Filed under: Emerging Artists, XCLUS!VES | Tags: Afro, Alex Toth, Brooklyn, Depeche Mode, Emerging Artists, Funk, funk n waffles, Hail to the Thief, Kalmia Trever, Kuma, Landing, Michael Jackson, Orchestra, Radiohead, Rose's Dream, Rubblebucket, Sophistafunk, Syracuse, The Bell House, There There, Thriller, Utica, World is Gonna Drown
Dancing the night away
PREVIEW: Download Rubblebucket’s “Bikes” MP3
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Emerging Artist: Rubblebucket Orchestra
VIEW: Photos below the jump
The lounge and bar area of Brooklyn’s The Bell House had less people sitting on the stools and chilling on their couches Friday, August 7, than usual. Instead, most of the people were in the back venue listening to some extraordinary live jams while chowing on waffles (Funk ‘n’ Waffles that is).
By a quarter to midnight Syracuse’s own Sophistafunk had ended their high energy performance that included a guest horn section from Utica whose saxophonist was especially feeling the groove. They blew the audience away with her insane improvisations. After such a finale it was hard to see how anything could follow up such a tour de force. Yet based on this writer’s experience, Rubblebucket Orchestra (or Rubblebucket—as they seem to be calling themselves now) have developed reputation of always miraculously exceeding expectations as they did in this show.
The way they entered the stage at The Bell House was uncharacteristically low-key, as the nine-piece band simply walked on stage by midnight and put their instruments on. My encounter before, with Rubblebucket was much different. It was at Syracuse’s Funk n Waffles and the show started with lead band members Alex Toth and Kalmia Traver entering from the front door — with a confident swagger that personified cool as they blew into their respective instruments and banged on a bucket, heading toward the stage and jamming into their first number as if it were nothing. Continue reading
Filed under: Emerging Artists | Tags: Bikes, Brooklyn, Chicago, Emerging Artists, Orchestra, Rose's Dream, Rubblebucket, The Bell House
Looking like the cast from Heroes
PREVIEW: Download Rubblebucket Orchestra’s “Bikes” MP3
Whatever rubblebuckets are, as long as they make awesome music they’re okay with us. Over a year after releasing their bopping debut Rose’s Dream and tireless touring all over the country in their van (affectionately named “Puppy”), Rubblebucket Orchestra are preparing to release their second album: Rubblebucket. To whet our appetites for the October 1st release, the band have given away their first single “Bikes.”
With singer/saxophonist Kalmia’s light-hearted “la-la-la’s,” the single begins like a careless stroll through the park when suddenly, in distinct Rubblebucket-fashion, the song quickly builds with the other eight pieces of the band entering into the funky mix. When the Chicago-esque horns in the song come in, they let you know that this band means business.
What soon follows are Kalmia’s hypnotic lyrics that fall in place with the latin-funk rhythms and the horn section melody that comes back in between lyrics. All in all, “Bikes” is just as enthralling as anything they have put out before.
Look out for them on their upcoming Northeast tour that’s starting at The Bell House in Brooklyn on August 7th!
— Charlie Weeks
20 Watts 