Soul Time!

December 28, 2011 12:50 PM

Daptone Records, the Brooklyn soul revival label, is 10 years old. Daptone doesn't only make soul songs with themes and arrangements in the style of soul music but, more importantly, they make records that aesthetically sound like the era.

Daptone artists include:

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Charles Bradley

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens

The Budos Band

Also:

Sharon Jones and the Soul Providers, predecessors of the Dap-Kings

Sugarman 3, led by Daptone co-founder Neal Sugarman

Amy Winehouse with the Dap-Kings, who backed her up on Back to Black, recorded at the Daptone studio.

posted by bokinney (21 comments total)

A great label on so many levels.
"Shitty Is Pretty": Gabriel Roth, the Dap-Kings bassist and Daptone engineer/producer wrote these very insightful (and funny as hell) guides to the Daptone studio music/recording/mixing philosophy. Great reading even if you are not a musician or engineer. Essential reading if you are:
http://westtownrecording.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/shitty11.pdf
http://westtownrecording.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/shitty2.pdf
posted by lukievan at 1:10 PM on December 28, 2011 [9 favorites]

Man, do I love these guys. Those .pdfs are fantastic insight into Roth's musicianship. It should also be noted that Gabriel Roth produced the outstanding Roots/Booker T collabo.
posted by gnutron at 1:39 PM on December 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

Daptone is awesome, especially that spitfire, Ms. Sharon Jones. She is currently 55 years old, and likes to invite young men on stage and sing to them. Seriously, she is awesome.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:40 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Early on I was a bit skeptical about Daptone releases standing up to repeated listens. They are so meticulous at recreating the sound and feel of the era that I feared it would be a case of style-over-substance with a bunch of soul records without much soul. But they really do hit the mark more often than I expected possible and are pretty consistent. I think keeping a small roster helps keep things in check.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 1:42 PM on December 28, 2011

I have Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings on my iPhone. It's one of my favorites. I think I found it from the iTunes recommendation after I bought some Betty LaVette. I hadn't heard Charles Bradley. I'll have to get that. Budos reminds me of the music from 70s blaxploitation films and Funky Nassau.

This reminds me of the music of my childhood, the records my parents played on the hi-fi.
posted by shoesietart at 1:46 PM on December 28, 2011

Heard this the other day on Daptone - funky sweet! The Mighty Imperials Thunder Chicken.
posted by sarah_pdx at 2:01 PM on December 28, 2011

Daptone rocks. Brooklyn rocks. Life rocks.
posted by victors at 2:04 PM on December 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

rad.
posted by juv3nal at 3:23 PM on December 28, 2011

Gabriel Roth interviewed in the Red Bull Music Academy series.
posted by Grangousier at 3:33 PM on December 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'd heard good things about Sharon Jones but it was her live performance at the ACL festival a few years ago that made me a fan. She owned the festival crowd. I haven't bought the Bradley album, but I've had my eye on it, and the Budos Band's last album is one of my favorites out of all the albums I bought this year.

I'm also really glad a label with a house sound and aesthetic (even if it is period) is out there making a name for itself. I'm glad we live in an age where we can record in our bedrooms, but I'm also glad there's still money to be made in studio engineering. I don't want to see that knowledge base vanish from (niche) popular music.
posted by immlass at 4:03 PM on December 28, 2011

I love the beans outta Sharon Jones, and holy SHIT she's 55? I've seen her live twice now and she is like a little firecracker onstage! I'd have guessed she was like 35, tops. Wow!
posted by FatherDagon at 4:09 PM on December 28, 2011

Sharon Jones wears James Browns crown. Yes she does.
posted by whuppy at 4:27 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

i was not aware of any of this, and i basically have a new favorite record label. thanks!
posted by radiosilents at 5:43 PM on December 28, 2011 [3 favorites]

If you like The Budos Band, you have to hear the Menahan Street Band. They have only one album out so far, but it is available on eMusic for about 5 bucks.
posted by maudlin at 5:51 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

They have only one album out so far

They're also Charles Bradley's backup band.
posted by bokinney at 6:35 PM on December 28, 2011

Yeah, sorry, forgot that detail (and I have his album, too. Lovely!)
posted by maudlin at 7:00 PM on December 28, 2011

Crappy youtube video, but great song: Stranded in your Love
posted by ashbury at 7:20 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh and check out the super cool studio....
posted by toastchee at 6:30 AM on December 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

By the way, we had various Daptone playing while I was cooking Christmas lunch, and I attribute the fact that the yorkshire pudding rose perfectly, quite against the laws of cooking and physics, to the healing power of funkiness.
posted by Grangousier at 8:07 AM on December 29, 2011 [2 favorites]

seriously you guise why does this post only have 40 favourites. it is the best.
posted by juv3nal at 11:45 AM on December 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this!
posted by safetyfork at 1:46 PM on December 29, 2011