Summertime, especially in the heat of Austin, TX, seems to inspire an almost unquenchable desire for good tunes and good times. Reminiscent of those eras that produced mastered pieces of working man art and music, chalk-full of sex appeal and urban style and slang, this band’s music keeps it classy and cool.
Combine creative musicians- who have an obvious and admirable knowledge of soul and funk music from the greats- with irresistible move-your-body music and invade-your-brain catchy lyrics, and you have T-Bird and The Breaks‘ new album Never Get Out of This Funk Alive. Like a perfectly mixed cocktail, T Bird (Tim Crane) & The Breaks (billed as 19 musicians over various tracks on the album) have stirred together groove, break-beat, funk, soul, hip hop, and garnished it with a modern twist.
Lyrical throw backs about tough times in the blue collar job world, the field of “Nasty Love”, and the tricks for surviving the universal everyday grind are vocalized through the soaring and gritty soul of Tim Crane and expertly supported by kickass harmonies from female back-up singers.
A full band of bass, guitar, drums, keyboard, trumpet, saxophone, and more shake it up with skilled beats and entrancing grooves that leave you no choice but to move your body. Enough rock and hip hop to balance the “do wop” and hopscotch, tracks like “Rock Your Skull” and “The Apocalypse Will Not Be Televised” are refreshingly paired with “Spread the Love” and “Fuck It Up”. Never Get Out of This Funk Alive drops today, (July 12), and this full length album from a beloved Austin favorite is the quickest way to quench your thirst this summer.
—Jessi Cape
