Sometimes it takes a bit of peer pressure to get you to hear new music. At least I hope I’m not the only person who still needs a kick in the ass sometimes to get rolling on music I’m probably gonna end up liking.
Such was the case with The Phenomenal Handclap Band, an outfit that’s been on my radar for quite some time. These guys are definitely a thing in their home base of New York City, and the one thing I might miss about not living there anymore is the slowness in which I occasionally discover new music (which should be irrelevant these days because of the internet. I’m just saying…)
At any rate, Wikipedia calls these guys “psych soul.” I think they sound like most New York City bands did when I was a kid circa 1981-1982, when new wave, funk and early hip-hop sort of melded into one immensely danceable stew. Their new single, “Following”, would have sounded perfect next to “Situation” by Yaz and “I.O.U.” by Freez on the radio back in the day. Which is to say-it’s a pretty solid record. I’m looking forward to discovering more by them. You, too, will get to check out more from these guys soon, as their second album, Form & Control, is being released in February.