BLACK JOE LEWIS AND THE HONEYBEARS -- SCANDALOUS

Your next classic funk-rock throwback is here. On their new album "Scandalous," Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears display an earnest attempt at recreating the sound of 60s and 70s horn-powered, funk and blues based rock music. On cuts like, "Livin' In the Jungle," you can clearly hear the influence of funk greats Tower of Power and the King of Soul himself, Mr. James Brown, both at work. With fuzzy AM-Radio guitar, stabbing horns and fat, walking bass lines, these guys have certainly done their homework on how their influences achieved their bombastic and simply badass sound.

Like all great funk music, Black Joe is no subtle craftsman with his lyrical wit. On "Black Snake," all the ladies in the audience are warned of the "black snake comin up in your grass, girl, tryin' to get up under your skirt." But isn't that lack of subtlety the key to great funk music? Sexual innuendos and euphemisms for smoking pot? Yes, it is. Again, with "Booty City," we are taken on a journey, in fact, "the best trip I've ever had in my life;" an ode to a mythical town where bodacious behinds reign supreme. Complete with group chants and a sax solo begging you to come along for a wild visit, the track is by far the standout of the album.

1 MIN ALBUM REVIEWS: PB&J, Black Joe Lewis, The Strokes [LINKS]

Here's a smattering of notes on some notable new music... check check check it 

Peter Bjorn And John Gimme Some 

They are are shooting for a garage meets surf-rock vibe with this new album. Fuzzy, lo-fi production techniques, as well as unique percussion styles really make this take on a frequently covered genre stand out. Nothing to write home about, but a better-than decent album. 

Top Track: "Dig A Little Deeper"

Black Joe Lewis And The Honeybears Scandalous 

In songwriting, production, and style, this is an earnest throwback to funk and soul greats like James Brown and Tower of Power. Even takes a turn into blues territory, sounding like Muddy Waters or early Cream and Led Zeppelin. 

Top Track: "Booty City"

The Strokes Angles

A return to form for the Indie Rock Gods of New York. A compromise between the futuristic rock of "First Impressions of Earth" and the tight, upbeat, party rock of "Is This It" and "Room on Fire," "Angles" almost feels like a final album for the band, summarizing their many sounds, while hinting at the possibility of growth in the hopefully not-so-distant future. 

Top Track: "Gratisfaction"

*notes by Patrick Fahey, Music Staffer