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The Spirit of '60s and '70s R&B

3/13/2009

Existing somwhere between the revivalist soul of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the blues rock of the Black Keys, you'll find Austin's Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. Emrcing soul, funk, R&B and garage rock, the band's debut, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is, captures the spirit of '60s and '70s R&B while maintaining a raw and youthful sound. Although the music is solid, Lewis has a bit of work to do lyrically and vocally if he hopes to fill the shoes of James Brown or Joe Tex. When compared to classic soul artists, Lewis lack (or perhaps has yet to develop) the emotionalwordplay and vocalrange that characterize the genre. However, the tracks like "Bo Bootie Woman" and "Boogie" show that Lewis' talent lies in the mixing those traditional influences with a rawer garage-rock sound. On these tracks, Lewis and the Honeybears truly glisten.

Black Joe Lewis on iTunes

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