‘Alabama Shakes’ rekindle love for vintage sounds
Adam Dangerfield
Mesa Legend
I can’t really put my finger on when it started, but at some point I became apathetic about music. It must have started over the last ten years which makes sense because that’s when I moved from New York to Arizona and left my musical accouterments behind. My records, DJ gear, guitars and amps, etc. It wasn’t until recently that I even realized that I stopped caring about music and this revelation deeply saddened me. It seems strange to lose my affinity for something that moved me so much, especially when you consider the time frame in which I grew up. Between 1971 and 2001 there was so much going on! So many genres of music were being invented and developed and I was into most of it. Hip Hop, Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, New Wave, Hard Core, Free Style, Grunge, Electronic Dance Music (house, techno, jungle), and, for the most part, all derivatives and mashup combinations of the above.
Three weeks ago I was on the road listening to a talk radio host interview a woman named Brittany Howard who is the singer and guitarist for a band called Alabama Shakes. I was impressed by what she had to say about their songs and blown away by the short clips played highlighting the band’s music. I YouTubed them the minute I got home and fell in love! The musicianship of the group is phenomenal, and they are completely at ease playing with eachother. A perfect match of band mates.As front woman, Brittany Howard is stunning. Not only is she an accomplished guitarist but she holds nothing back when delivering her vocals.
She has the drama of Patty LaBelle, the authority of Aretha Franklyn, and the grimy soul of Janice Joplin.
However, instead of saying Brittany is channeling these greats, it’s more like through some twist in the time/space continuum these greats channeled Brittany. Now I find myself recuing Alabama Shakes songs and falling in love with every groove and nuance. For this, I am eternally grateful.
