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.
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