I’ve been mulling over  The Phenomenal Handclap Band’s self-titled CD. It came out June 23rd and I’ve been trying to get a handle on it for about a month now. At first listen I was taken with the unique blending of sounds; a lot of dance beats coupled with loads of what I’ll call “retro touches.” It’s a record with it’s feet firmly rooted in the 70s and that should make it a major success with today’s young, hip, indie music crowd. Tracks like “The Martyr” and ”15 to 20″ and “You’ll Disappear” are shot through with hooks and riffs straight out of disco’s heyday (as well as when it moved toward prog rock.) Steve Miller would be right at home in this band, if he wasn’t after them for copyright infringement. “Baby” echoes Marvin Gaye, the O’Jays and all that is good from that era when Blacks first hit the airwaves en masse. We danced our assess of to this in the late 70s (well I was a teen, and couldn’t sneak out to clubs, but my bedroom mirror sure saw a lot of action!). So for those of you who are too young to have heard this already, you’re in for a real treat. I mean that to be a compliment, because The Phenomenal Handclap band has accurately captured much of the joy of what was popular music back then. The vocals are gorgeous, the beat is perfect, and the bass lines are killers. You know how much I value a good bass line. Well kids, if you listen to this record and realize how much it owes to what has come before, you will immediately understand my obsession!

The Phenomenal Handclap Band’s debut record is a great thing to cut your teeth on before going back and exploring America’s music history. I steer away from comparisons as much as I can on this blog, but with an album like this it is impossible to discuss it without doing so. Does that make it derivative? Well all music is derivative, isn’t it? The question to be answered on this effort is whether going back and immersing yourself in Steely Dan, Steve Miller Band, The O’Jays or Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder will be a better experience than listening to The Phenomenal Handclap Band. I must admit that I’m not so sure it will be. But I’m very happy to be reminded of all that when I listen to this!

Even more than that, I’m very glad there is an audience for this kind of music again. Please, let us get away from all those slow, plodding, sad odes to lost love, for a little bit at least. This album is celebratory, and inspired. It’s a wonderful blend of solid guitar/bass work and synthesizers. Long live the 70s!

NPR Music presents
The Phenomenal Handclap Band at Joe’s Pub
Tuesday July 21 @ 9:30pm

w/ Lee Fields & The Expressions and Fight the Big Bull

NPR Music presents soul singer Lee Fields & The Expressions, New York-based indie collective The Phenomenal Handclap Band, and nine-piece jazz ensemble Fight the Big Bull, joined by Steven Bernstein. Tickets are $18, and are on sale now at www.joespub.com and (212) 967-7555.

The entire concert will be added later to NPR Music’s library of webcasts and free downloadable podcasts as part of the “Live in Concert from All Songs Considered” series at www.npr.org/music.

The concert at Joe’s Pub will be a dynamic, if unexpected, mix of three diverse groups and sounds – inspired by the eclectic curatorial vision represented by NPR Music.

thanks to Sneak Attack Media