THE SHIFTLESS LAYABOUT RECIPE FOR FUNKY, FUNKY, FUNK:
Okay, so you take a nice funk underpinning, right? A nice funky foundation. Heat it up a little, but don't let it boil over. Add some groove, maybe somewhere low, yeah, a nice bass groove. Just let that simmer. Slow cook it, yeah. Start getting the meat in there, start laying in the drums and the kicks and the "squichy-squichy" guitar, yeah, that's smelling fresh. Now the spices, sprinkle that brass and that sax in there, let the horns add some zing. Zest - that's what we're looking for, zest. Turn that heat up, just a couple turns, let that orange flame lick at the pot...Now you gotsta stir it, baby, just stirrrrr it all around, let those smooth vocals just stir it all up, yeah, swirl it! There it is, yeah, now it's rocking - snare drum snaps and reedy sax squeals and gritty guitar riffs, yeah...that's it...now wait for it...wait for it..go! Turn that heat UP! Turn it WAY UP! Unnnh!
STANKY.
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FUNK-FU: a combination of dirty grooves, tight horns, soul-power, 70s rock, outdated dance moves and kung-fu kicks.
The Shiftless sound is a blend of rock and funk, grit and polish. They bring a fresh perspective to the old-school: combining wah-wah funk and ass-tingling brass with a crunchy dose of southern rock. Their influences include: Average White Band, War, Blood Sweat and Tears, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Frank Sinatra, Mofro, Lynard Skynard and a fistful of 70's kung-fu.
Shiftless Layabout was founded in Seattle in the summer of 2002 by the loungey yet soulful Tim Kelly and piano virtuoso Mike Van Bebber. The band soon grew to include Matt Wexler's super-tight booming-funk bass, Brandon Keller's edgy saxophone, Tom Miller's blues-soaked guitar and a string of ill-fated drummers. Most recently they've celebrated the return of the skin-slapping percussion of Christian Kreihbal, alongside the addition of the meaty trombone sounds of Heidi Wischler.
After over a year of jazzin it up they ditched the keyboards and began the quest for Funk-Fu. Honing their funk discipline at Seattle "shrines" like Nectar, ToST, the Old Pequliar, Fado, as well as private events and street fairs, the Layabouts are finely honed, lethal weapons of funk. Tim and the band have dug deep, searching for a leaner, grittier sound that has gradually evolved into its current funk-rock explosion.
| Sep 1 2007 |
Shiftless Layabout @ Skylark w/Golden Robot Army | ||
| Jun 29 2007 |
Shiftless Layabout @ Taste of Tacoma | ||
| Jun 21 2007 |
Shiftless Layabout @ The Central...pre-CD-release show! | ||
| Jun 16 2007 |
Shiftless Layabout @ China Pearl | ||
| Jun 15 2007 |
Shiftless Layabout @ China Pearl |
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