I don’t fall in love with bands very easily. In fact, it sometimes takes quite a bit of interest to get one to sink in. Now, let me tell you something. I’ve fallen in love again. Pretty hard this time.
You are all aware how much I adore Heartless Bastards. I still do. But feeding my usual Saturday Night Live addiction (don’t ask me why), I heard the featured band, Alabama Shakes. I think I have found a love that can run much deeper than Heartless Bastards.
Now, I hear a lot of music, but while I’ve heard OF THEM, I’ve never HEARD them until recently. And I’m saying to you now, if you like your blues hot and heavy, full of growl and spit, then Alabama Shakes is your band.
Fronting Alabama Shakes is amazing vocalist, Brittany Howard (who also plays a good guitar). She is most certainly the focal point. There’s a stated comparision to Janis Joplin, and I have to say, Brittany is full of fire with shades of Janis in her vocal delivery.
Trust me on this, Alabama Shakes is a great band that I’m not going to forget in a long, long time. In fact, I can’t get to a record store FAST enough. (When was the last time you could say that?!)
If I don’t write another thing for the rest of the month, I would have done my job with today’s post. “Bless My Heart, and bless yours too…”
I feel the same way. I was queuing up Daryl Hall’s TV show on my DVR last month and happened to have recorded the last minute of the video for “Hold On”. It took a few minutes to find out who I was watching and I had the CD on the player the next day.
The real thing, indeed!
Greatness in a time of too little of it!
OK, this one is on my list to buy. I will be ordering from Amzn today.
BTW, did you ever get a chance to check out Astra “The Black Chord”? Just wondering what you thought of it. I’ve listened to it about a dozen times since I’ve gotten it on Saturday.
I did, Bill! And I should have told you. I apologize.
I was very interested in what I’ve heard. I should get an album to enjoy after I get to IL.
I totally agree Matt. I had SNL DVR’d and just watched it last night. I was mesmerized by the performances. The songs reminded me of the best of classic rock with a unique woman fronting the whole thing. Very catchy and powerful.
I watched both performances 10 times each! Absolutely mesmerized that such a talent exists today. (Not that they cannot, but WOW, what a talent!)
They are indeed the real thing…………Brittany was incredible at the Grammy’s during the Levon Helm tribute……….She really blew away the other vocalists during this segment……..
The ONE time I shoulda watched the Grammys.
They were just on Austin City Limits, along with Gary Clark, Jr. Excellent hour of NEW music, and I am not someone who gives a shit about most new music.
I often joke with people that I don’t know anything that came out after 1993 (the same year Billy Joel put out his last album), and while that’s entirely true there’s at least some truth to it. But Alabama Shakes are the real deal, and Gary Clark, Jr’s no slouch either.
The recent Bonnie Raitt/Mavis Staples episode of ACL was really good too, BTW. Two great veterans still kicking ass too!