Funk music peaked in the 1970s with bands like Kool & the Gang and CHIC, who both centered their music on bass lines and even fused the genre with disco. Recently, there has a been a funk revival that is represented through bands like The Meters and Snarky Puppy. Leading this revival is the Michigan-born band Vulfpeck.
Vulfpeck is currently considered one of the best and most original funk bands. Rather than sticking with classic elements of funk, they shift between adding different pieces of jazz and soul, giving their work a unique take on the timeless genre. A large portion of their songs are instrumental, which represents how talented they are. All of their songs, both instrumental and vocal, showcase all of the elements equally as to not mask the abilities of the band members individually, along with how well they mesh together.
Vulfpeck is currently considered one of the best and most original funk bands. Rather than sticking with classic elements of funk, they shift between adding different pieces of jazz and soul, giving their work a unique take on the timeless genre. A large portion of their songs are instrumental, which represents how talented they are. All of their songs, both instrumental and vocal, showcase all of the elements equally as to not mask the abilities of the band members individually, along with how well they mesh together.
[Photo: Vulfpeck]
Very minimalistic, each member and their respective instrument play their role and their role only in the songs. In "Game Winner" from their 2015 album Thrill of the Arts, singer Charles Jones and guitarist David T. Walker feature in the song. The two of them, with Charles also on the rhodes, gives the track a gospel swing. While the track can appear to be too packed with elements, everything from the synth to the background vocals are distributed evenly, leaving no room for confusion, only room for complete amazement.
The group's talent does not stop at instrumentation and delivery. They seem to be masters at strategically placing samples throughout their songs. In "Game Winner," leading out of the bridge with the line "Give me the ball," there is a sample of a basketball swoosh. Also, the one-minute-long instrumental track "Walkies" on Thrill of the Arts has a dog bark sampled alongside a groovy bass line and a rhodes.
"Christmas in L.A." was first released as an instrumental track on their 2014 EP Fugue State. The same track was used on Thrill of the Arts, except this time with vocals and the most Christmas-y instrument of all--sleigh bells! The vocals are often sung by featured artists, however on this track it is sung by Vulfpeck drummer Theo Katzman, who happens to have the perfect funk voice. The track is also backed by some more gospel-like vocals, giving them a funk-soul fusion.
Vulfpeck is available for purchase and streaming everywhere because they're awesome. I HIGHLY suggest listening to their albums and EPs in tracklist order. I mainly say that because "Welcome to Vulf Records" (the first track on Thrill of the Arts) will get you extremely excited for the rest of the album. The track has an insane piano introduction that really just screams "Opening" and "Listen to me first!" Listening to it first will only benefit you in the end... I'll place that song below for your convenience.
[Courtesy of Vulfpeck on YouTube]
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