helm of indie pop outfit Youngblood Hawke. But just within the last couple months, Martin’s embarked on a refreshing solo venture, Sunshine Boysclub. Martin lives up to the expectations of the handle with a summer-ready youthful energy, lathering up classic disco-funk formulas with modern flairs of psych-pop, first heard on “Patience” last month.

In anticipation of Sunshine Boysclub’s debut album this fall, Martin just unleashed his sophomore single (and music video) “Don’t See Why”, a sweat-inducing booty-shaker ideal for a vacation, workout, or commute playlist!

John Splithoff: “WGYG”

Born and raised just outside of Chicago, singer-guitarist John Splithoff caught a lot of the soul, R&B, jazz, funk, and pop that blew over from the Windy City, and he’s kept those tones close at hand ever since. Splithoff’s been supplying us with singles dating back to his 2013 independently-released EP but after nearly a full decade, the songwriter’s understandably wanted something a bit more filling to sate his artistic appetite.

Well you can go ahead and gesture “ante up” all you want, but you’ll still have to wait ’til tomorrow to unlock John Splithoff’s debut LP, All In, in its entirety. True to its name, this inaugural full-length gives you an unfettered examination of John Splithoff, whose slick chord progressions and masterful vocal performances wrap up the moody-yet-upbeat record, and will keep your foot tapping with standouts like “WGYG”!

Armadillo Bonus: Blues, Jazz, and Funk

Join KUTX as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic Armadillo World Headquarters, the music venue that helped put Austin on the musical map. In this bonus episode, hear first-hand stories about the blues, jazz, and funk greats that made the Armadillo such a live music destination: the supernatural abilities of Freddie King and B.B. King, the Pointer Sisters in their funk heyday, and the raucous welcome given to jazz icon Count Basie.

Art Neville

Art Neville was an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist whose music and presence over five decades defined the New Orleans music scene. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about the life and legacy of Art Neville.

Steve Coleman (9.20.15)

Steve Coleman is an American saxophonist, composer, and band leader who’s work bridges the gaps between spirituality, culture, and time. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about the significance of Coleman’s work in our lives today. He suggests that through the music of Steve Coleman we can understand the complexities of our lives and identities, both as meaning everything and nothing in the same moment.

Herbie Hancock (4.12.15)

Herbie Hancock is an American pianist, and composer who’s musical collaborations span the breadth of everyone from Clark Terry and Miles Davis, to Joni Mitchell and Kanye West. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe, talks about what the life and work of Herbie Hancock can teach us about dedication, inspiration and the power of change.

King Curtis (2.15.15)

King Curtis was an American saxophonist, who played not only jazz, but R&B, rock n’ roll, and funk as well. His style was powerful and poignant, allowing moments to fully expand and develop. Unfortunately Curtis died young, murdered at the age of 37. In this installment of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what the life and legacy of King Curtis can teach us today.