If deep down nitty gritty soul is your thing, then this week’s Artist of the Week is right up your alley! Hailing from the deep south, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings are leading the way for the new revolutionary funk/soul sound. Earlier this week, the band released its fourth studio album and probably one of the most anticipated albums of 2010: I Learned the Hard Way.
Sharon Jones was discovered when she sang back up on a track by a former Artist of the Week, Lee Fields. Her singing style was immediately felt by everyone in the room. She quickly formed a band and left to Spain, where the band recorded their first album Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. The sound the album produced was unlike anything being played on the radio. The album was pure funk, and created a cult following for the band.
What made the album so revolutionary was that it went back to the roots, something that most R&B soul singers aren’t doing. Instead of using all digital equipment, the Dap Kings used all analog equipment to give the album that “authentic” sound. If you close your eyes, you can imagine yourself in a tiny club, in the Deep South, dripping with sweat, while everyone dances to the funk sounds of this record.
Most bands release groundbreaking albums then stray from the formula that made them so successful, but not the Dap Kings. In 2005, the band released their sophomore album, Naturally. The album kept the same vibe as the first with more of a rich sound. Everything about the band is authentic, even the lyrics, often using words or phrases from the 60s. 100 Days & 100 Nights was released in 2007, and the formula stood intact. The album contains much of the same sound as the other two. Although that may be boring to others, the band’s music is so refreshing that it doesn’t bother me one bit!
Like I said earlier, I Learned The Hard Way was one of the most anticipated albums of 2010; for me anyway. The album keeps the same sound, but for some reason sounds a bit more mainstream. It doesn’t have that “grit” that the other albums had. Having said that, it is still the best R&B music out there. “I Learned the Hard Way” and “Better Things” are excellent tracks on the album. The album is a bit more down-tempo than the other three albums, but again, it is still rich in sound and lyrically content.
When I say that Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings are revolutionizing R&B, they actually aren’t. They’re taking music back to a more simpler time. The music is not complicated, the lyrics are simple, the album art is simple, everything about the music is simple. Yet the sound is magical! If you are TRULY a fan of R&B music, then Sharon Jones is worth checking out. Bands like Lee Fields, Raphael Saadiq, the Menahan Street Band and the Budos Band are reviving the true meaning of Rhythm & Blues music. They are taking us back on a journey to a time that was magical for music, and for that I salute them!
Top 5 Songs
1. What Have You Done For Me Lately (Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings))
2.Got A Thing On My Mind (Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings)
3. Your Gonna Get It (Naturally)
4. Tell Me (100 Days, 100 Nights)
5. I Learned the Hard Way (I Learned The Hard Way)
Useful Links
Listen (Legally) to the entire album here
Listen to the SXSW 2010 Performance
Great to see you showing her some love, Mailo! I lurve Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings! I love this whole explosion of blue/soul artists like Lee Fields, Sharon Jones and Mayer Hawthorne! Other songs to check out that I love are “100 Days, 100 Nights” and “Let Them Knock.” Here’s a great performance! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf6gyRI1zqg
P.S. That SXSW video was awesome!