The guitars still twang, but the singer has left the room
September 12, 2013 9:25 AM Subscribe
What do you get when you put a band together out of ten, far too young, Australian hipsters? You get the groovy, funky, instrumental sound of The Cactus Channel, that's what.
No, no, they're lovely.
posted by MartinWisse at 9:49 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MartinWisse at 9:49 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm not familiar enough with the funk and soul traditions to answer this question, so maybe somebody else can. Is this (I'm thinking particularly of the "groovy" and "instrumental" links, here; I don't hear it quite as much in the others) a modern, samples-and-loops-influenced take on the genre, or did the structure and composition of classic funk and soul influence the way loop-based "dance" music evolved? Or is it more complicated?
I'm thinking in particular of sample-based hip hop, breakbeat, big beat, and so on, where you've often got a series of interwoven parts that loop more-or-less ad infinitum while other interesting bits come in and out, which is what seems, to me, to be happening in these tracks.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:50 AM on September 12, 2013
I'm thinking in particular of sample-based hip hop, breakbeat, big beat, and so on, where you've often got a series of interwoven parts that loop more-or-less ad infinitum while other interesting bits come in and out, which is what seems, to me, to be happening in these tracks.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:50 AM on September 12, 2013
They sound heavily influenced by Sharon Jones/Dap Kings and if you listen closely, you can hear some Hepcat in there, without the rocksteady ska, of course.
posted by mgriffioen at 10:42 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by mgriffioen at 10:42 AM on September 12, 2013
uncleozzy, the short answer is: James Brown. Go listen to his classic stuff, starting with "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," and moving forward chronologically. You can follow that up with some Sly Stone and George Clinton, ca. late 60s to around 1974, if you like. All will be revealed.
I don't like being all "your favorite band sucks" on this post, but The Cactus Channel seem pretty mediocre. The execution is adequate from a technical standpoint, but there's no grit in their alleged funk. I get that younger folks are going to do their own takes on older styles - the Dap Kings are OK by me - but this just seems real bland and derivative.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 11:56 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't like being all "your favorite band sucks" on this post, but The Cactus Channel seem pretty mediocre. The execution is adequate from a technical standpoint, but there's no grit in their alleged funk. I get that younger folks are going to do their own takes on older styles - the Dap Kings are OK by me - but this just seems real bland and derivative.
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 11:56 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Dude these kids are like 11 and they get together to play AMAZING LIVE MUSIC and have awesome SUPER FUN together instead of watching tv, being on facebook or whatever, people are dancing in the streets and you guys still go meh, are your souls completely DEAD or something
posted by Tom-B at 12:45 PM on September 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Tom-B at 12:45 PM on September 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
Dude these kids are like 11 and they get together to play AMAZING LIVE MUSIC and have awesome SUPER FUN together instead of watching tv, being on facebook or whatever, people are dancing in the streets and you guys still go meh, are your souls completely DEAD or something
it's okay. I'd enjoy dancing to them at a wedding or something, but I'm very much with Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner when he says ...
The execution is adequate from a technical standpoint, but there's no grit in their alleged funk.
because Funk Needs Grit
posted by philip-random at 3:18 PM on September 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
it's okay. I'd enjoy dancing to them at a wedding or something, but I'm very much with Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner when he says ...
The execution is adequate from a technical standpoint, but there's no grit in their alleged funk.
because Funk Needs Grit
posted by philip-random at 3:18 PM on September 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
This track is great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt_hEQiQUXE - you can see the improvement from "groovy" to "and".
Man, tough crowd.
posted by awfurby at 5:47 PM on September 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
Man, tough crowd.
posted by awfurby at 5:47 PM on September 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
the stuff I"ve listened to is kinda of pedestrian funk-lite filtered through 1990s triphop. I think its interesting that these youngsters are playing some music but its pretty boring music.
posted by mary8nne at 7:16 AM on September 13, 2013
posted by mary8nne at 7:16 AM on September 13, 2013
This track is great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt_hEQiQUXE yt -
Yeah, that's the best I've heard yet. Starting to remind me of some of the cool and "angular" white funk of the late 70s early 80s. Didn't mean to come down on them too hard. They are very young with a long way to go ...
posted by philip-random at 11:47 AM on September 13, 2013
Yeah, that's the best I've heard yet. Starting to remind me of some of the cool and "angular" white funk of the late 70s early 80s. Didn't mean to come down on them too hard. They are very young with a long way to go ...
posted by philip-random at 11:47 AM on September 13, 2013
« Older Fr. Flanagan and Mrs. Flanagan | The Rise of the New New Left Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by MartinWisse at 9:26 AM on September 12, 2013