Jive Turkeys on Colemine Records

Who doesn't need the funk in the hot lazy days of summer. Once the sun goes down you need to get off of that couch or rocking chair and put on the singles, one after another. These Colemine releases seriously have you covered in all areas, the dirty almost obscene funk that makes you jump in the shower or a mellow groove like this Jive Turkeys single that Terry himself plays bass on.

"Straight Fire" comes in with a stuttery muted double strum electric, a stepping bassline and high hat fever but the real core of this one is a groovy hammond which grabs melody duty from the third measure in and runs the show completely. Going through the gears, everything from long sustained quivering chords to miniature breathy jabs. The bass line is right behind that organ in perfect time. Something of a slower tempo than I remember Jive Turkeys coming at you, but this is their equivalent of a slow jam. I hesitate even including that youtube video down there because tiny computer speakers do NOT do this justice. It's a poppy groove carnival, you aren't going to find anything ominous or pessimistic about their sound, this is another prime cut.
"Thumpin'" gets back into their hyper jittery sound and the four piece trades off solo pieces, with an extended warm hollow body solo before the bass expands on it's own riff. Like an ocean of people in midtown, this has all the energy of a bustling city. A long exposure shot of the streets blurring into red lines of cars, burning right angles into the film. I like when these singles have their own indirect narratives...well I guess like a book, it's better when you have your own more intimate picture. With a feel like this, you've got to imagine your own lyric narrative, but it's not like your dad's be bop boring jazz. Thumpin' actually has a lot of blues elements, simmering electric blues, almost a Funkadelic sound fronted by Buddy Guy, that sort of eyes tightly closed emotion.

Pick this up from Colemine Records, who also have the best t-shirt in existence. The title of that Gabriel Roth article "Shitty is "Pretty" - get the PDF here.