To give you an idea about what The Grolar Bears are like all you need to know is that last year they released a '70s style exploitation full length soundtrack to a fictional movie. A short film based on the soundtrack was eventually shot. It tends to be the other way around usually. This is an awesome idea that you wouldn't think a band like this would actually go and record, there's a lot to love about those funk wah guitars that could use a contemporary twist. It sounds like this single is still working with a lot of those ideas on their latest from Pinata Records.
On A-Side's "Midnight Stew" serious upper level expressive piano chords bounce in an angelic sounding tempo which shifts suddenly into a crazy funk inspired groove with hints of the Polyphonic Spree in orchestral sound with a thousand voices. This combination of funk bass line and stutter rhythm guitar is a funky gospel church feeling with no real lead vocal. Individual voices occasionally make their way out front for a moment and then disappear back in the crowd. You don't hear recent funk singles taking the ensemble approach like this. It's always a group effort in the esoteric funk world on Cole Mine Records and Electric Cowbell, their groups already must be unmanageable arrangements of people to get together just to rehearse but The Grolar Bears eighteen members seem to be taking that idea to a real extreme.
The instrumental B-Side side is always fun if you want to examine things further or try to pair this up in your DJ set with something with a similar BPM. Not entirely instrumental, the choir is back there rising up through those horns. Would have loved to hear another track to see if that A-Side was a great punchline or if they have an entire set worth of gospel funk like this.
Pick this one up from Pinata Records.
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