Artist Review: Alabama Shakes

If you took Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and mixed them with the Black Keys you would get a band like Alabama Shakes. Brittany Howard's vocals are filled with soul and passion and that goes well with the heavy, southern guitar (Heath Fogg) and strong drums (Steve Johnson). While they have an older soul/southern rock sound, Alabama Shakes are a very young but talented band.

Brittany Howard pretty much founded Alabama Shakes while playing the guitar back in high school in Athens, Alabama. She soon approached bassist Zac Cockrell and they started playing/writing music together after school. Desperate for a drummer they approached a local music store worker, Steve Johnson, who agreed to join and they quickly started making recordings. Before opening for Heath Fogg's band, the Shakes (earlier name), asked Fogg to join their band as well. Soon Fogg was a full time member and the band changed their name to Alabama Shakes in 2009.

After releasing their first EP, Alabama Shakes, in September 2011, the band got national recognition and soon started playing in cities like New York and Chicago. Their single, "You Ain't Alone", got used for a Zales' 2011 holiday jewelry commercial. By February of 2012, Jack White noticed the band's great sound and had them make some recordings at his own personal studio Third Man Records.

After all their early success, last Tuesday (April 9th) Alabama Shakes released their first LP Boys & Girls. I think the band has a great sound and Brittany Howard's lyrics are wonderfully expressed in her energetic, free range voice. This band has taken a lot of older music genres (funk, soul, Motown, and rock) make them fresh and youthful again. If you enjoy these music genres then this quickly successful, young band is for you.

Artist Review (Forecastle Preview Edition): Bassnectar

For the past decade, Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) has been creating many unique, electronic tunes. With a  freeform electronic and dubstep sound, Bassnectar is best known for his live performances, light shows, and community engagement. With 8 different LP's along with many remixes of other artist songs, Bassnectar is releasing his ninth album titled VaVa Voom on Tuesday, April 10th and with any successful live DJ there is a 2012 VaVa Voom tour this spring and summer. Luckily, for the people of Ohio Valley, his tour comes to Louisville at the beginning of Forecastle weekend and he will be headlining the Friday lineup.

For anyone who has never heard Bassnectar's music, it has very heavily electronic bass with many unique sounds mixed together. While I don't feel like his music is best for casual listening, it is fun music as there is a lot of energy and would be great to hear at one of his live shows.

Ashton's main musical influence comes from heavy metal and grunge bands such as Nirvana, Megadeath, and Metallica and it shows in his music. He has been creating genre-mixing music since the early 90's and has gained popularity through his live shows with music that consist of heavy tempos, lots of play with double time and half time and using electronic methods to embellish and reinforce other styles of music. Since 2009, he has been doing live shows constantly and has appeared at many music festivals and sold out shows around the world.

Bassnectar is also an active proponent of creativity, discussion, thoughtfulness, communication, health, education, safety, interaction, and critical thinking, and has fostered a community through his online discussion forum based around these principles. He has openly advocated for causes such as free press and true media, net neutrality, ending corporate personhood, public knowledge, and the non-profit organization Conscious Alliance.

Be sure to stay around for Bassnectar the Friday night of Forecastle weekend, as I am sure no one will want to miss his crazy ass live show.

Boombox - Bassnectar

The Churn Of The Century - Bassnectar

West Coast Lo-Fi Rides Again - Bassnectar

Upside Down - Bassnectar

Plugged In (Remix) - Bassnectar

Voodoo - Bassnectar

Artist Review (Forecastle Preview Edition): Sleigh Bells

It's been usually warm so far this month and it's not even officially spring yet. So with the temperature being above normal, I am previewing a band that is known for turning up their guitar sound level above normal. Sleigh Bells might not to be new to some of you, as their first LP Treats came out in 2010 and became a big hit on college radio stations across the country. Their poppy song "Rill Rill" was a great song off that album, however, the song was not a representative of the band's overall music genre. Most of their songs consisted of heavy, high-volume guitar chords. I once read an article that jokingly pointed out that Sleigh Bells turns their guitar up to volume 11.

In February, the young duo released their second album titled Reign of Terror. Again this band kept their loud guitar (Derek Edward Miller), strong drumming, and poppy/yelling vocals (Alexis Krauss). Both albums are great, but it will take some getting use to if you don't like it at first. They seem like a great band to see live, as their music has a lot of energy with a great mix of heavy metal guitar but with a poppy (almost like Pixies) beats and vocals.

Sleigh Bells will be playing the Friday of Forecastle weekend and many people (including myself) will be attending their show ready to rock out, as should you!

Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

Infinity Guitar - Sleigh Bells

Crush - Sleigh Bells

End of the Line - Sleigh Bells