Monday, December 3, 2007
Velvet (from Victoria)
House music always confused me because there was nothing soulful or funky about it unless you had the sort of cross-over acid jazz stuff from the late eighties and early nineties (Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai) that gave it some hooks, some riddim, and hopefully, some soul. I like Velvet from Victoria, BC because they take the pulse, some beats and the happy hedonism of house and apply the stuff of jazz, improv, soul and groove onto it to come up with a sweet and infectious sound that is unique.
Velvet is a band of eight musicians, still without a web page, that has reportedly been the best thing to take place in Victoria, BC on Sunday nights, where they are famous for a standing gig at a place called Steamer's. Descriptions of their sound seem very accurate in a Whistler, BC news magazine
preview of a concert in Whistler for their Film festival last night. Author Nicole Fitzgerald calls it "organic live dance music, produced by vocals and instrumentals, as opposed to turntables, attracts an artistic crowd as funky and groovy as the music thy produced. The largely improvised show draws from the finest elements of funk, soul, electronica, jazz, and rock 'n roll to create an electro groove entirely their own." In another infotainment preview article for the band's twelfth anniversary shows in Victoria, Kuba Oms talks about how the band has "“Over the last five or six years we’ve been honing this sort of dubby acid blues rock thing over the beats" again showing the mix and diversity of these folks. Additionally, Kuba seems to able to do a singer songwriter deal as well. Even though the example here could possibly seem a bit precious, you can't deny the passion this man kicks out.
I stumbled across Velvet this weekend when I was laterally browsing emusic for something new and substantial in using up my monthly downloads. I sampled through their three collections recorded at live gigs in the early to mid double 0s at Streamer's and I became hooked in a hurry becoming a near instant fan. Kuba Oms has a determination and confidence in his vocal delivery during a Velvet jam that reminds me of another great Canadian vocalist, Burton Cummings of The Guess Who. Their sound makes them kind of a natural for a side stage at Sasquatch or a berth at High Sierra Music Festival. CD Baby has a page with one of their Victoria concerts with some nice sized sample streams There is something very liberating about a dance music that strips togehter all kinds of lovely strands and strains from the world of rhythm with mindful spirit.
posted by well-executed buffet at 12:01 AM
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