One Track Mind » instrumental

The Budos Band “The Proposition”

One Track Mind — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:00:32 +0000

As the musical spine of the Daptone label, The Budos Band have made a name for themselves over the past half-decade by cranking out instrumental soul music that takes equal cues from the Blaxploitation films of the ’70s and Afro-Cuban polyrhythms. Although their sound may be the beating heart of the revivalist beast, the fact is that no one has been able to breathe life into soul and funk for the past quarter decade the way The Budos Band does (although Bronx River Parkway is a close second). The Staten Island combo completely understands the grittier side of their musical forbears and, armed with this knowledge, writes songs that sound like they should be in the next Tarantino kung fu send-up.

In addition to possessing ass-kicking flair, “The Proposition” weaves some interesting textures into the funky garb. For starters, there is the discombobulated rhythm of the opening guitar part, which quickly recedes into the background as the brass proudly announces its presence. At the end of the choruses, the whole gang stops on a dime, filling the air with silence for a few breathless moments, before all diving back in simultaneously. About three-quarters in, there is a thumping bridge punctuated by horn blasts and improvised rumbling saxophone–it would be the perfect accompaniment to some flying kick freeze frames.

There is no doubt that The Budos Band has a narrowly defined audience; that’s what happens when you do the soul revival thing and make your tracks instrumental, to boot. But for those that “get” their sound, there is no one who does it sweeter.

If you liked this song, you should also check out:

Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. “Stand Up”
Naomi Shelton “What Have You Done?”
June MP3 Rewind

Cassettes Won’t Listen “Into the Hillside”

One Track Mind — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:00:14 +0000

[ download ]

Multi-instrumentalist Jason Drake has been releasing music under the guise of Cassettes Won’t Listen since 2005, bucking traditional distribution models by favoring digital-only releases. In addition to his own electronic influenced indie tunes, Drake has compiled an impressive list of remix credits, putting his hand to the works of everyone from neo-shoegazers Asobi Seksu to enduring underground hip-hop artists such as Aesop Rock and El-P. Next Tuesday, Cassettes Won’t Listen drops Into the Hillside, a new instrumental LP.

The title track merrily skips along, pausing in a couple of places to stop breathe deeply, but one can’t shake the feeling that the whole thing is a little half-baked. One of the keys to making an instrumental significant is incorporating enough variation and texture that the listener doesn’t pine for the absent vocals. It’s like cooking a meal without any meat; the veggies better be damn tasty. On “Into the Hillside,” Cassettes Won’t Listen misses that mark, leaving the listener asking that timeless question: where’s the beef?

As a backing track, “Into the Hillside” would fare far better since there is a lot to like there. The synthesized strings act as a powerful wave, pushing through the song with tidal force. A mixture of drum machines and live drumming gives the beat a full sound, further complemented by some distorted, mid-pitch synths that are hidden lower in the mix. For an instrumental, however, none of the composing elements are dialed up far enough and one waits for things to hit some sort of crescendo.

If you liked this song, you should also check out:

June MP3 Rewind
Peter Bjorn & John “Second Chance (RAC mix)”
CSS “Hits Me Like A Rock”