For any of our readers out there who love funk music, we have a new band for you to check out. Hailing from Canada, Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy deliver that feel good music that will have you hooked after one listen. The band first came together in 2009, when Thierry Matrat solicited the best singers and musicians he could find on Craigslist. That's where he connected with vocalist Ron Littlejohn. While Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy have only been around for four years, they're no amateurs to this business. In the past, some of their members have opened for legends like James Brown and The Roots.
Now, they're out with their new album Shining On. This eight-track record conveys a throwback feel, that will leave you longing for the 70s. Song after song, you can hear the clear influence artists like Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Al Green have had on Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy's music. However, at the same time, it never feels like a cheap imitation. Everything sounds fresh and reinvented. This is truly soul and funk music at its finest.
One of our favorite numbers off Shining On is the title track. We can't get enough of the lyrics in it. "Shining On" focuses on the idea of being true to yourself and never letting someone else dictate who you should be. Don't let anyone change you because your thoughts and actions don't match up to their standards. Throw in a smoky jazz vibe, trumpets and gritty vocals to this great message, and you have quite the jam.
Another standout track for us was "A Day in San Francisco". This song features a flue solo, brought to us by Guillaume Larouche, that will captivate listeners. Bringing us bands like Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, "A Day in San Francisco" pays tribute to a great city that changed the music world. We're also really digging the spoken vocals found at the end of the number.
Make sure to buy your copy of Shining On here, and check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
