Breakestra’s Break-Beat Funk
Considering that Breakestra’s last album was released in that antediluvian pre-Winehouse era known as 2005, people listening to From Dusk Till Dawn might wrongly peg them as carpet-bagging members of the Mark Ronson fan club (comes with free fedora-shaped Mezuzah and a CD-R mix of Le Tigre’s greatest hits via Samantha). After all, retro-soul has become as ubiquitous as rappers in skinny jeans and scarves. But Breakestra were at the forefront of the trend, mining Meters and J.B.’s breaks for inspiration long before they cut one of the first Stones Throw releases in 1999. My interview with Music Man Miles Tackett is up at the Times blog, discussing their excellent new record out on Strut, the memory of DJ Dusk (no, the title isn’t a dedication to the Sex Machine), and his all-time favorite breaks.
If you’re in LA, their show tonight at the El Rey comes highly recommended if you’re into both kinds of music: rhythm and blues.
Amazon: Breakestra-From Dusk Till Dawn
Download:
MP3: Breakestra-”Need a Little Love”
MP3: Breakestra-”Lowdown Stank”
Stumble It!
October 6th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Is there a stones throw artist you won’t shill for? Don’t get me wrong ST is good label, but Breakestra? yawn.
October 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Congratulations Jason, you’re the new Tray (except far less entertaining.) When you’re not kicking xenophobic knowledge, you’re making frivolous and factually inaccurate statements. Breakestra released a 7″ on Stones Throw a decade ago. They have released a half-dozen other singles, EP’s and albums since, none of them for Stones Throw.
There are plenty of artists on ST, I don’t write about. Or did you have this pegged as a James Pants fan site.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
How many times have you used, “congrats, you’re the new Tray” that’s kinda worn out isn’t it? No not James Pants, but you have an unusual amount of love for some of shittier ST artists, *ahem Oh No*, bleck. Whatev, I still read site take it for it’s worth.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Actually never.
Believe me, if I was going to shill for a label, I’d do it for one with the money to actually pay.
Read it or don’t read it, I honestly don’t care. But if you’re going to comment contribute something worthwhile or just shut up.
October 8th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Though this one’s on Strut as opposed to Stone’s Throw, I couldn’t give a fuck if I read something new about Oh No every day here, ’cause his music’s the shit. Bummer that’s boring to you…