While the Daptones may have defined the sound of modern soul and funk
in Brooklyn, a man by the name of JC Brooks and his band the Uptown
Sound are defining it in the Windy City.
Brooks & Co have been
storming the live circuit as the backing band of soul legend Syl
Johnson and were recently tapped to be the house band for the Numero Group's
Eccentric Soul Revue tour. Needless to say, the bands brand of raw
power funk has been making waves, and their brand-new 45rpm 7-inch on the
Rabbit Factory (the folks who brought us the Birmingham Sound comps)
is a culmination of all this hard work laid down on tape.
Featuring
“Get it Together,” their most cohesive studio outing to date; a gritty
combination of thumping grooves, down and dirty bass, and Brooks’
vocals channeling the power of the sound of the south at Stax and the
grind of Mr. James Brown himself. The B-side is a staple of their live
show, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” a knockout cover from
Chicago comrades Wilco’s now bonafide classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
This idea sounds terrible in concept, but it’s legit when The Uptown
Sound brings in the driving claps and tasteful vibes.
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” (Wilco cover)
