Way back in the day when I was in college, I would occasionally reunite with my high school friends and get all sorts of fucked up. Inevitably The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, would wind up on the stereo and a bunch of suburban kids would dance around with the white man’s overbite and just enough rhythm to think we were cool.
Fast forward many years (ed. note 20 to be exact) and I head into the Metro in Chicago to catch Okkervil River. As I grab my first beer, I’m drenched with a torrential downpour of soul and funk from a band called Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears. Definitely not the sound you would expect to hear from the opener at an Okkervil show. I only caught a song or two, but I remember thinking that the band sounded like a mix between James Brown and The Dirtbombs.
I never thought about tracking Black Joe Lewis down because most funk bands sound great live, but put out albums that sound‚ like shit. I subconsciously put Black Joe Lewis in this category and I haven’t been that wrong since I ate a whole jalapeno pepper on a bet. Tell Em What Your Name Is is a stunning debut – a 31 minute mix of funk, soul and blues. The album will have you up out of your seat and dancing in no time and has become a big favorite at the Woodman family dance party.
The album begins with the aptly named “Gunpowder” that sets the tone for the rest of the album. A couple of tunes later we get 2009′s theme song, a James Brown inspired shout out in “I’m Broke.” And a bit later there’s “Get Yo Shit,” a brilliant tune and hilarious story in which Black Joe tries to weasel his way back into his woman’s house.
Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears are a guaranteed good time. Hopefully somewhere in my old suburban stomping grounds, there are a bunch of high school kids cranking up Black Joe and getting their groove on.
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Video: Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears – Sugarfoot
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