Menahan Street Band / Crossing, The
| Album: | Crossing, The | Collection: | General | |
| Artist: | Menahan Street Band | Added: | Dec 2012 | |
| Label: | Daptone Records | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2013-01-19 | Pull Date: | 2013-03-24 |
|---|
| Week Ending: | Mar 17 | Mar 10 | Mar 3 | Feb 17 | Feb 10 | Jan 27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Mar 14, 2013: | The Sunset Life
The Crossing |
4. | Feb 15, 2013: | The Songsmith Show
The Crossing |
|
| 2. | Mar 07, 2013: | The Sunset Life
Everyday A Dream |
5. | Feb 09, 2013: | Music Casserole
Keep Coming Back |
|
| 3. | Feb 28, 2013: | The Sunset Life
Seven Is The Wind |
6. | Jan 24, 2013: | The Sunset Life
Driftwood |
Album Review
librae jackson
Reviewed 2013-01-11
Reviewed 2013-01-11
Menahan Street Band/The Crossing/DapTone
The Menahan Street Band consists of former members of The Dap Kings and Antibalas. If you’re familiar with the DapTone style of production, you know that they have a knack for making new music that sounds vintage. Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse are among the many beneficiaries of their instrumentation.
This album is filled with delightful whiffs of funk for your olfactories. Hard drums on every track; a myriad of melodies from the horns. Music to meet you exactly where you are, and match every emotion.
1. The Crossing (5:07)
A big drum roll kicks the door in, making way for the horn section’s call to attention. The mood is established by the strings, which provide a lovely setting. The drums provide an ecstatic bounce. The horns harmonize like a soulful choir, taking the background and the forefront, simultaneously. A subtle organ also rides the groove. Fades out with terrific adlibs from the trumpet. Big sound that fills up every inch of space, musicaly. Not even a split second is wasted.
2. Lights Out (2:38)
Hard groove which sounds Wutang-y (in a good way, and most likely, on purpose). Well-executed.
3. Keep Coming Back (3:19)
Slow R&B oldies swing, with the feel of a soulful love song from the 70’s. Many ears will keep coming back to this beautiful track.
4. Three Faces (4:37)
Slow, contemplative beginning, wherein the funk is present, but subdued. Then, it breaks loose at 1:16. The futility of trying to contain it becomes obvious, once the synth comes in at 1:48. The funk spreads throughout the atmosphere, and even travels into space. It even remains funky, on the way back down, as the song’s 3rd groove change, at 3:42, brings it all back down to earth, where it belongs – even permeating the soil.
5. Sleight of Hand (3:03)
Opens with a very loop-worthy drum beat, with bass and organ attached. It’d be a sample finder’s dream, if it were truly vintage.
6. Everyday A Dream (3:53)
Soulful stroll. Inspires one to be happy, peaceful and content.
7. Seven Is The Wind (5:09)
Nice groove, led by an excellent slide guitar - not for the country, but the gritty streets.
8. Bullet for the Bagman (2:59)
Slow mosey of a groove, with a 70’s spaghetti western feel.
9. Driftwood (3:41)
Twangy western guitar, with a Mexi-Cali feel in the horns. Lovely melodies.
10. Ivory and Blue (3:38)
The Antibalas presence can definitely be heard on this track. Afrobeat rhythms, with fertile horn arrangements.
11. Ivory and Blue reprise (1:05)
Nice conclusion to an awesome project.
The Menahan Street Band consists of former members of The Dap Kings and Antibalas. If you’re familiar with the DapTone style of production, you know that they have a knack for making new music that sounds vintage. Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse are among the many beneficiaries of their instrumentation.
This album is filled with delightful whiffs of funk for your olfactories. Hard drums on every track; a myriad of melodies from the horns. Music to meet you exactly where you are, and match every emotion.
1. The Crossing (5:07)
A big drum roll kicks the door in, making way for the horn section’s call to attention. The mood is established by the strings, which provide a lovely setting. The drums provide an ecstatic bounce. The horns harmonize like a soulful choir, taking the background and the forefront, simultaneously. A subtle organ also rides the groove. Fades out with terrific adlibs from the trumpet. Big sound that fills up every inch of space, musicaly. Not even a split second is wasted.
2. Lights Out (2:38)
Hard groove which sounds Wutang-y (in a good way, and most likely, on purpose). Well-executed.
3. Keep Coming Back (3:19)
Slow R&B oldies swing, with the feel of a soulful love song from the 70’s. Many ears will keep coming back to this beautiful track.
4. Three Faces (4:37)
Slow, contemplative beginning, wherein the funk is present, but subdued. Then, it breaks loose at 1:16. The futility of trying to contain it becomes obvious, once the synth comes in at 1:48. The funk spreads throughout the atmosphere, and even travels into space. It even remains funky, on the way back down, as the song’s 3rd groove change, at 3:42, brings it all back down to earth, where it belongs – even permeating the soil.
5. Sleight of Hand (3:03)
Opens with a very loop-worthy drum beat, with bass and organ attached. It’d be a sample finder’s dream, if it were truly vintage.
6. Everyday A Dream (3:53)
Soulful stroll. Inspires one to be happy, peaceful and content.
7. Seven Is The Wind (5:09)
Nice groove, led by an excellent slide guitar - not for the country, but the gritty streets.
8. Bullet for the Bagman (2:59)
Slow mosey of a groove, with a 70’s spaghetti western feel.
9. Driftwood (3:41)
Twangy western guitar, with a Mexi-Cali feel in the horns. Lovely melodies.
10. Ivory and Blue (3:38)
The Antibalas presence can definitely be heard on this track. Afrobeat rhythms, with fertile horn arrangements.
11. Ivory and Blue reprise (1:05)
Nice conclusion to an awesome project.
Track Listing
| 1. | The Crossing | 6. | Everyday A Dream | |||
| 2. | Lights Out | 7. | Seven Is The Wind | |||
| 3. | Keep Coming Back | 8. | Bullet For The Bagman | |||
| 4. | Three Faces | 9. | Driftwood | |||
| 5. | Sleight Of Hand | 10. | Ivory And Blue |