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Daptone Records: Anything to Offer That I Can't Get in a $1 Bin?
Link: http://www.daptonerecords.com/
I've been skeptical about Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Budos Band, and the hub of this neo-soul scene, Daptone Records. Yesterday, however, I dug out a recent issue of TapeOp that I had not finished and made myself read an article on the head of this scene, Bosco Mann? He's also the bassist for The Dap-Kings and their producer/mastermind. He's got a great 'stache, but I was skeptical. In short time, I couldn't help but love almost everything he said about his old school, decisive ways in making records.
Follow up:
I downloaded a handful of Budos Band songs a couple of months back, and they're pretty good for background music - very much like the original album-oriented soul music of the late '60s to which they aspire. I suspect this stuff is a dream come true for Townsman Buskirk's record collection.
Until tonight, however, I'd never heard Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. I've heard them announced on the radio and quickly switched the station. I was afraid of what I'd hear, afraid of what I'd think about all the fairly cool people I know who have raved about their stuff. This song by them confirmed a lot of the suspicions I had, but it does sound pretty good. Maybe the album has better tracks.
This live track has its merits, but do they pay the price for being too reverent? Is there a way to celebrate soul without putting on the hipster '60s suits? Is there a way to celebrate '60s soul without verging on Blues Brothers territory? To a lesser extent, I'm reminded of the things that end up bugging me about Amy Winehouse. I like how Nick Lowe has used these conventions in smaller doses over the last few albums, I know these Daptones dudes need to pay the bills, but is there anything there beside the style? Do they have anything to offer that I can't find in a forgotten soul record in a $1 bin?
6 comments
No.
I guess if you really want to hear someone approximate that sound in a live setting they've great but the whiff of nostalgia is too strong for me.
None of the artists I've heard on the label (and there is a few Daptone releases lingering around the collection) seem to have much personality themselves, either as performers or songwriters. They just seem to be standing in the footprints of the real stylists who originated the music 40 years ago.
I wish Daptone had one artist half as interesting as Joe Tex.
They'd probably sound better in a bar than on record.
If done with a sense of fun, the other questions are moot. And thank god we don't have to throw away these brilliant musical languages, just to satisfy the pressure for the new and for progress. Those are fine, but there are always Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Do it all.
In the end, these guys seem a little un-fun because of the tightness of the script, the costuming and so on. An obvious fear of stepping out of a very narrow pigeon-hole. But with a little looseness, it'd be fine.
If you came home from your local spot, you'd talk about what a good time you had.
Sadly, it's rare that I feel this way about things that hit on areas I love. I don't know if it has to do with the "weight of the cultural iconization process" If I'm looking for love, I don't want to settle for second best, especially if I feel I'm asked to be duped by the Blues Brothers suits and Northern Soul-collector's website. You've said it yourself. Sure, I would probably be different if it were you, Andyr, BigSteve, and McClean up there, doing your best without the overkill on schtick. They're the ones who've positioned themselves in the cultural iconization crosshairs, not me.
None of the artists I've heard on the label (and there is a few Daptone releases lingering around the collection) seem to have much personality themselves, either as performers or songwriters. They just seem to be standing in the footprints of the real stylists who originated the music 40 years ago.
I understand this argument and even though I like the music and performers on the Daptone label, have thought this way a little. It's actually very similar to bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, et al. approximating dance-punk and post-punk sounds of the early '80s.
Regardless, BigSteve and others are right. You really have to see Sharon Jones live. Her records just don't really showcase her appeal all that well. I've seen her twice now and I've ended up loving the live show much more than the respective albums she's been supporting (though I like those, too). Part of the problem is that I think someone like Amy Winehouse actually writes more memorable/catchier songs, though I bet Sharon would blow Amy off the stage.
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