VULFPECK

[gabrielconroy]

I saw there was a thread already on these lads but it was from 2016, so might as well start a new one.

They summon pure, throbbing fun funk from the bowels of the funk beast. My friend has seen them multiple times and says they're the best live band he's ever seen, including Prince and yer Radioheads.

I was sceptical, but I'm going to see them in October and have been giving a closer listen and my lord are they feel good. Off the scale funky. Just positive stuff done to the highest level of skill and made to look like it's nothing.

I love the fact that some of the band members post up lesson videos on how to play their parts, not trying to cultivate any mystique, just some chilled funksters respectful of their musical heritage. I love the way when they're playing, they grin joyously at each other when someone pulls a tasty line. I also love that when you have a look at the comments, there's not a single negative nigel down there being a dick.

Have a listen to these, and turn it up loud:

Dean Town

Baby I Don't Know Oh Oh

But you can basically pick one at random and it will be just as good.

[grassbath]

They are stupendous. I think they actually represent a sort of watershed moment in music. They are a genuinely great band who never signed to a label and got to the top via online platforms, by sheer musical skill and talent, sense of humour, transparency about their playing and recording and open-source community mindset alone. I think that Jack Stratton, as their producer, principal composer, brand manager and 'bandleader' is something approaching a genius. And I can confirm that they do indeed kick all kinds of arse live.

Some of the older stuff for balance -

Outro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XftabV9S2z0

Fugue State - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGoXZvuUBw

Beastly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQRV0c1KXYc

[gabrielconroy]

Glad to hear they kick arses all over live, not that I can imagine them being in any way flat even if their instruments were unplugged.

I think Joe Dart might be one of the best bass players I've ever heard. Just come across this track where he seems to be channelling a funked up to the eyeballs Les Claypool, only better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DRCGcuByQc

[Funcrusher]

Steely Dan with hipster beards. Colour me underwhelmed.

[Noddy Tomkey]

Steely Dan with hipster beards. Colour me underwhelmed.

I'm going to listen to this, and then you'll be sorry.

A feller at work recommended VULFPECK to me but I didn't get round to it. Beards were alive before hipsters, think about that.

[gabrielconroy]

I mean, I've never really listened to Steely Dan. In fact, I'd written them off as boring old man rock as a teenager and never got further than that, despite my muso uncle telling me over and over how good they are. In fact, on one of the Vulfpeck 'here's how to play this song' videos the keyboard guy put up, he talks about how the chord was "the classic Steely Dan mu chord". But that's what they are, a perfect mashup of old funk and soul played with a body-wide grin and not a few injections of modern invention.

Having said that, the beards and shorts and grainy video and all that put me off at first, but now I'm all over it. They're just so good that they can get away with it. A great bunch of lads.

[the]

Only thing of theirs I've heard is 1612. It are funkisoul and I like it (plus esoteric mention of Ford Focus)

[Sherman Krank]

I also love that when you have a look at the comments, there's not a single negative nigel down there being a dick.

I don't post on Youtube.

Have a listen to these, and turn it up loud:

Dean Town

Baby I Don't Know Oh Oh

Ok done it.

First one.
The first bit is UB40's Food for Thought with the feel and the good bits left out (or any one of a billion other songs that incorporate that massively overused progression).
Then it goes into an aimless Seventies showband jam session then thankfully just stops.

Second one.
Sounds like a Joe's Garage out-take that Zappa would have had burned.

Had a listen to some of the other stuff and I get the impression that they're trying to build a career out of doing what most bands do when the singer doesn't turn up at rehearsals.

Also they seem to be entirely bereft of originality. Everything they're doing was done much better 40 odd years ago.They're just a soulless echo of a time long past.

Still I'm sure there's worse out there so good luck to them.

[buzby]

Only thing of theirs I've heard is 1612. It are funkisoul and I like it (plus esoteric mention of Ford Focus)

Jack Stratton was subletting his apartment as an AirBNB and 1612* was the code to the door. Presumably the mentions of a Ford Taurus and Ford Focus (the Taurus was the Us equivalent of the Mondeo, and the Focus has been sold there as long as it has here) were in the garage.

The following lyrics about Roberta Flack, Donnie Hathaway and Frank Sinatra are a reference to a Bernard Purdie interview in the episode of Classic Albums on Steely Dan's Aja

[grassbath]

The naysayers in this thread should be ashamed of themselves.

I mean, I've never really listened to Steely Dan. In fact, I'd written them off as boring old man rock as a teenager and never got further than that, despite my muso uncle telling me over and over how good they are. In fact, on one of the Vulfpeck 'here's how to play this song' videos the keyboard guy put up, he talks about how the chord was "the classic Steely Dan mu chord". But that's what they are, a perfect mashup of old funk and soul played with a body-wide grin and not a few injections of modern invention.

I got into the Dan - one of my favourite bands - through Vulfpeck, when Stratton sang the praises of the Royal Scam's Purdie/Rainey rhythm section on his Reddit AMA.

[jake thunder]

massively overused progression

Lol! What F#m7, C#m11, E9, B9? Yeah that's in all those Oasis songs isn't it?

Vulfpeck are great and I love them.

[Shaky]

Enjoyable but c'mon now, it's hardly earth shattering. As Sherman says there were loads of bands doing this stuff - better - 40 years ago. I don't detect an ounce of authenticity or genuine soul. And that's fine, it just makes them another decent clone.

[alan nagsworth]

Lol! What F#m7, C#m11, E9, B9? Yeah that's in all those Oasis songs isn't it?

lol indeed

people who complain that modern music is just derivative of old music and therefore invalid - seemingly ignoring the fact that "retro" resurgence is a big deal not just for reminding people of a particular time if they can get their heads out of their arses for five minutes, but more importantly for introducing younger generations to a classic style - are arseholes. it ain't about the story, jack, it's the way you tell it. that's why bands like thee oh sees can carve such a lucrative career out of noisy surfy garage punk jams and head-melting prog licks despite the fact that "wah wah it's been done!", because it's clear that the conviction is there in spades, and i'd certainly argue that this applies to vulfpeck, too. this music is fun as balls, they're clearly talented and having a great time making their music and that's something i can definitely fuck with. fair play to 'em.

also i think the line is blurred in the minds of some between "classic" music and modern shit simply because hey you've been listening to steely dan for forty years and the cultural impact is so big that it's hard to let the light shine into your dusty old mind from any other bulb. in a wider sense not just applying to these bands mentioned here, i think that's a load of waffle and this music is just as valid as that music. some of these moans are just a more intellectual version of those youtube comments you get on videos of the kinks saying "thank god someone uploaded some REAL MUSIC to show the kids how it's done!! not like the shit they have now!" shut the fuck up.

also also one of the cunts from steely dan is dead now so you might as well spend your money on seeing these lot instead.

also also also don't get your tena pants for men in a twist, grandads. this post is a serious criticism but it is written in a slightly facetious nature. still though, fuck off

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I like their attention to detail. Originality aside, this is something that is seriously lacking in music nowadays.

[Sherman Krank]

Lol! What F#m7, C#m11, E9, B9? Yeah that's in all those Oasis songs isn't it?

Vulfpeck are great and I love them.

Is it the drummer you think is playing F#m7, C#m11, E9, B9?
Because I'm fairly sure it's not the bass player.
Or did you miss-read the post?
Maybe it's my fault for typing 'first bit' instead of 'intro'?



Jesus, imagine being stuck in a lift with Nagsworth.
Even Gandhi would eventually lose his shit.

[jake thunder]

Nah man. The Rhodes piano is playing those chords.

Obviously the root notes are not very original, but the chord progression is and so is the bass riff later on.

I agree with Nagsworth and would enjoy sharing a lift with him.

Can't believe you compared this to UB40!

[Sherman Krank]

Nah man. The Rhodes piano is playing those chords.

No shit Sherlock but not in the bit I was referring to.
In the bit I was referring to Rhodes McHipsterface was just sitting there looking a tad smug and playing sod all.

Obviously the root notes are not very original

Hey look, it's that point I thought I was making.

but the chord progression is

For Speed Metal certainly but for this type of stuff, not so much.

and so is the bass riff later on.

Not a fan of seventies porn then.
Also, riffs tend to be short and repetitive, when it's long and meandering they're more commonly referred to as solos.
(Although in this case I'd be more inclined to go for 'extended noodle').

I agree with Nagsworth and would enjoy sharing a lift with him.

I BET YOU WOULD THUNDER YOU DIRTY OLD BOLLOCKS. I BET YOU FUCKING WOULD.

Can't believe you compared this to UB40!

Literally no one is asking you to. 

[grassbath]

I am taking it upon myself to restore some joy to this embittered thread by posting more Vulfpeck bangers.

Three very poppy ones:

Animal Spirits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTUnDV3MgVQ

Christmas in L.A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5K3UgrPdbQ

Back Pocket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG96RttfZtM

[jake thunder]

I BET YOU WOULD THUNDER YOU DIRTY OLD BOLLOCKS. I BET YOU FUCKING WOULD.

NOBODY speaks to me like that, not even my close friends. You don't know me! YOUR BLOCKED!

ALSO, good thing about the 'peck is that they're not super original or wacky wanky jazz school nerds like Snarky Puppy or whatever. They're more concerned with making music that sounds pleasing and is good.

[Sherman Krank]

To be fair I would probably have had much less of an issue with them if my last remaining grass dealer hadn't stopped answering his phone two weeks ago.

And as much as I like to think that all types of music are my thing this type of music has never really been my thing.

[jake thunder]

The 'peck released a load of "stems" for their tracks.

https://vulfstems.bandcamp.com/

All of the tracks are a single take, no edits, occasional overdubs. Skill.

[Misspent Boners]

Has anyone been enjoying the recently released Madison Square Garden recording. Fuck me; it's a joyous thing to be fair, and weirdly great as an album to listen to at Xmas. The video of the entire concert is on youtube and for some reason I feel itd be wicked as a shared experience on a big screen in a bar or something, might try and sort something out

Also the audience have the most pitch perfect call and response; the harmony on back pocket is spot on

[Dewt]

First one.
The first bit is UB40's Food for Thought with the feel and the good bits left out (or any one of a billion other songs that incorporate that massively overused progression).

Okay but it's clearly a Weather Report tribute. The title is even almost exactly the same

Imagining saying this is derivative without being aware of the very well-known thing it is gleefully deriving from

[Non Stop Dancer]

Has anyone been enjoying the recently released Madison Square Garden recording. Fuck me; it's a joyous thing to be fair, and weirdly great as an album to listen to at Xmas. The video of the entire concert is on youtube and for some reason I feel itd be wicked as a shared experience on a big screen in a bar or something, might try and sort something out

Also the audience have the most pitch perfect call and response; the harmony on back pocket is spot on

It's absolutely amazing isn't it. Tight beyond belief.

[Non Stop Dancer]

Sherman Krank, can I just point out that you're the worst kind of Internet music cunt? Haven't you got a pub to bore somewhere?

[Misspent Boners]

Sherman Crank's severely cringe-inducing bunch of wankery is probs left forgotten upthread I think...maybe I should've started a new thread. UB40 hahah. Jesus.

They formed as a homage to old recording studio bands and are just very talented musicians playing well and making up fun songs with other talented musicians. There is nothing smug or hipster about them. They're daft nerds who have put the work in and dont take themselves seriously.

The Madison Square Garden show is wonderful and feels like a pivotal moment for them; everything has built up to this show. Restores my faith in music that this kind of band are garnering enough attention to fill up such a vast space. Hope to see them someday but for now I'll settle for Cory Wong in the new year

[Bennett Brauer]

I fear for the future of Joe Dart's neck.

[Non Stop Dancer]

Sherman Krank, can I just point out that you're the worst kind of Internet music cunt? Haven't you got a pub to bore somewhere?

On reflection this is a touch harsh. Sorry.

[McFlymo]

They are stupendous. I think they actually represent a sort of watershed moment in music. They are a genuinely great band who never signed to a label and got to the top via online platforms, by sheer musical skill and talent, sense of humour, transparency about their playing and recording and open-source community mindset alone. I think that Jack Stratton, as their producer, principal composer, brand manager and 'bandleader' is something approaching a genius. And I can confirm that they do indeed kick all kinds of arse live.

This sort of thing does get me excited for music again. Alongside seeing yer man Adam Neely posting really fun and clever videos about jazz and music theory, while also using it to promote the various bands he's involved with. - All of that sort of thing just feels very fucking healthy: Musicians who give a fuck about their craft and want to share that, without all the vanity and rock star wankery. I'm also aware that many people will find it snobbish, exclusive and nerdy, but those cunts can continue listening to Radio 1 and such.

I love the idea of Vulfpeck and this new era of amazing musicians being less about glamour more about just being good, but I also agree that this sort of music doesn't always do it for me. But sure, listen to Vulfpeck and be amazed by their playing, when in the mood for some of that groovy shit. Listen to some Jon Hopkins or whatever when not.

That bass line in Dean Town though.

[McFlymo]

The 'peck released a load of "stems" for their tracks.

https://vulfstems.bandcamp.com/

All of the tracks are a single take, no edits, occasional overdubs. Skill.

Just listening to yer man's bass parts on their own is quite nice!