Excellent Gentlemen
From the artists in our midst open thread, this band:
Long time readers will know that this is right in my wheelhouse as far as music goes. As I said in the comments, I haven’t been this excited about a band since Dag
By the way, I’m not feeling the politics thing today, so bear with me.
April 30, 2009 12:25 pm
Posted in: Music
21 Comments
21 Responses
Comrade Darkness - April 30, 2009 | 12:35 pm · Link
You can not feel the politics tomorrow too, if you like.
Incertus - April 30, 2009 | 12:38 pm · Link
I like the music, but who’s the guy dancing like ReRun from What’s Happening in the front row?
srv - April 30, 2009 | 12:45 pm · Link
Is the artist in the band or the dancer?
John Cole - April 30, 2009 | 12:47 pm · Link
@Incertus: LOL I didn’t watch it, I tabbed back to work and listened. I see what you are saying now.
schrodinger's cat - April 30, 2009 | 12:52 pm · Link
Only if we get a Tunch update.
amorphous - April 30, 2009 | 12:53 pm · Link
We need a “Scientists among us” thread where we can just nerd it up for a while. Then real scientists will shame my lowly engineer scientists brain away.
Jamey - April 30, 2009 | 12:58 pm · Link
Re: Excellent Gentlemen:
Wow, nice to see The Spin Doctors have really cleaned up their act…
binzinerator - April 30, 2009 | 1:23 pm · Link
@Incertus:
That’s John.
cmorenc - April 30, 2009 | 1:27 pm · Link
This band’s not doing anything that Sly and the Family Stone, or more originally, the late James Brown didn’t do far better and more authentically many years ago. By this I don’t mean at all that they’re bad at what they do (they’re decently ok)...if “unoriginal” was any disqualification, we could quit listening to 90% of blues artists, bluegrass artists, or rock bands.
However, if I am to judge just by this one song, these guys are light-years from being anything original, or from being anywhere close to the best at this type of genere. Others have done similar stuff before, much better.
The great thing about music is that (at least so long as you don’t blast your taste in music out in a public place where involuntary, often unwilling listeners aboud)...the ONLY qualification that matters is whether you like it and it sets off your own personal music orgasm sensors. So, enjoy, and don’t let me spoil your enjoyment. You won’t like half of what I like either.
green1010 - April 30, 2009 | 2:59 pm · Link
Nice—a DAG shout out? A bunch of white boys playing funk, and owners of the best song title of all time:
“Our Love Would Be Much Better (If I Gave a Damn About You)”
Ivan Ivanovich Renko - April 30, 2009 | 3:54 pm · Link
If a bunch of bearded-ass white guy-ass white guys can get the funk—and if the funk can redeem a wingnut* (that would be you, Monsieur Cole)... maybe there’s hope for this country after all.
(“funk can not only move, it can ree-move, dig?”)
omen - April 30, 2009 | 3:57 pm · Link
@Ivan Ivanovich Renko:
you seem to have a preoccupation with white ass.
R-Jud - April 30, 2009 | 4:11 pm · Link
Funk, huh? Here’s one of the weirdest things I’ve seen on prime-time TV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZwRQDNIPog
“The Funk is a living creature, about the size of a medicine ball, covered in teats.”
Dom Phenom - April 30, 2009 | 4:38 pm · Link
wow!
thanks for posting, it was pretty amazing to do my post-lunch internet surf and see my band’s video up there.
from a bearded ass white guy who humbly tries to shake booties on dance floors, thanks for the comments and critique.
you can check out more tunes at our myspace, and if you’re in Portland OR, our CD release show is May 23 at the Fez (sorry for the shameless self promotion)
Excellent Gentlemen Myspace
Ivan Ivanovich Renko - April 30, 2009 | 6:13 pm · Link
@omen: Can’t help it. It’s a black thang, y’see.
Ivan Ivanovich Renko - April 30, 2009 | 6:19 pm · Link
As a total side-ways-ass (see, I told ya—I can’t help it) question—how in the hayll did your wingnut friends react to your affinity for P-funk and the Godfather, Mr. Cole?
I bet that made for some really interesting conversations.
cmorenc - April 30, 2009 | 9:11 pm · Link
Here’s some OTHER REALLY GREAT MUSIC
If that link doesn’t work for some reason, here’s the same clip on YouTube Same Really Great Music ...but IMHO the sound quality is a bit better from the first link.
Just try to not start swaying, tapping, and either singing along with this, or else keep from hanging your mouth open in amazement. Best version of this song I’ve ever heard, even a notch better than the fabulous original many years back.
galactasaurus - April 30, 2009 | 10:17 pm · Link
Nice music – not at all like James Brown, though I suppose there is some similarity to some of Sly and the Family Stone. I think they are more influenced by George Clinton and Parliament, but any way you look at it they did a great live song. The guy dancing is basically doing a combination of locking and popping, two foundational funk style dances.
Original Lee - May 1, 2009 | 8:49 am · Link
@cmorenc: Late to the party (because I don’t have a sound card at work), but that was AWESOME.
Don Buie - May 1, 2009 | 3:51 pm · Link
@cmorenc
Agreed. White people should not play any music that has not been cleared by other White people. Moreover, that rule should extend to Black people as well. In fact, I make it a point not to listen to anything outside of Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Rush. We don’t need anything else, and I stay in compliance.
Von VanHammer - May 1, 2009 | 5:06 pm · Link
@Don Buie
@cmorenc
In our post racial society I try to be “cool” by listening to DMB whenever possible. This stuff is really funky but it kinda makes me uncomfortable. I’m not a very good dancer.