Re: The Well Part XXIII (take 2): I'll get something right someday
Ever heard of the Lafayette Afro Rock Band?
My younger bro calls "Darkest Light" 'that Rumpshaker sample'.
What about Fela Kuti and Afrika 70?
Oh man, I miss Kuti! Afrobeat is not something you find in western Kentucky. Antibalas works for me also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JesQIJNboNk&feature=related
What about all the new soul-funk bands like Breakestra, Quantic Soul Orchestra and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings?
Haven't kept up as much as I need to (see above), but I believe George Clinton said it best: "We're building a funk army, and we need all the recruits we can get."
What's the silliest thing you've worn onstage?
A "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" button on St. Patrick's Day. Not to mention the matching green cardboard top hat. My black aviator shades made the look even dumber.
Much love for auto filters?
Effects can be overdone, but if used tastefully, they add some spice. That is, unless you're referring to the vehicular variety, in which case they're necessary.
What's your favorite non-music related magazine?
Car & Driver.
Are there funk cliches you've had enough of?
Stupid audience chants... "Throw your hands in the air", "Somebody scream", etc. Here's my scream: STFU!!!
Where do you stand on pesto?
I haven't had a good pesto since I came down here. Not to mention the "authentic NY-style pizzerias" that don't get the sauce right, or have never seen a Sicilian pie. And will one of these morons get it right? Brown the sausage in the casing, then slice it on a slicing machine before you put it on the pizza!
Where are your favorite places on the planet?
Beechmont Lake, Westchester County NY. Childhood memories... edit: see below)
When a band plays funk music and gets it wrong, what are usually the key problems to address?
Bass and drums tugging against each other and not locking up, or perhaps rushing/pushing the beat and not laying back in the groove, or trying too hard to copy an original (James Brown, P-funk, etc) exactly like the hit recording.
Is late 80s/early 90s funk-metal the single worst genre of all time?
Nu-metal was amusing and interesting for a time, then it got old fast. It might have succeeded, if the musicians had less ego. Clyde Stubblefield had more groove with one small kick and a Ludwig Speed King pedal, than most drummers (precious few exceptions, like Will Calhoun from Living Colour) could ever comprehend playing with 24" parade drums on either side.
As a bass player, what are the most annoying traits you see in guitar players?
Soloing too long, and not knowing how to play rhythm parts. If you're called upon, say something to the point, don't distract from the flow, and then get back in and support the groove.
One guitarist I played with thought he was the second coming of John Mayer -- as if the first one wasn't enough! If I could use some of these egos as models for digital reverb, I'd get infinite sustain. This bugs me even more, since I've kept up my 6-string chops. I could step up and do my thing, with no discernable loss in quality.
edit 2: another of my fave places, please G** let me go back soon... the Mediterranean beach at Holiday Club M'diq, Tetouan province, Morocco -- I took this pic from the hotel room balcony. It's my desktop photo.
