Where My Horns At, You with Me?

Considering they are remaking every movie these days because Hollywood has run out of ideas or are just too lazy to promote original ones, when they get around to ruining Animal House with Jonah Hill as Bruno, Michael Cera as Otter and Megan Fox as Katy we can rest in the solace that they can use a respectable replacement for Otis Day and the Nights in Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.

Naturally the debut album from the band, Tell ‘em What Your Name Is! starts with the explosive Gunpower that sets the tone of the band’s garage soul. The song in drenched in horns and organ and a controlled scream by Lewis that is very reminiscent of the James Brown. But Brown was never this dirty as he always made sure every note was just right. The Honeybears just want to play.

Gunpower is followed up by Sugarfoot (who is the drummer of the Honeybears) which will be the most infectious song you will hear all year and cold even make the whitest of guy get up and dance. Filling out the rest of the Honeybears are Rooster Andrews (guitar), Big Show Varley (keyboards), Wild Card Bill (bass), and horns section of Slyder, McKnight the Night Train and Sleepy Ramirez.

Like the two songs that start off the album, most of Tell ‘em What Your Name Is! is a mix of all the great soul and R&B artists of the seventies from the previously mentioned James Brown, Motown, Stax and even some Sly Stone funk mixed in. While Please pt. Two pushes the band into a more Psychedelic feel to it. Big Booty Woman features a classic call and response which should be a requirement at any house party, Get Yo (Expletive Deleted) features the classic spoken word chorus, while Humpin’ could rival Green Onions as the funkiest instrumental ever put on wax. Adam Sandler’s character from The Waterboy even gets a shout out in Bobby Booshay.

Song to Download – Please pt. Two

Tell ‘em What Your Name Is! gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.