Top Tunes Thursday: Alabama Shakes — Joe

November 5, 2015

Stylistically, the track actually falls nicely between the two records, meshing cozy Southern hospitality with smoldering soul. The tune kicks off slow, enchant us with us a gated chrous across shiny pickups. Not long thereafter, the incomparable Brittany Howard welcomes herself to the track. At this point, it borders on the clichéd to talk about the thundering soul machine that are the pipes of Brittany Howard, but the vocal, as is typical for most Alabama Shakes content, truly is the star of the show. Murphy works the crowd like melted ropes of taffy, jumping from croon to croan at the pluck of a string. It’s a joy to listen to her work, and the crowd feels the same.

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New Music Monday: Alabama Shakes — Sound & Color

April 27, 2015

If fans were worried about the band resting on laurels on their second time around, they need not be. Sound & Color is a noticeably more challenging collection of tunes. What made B&G so great was its immediacy. The second you put in the headphones, it was as if the songs coming through had been on your “most listened to” for years. Sound & Color finds the band leaving one foot in their Southern rock roots, and planting the other in soul and blues. While the lead singles, “Gimme All Your Love,” “Don’t Wanna Fight,” and “Future People,” highlighted the electric Brittany Howard’s ability to send hooks screaming into your long term memory, the majority of the tracks require a little more patience.

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New Music Monday: Alabama Shakes — Don’t Wanna Fight

February 16, 2015

In 2012, Alabama locals Brittany Howard, Zac Cockrell, Steve Johnson, and Heath Fogg released their debut album, Boys & Girls. What began as a trickle, soon became an unstoppable waterfall of fandom for the band. The album snagged them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, as well as a headlining spot at the awards in 2013. This week, Alabama Shakes has announced their wildly anticipated sophomore album, Sound & Color. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is a smoky, sexy take on the band’s trademark bluesy rock vibe.

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