MOTHER.FUNK: Ready To Jam

If you are looking for a new band that lays down a jammy, funky sound then the Tuscaloosa, Alabama band MOTHER.FUNK will be right up your alley.  You may not have heard of them…yet, but they have been playing the bar and club scene around the University of Alabama since they were formed back in 2010.

After stumbling across this band I decided it was time to do a little research and see what the buzz surrounding them was all about.  The first place I started was YouTube and after a quick search of the band name I had the opportunity to listen to a few tracks.  Some live performances and some studio.

I’m gonna focus on the live performances because to me that’s where you really get a good look at the makeup of a band and how they work together to create music.  Aside from looking at the musicianship and interaction between members of a band I want to see if they look like they are enjoying what they do or if it looks like they’d rather be anywhere else in the world.  As crazy as that sounds to most people I’ve seen plenty of bands perform that don’t look like they are having any fun at all.  This alone can ruin a show for me.  Who wants to see a performance that isn’t engaging and ‘all in’ after all?  Certainly not this guy!  But that’s not an issue with MOTHER.FUNK.  From the opening notes of the few performances I found I can see the guys in the band having fun and more importantly the crowd at each performance seems to be eating up what the band is laying down.

Where to begin?  Ok how about their sound.  Before doing any research at all and just listening to a few jams I can hear influences of Phish, Trey Anastasio, Slightly Stoopid and maybe even a little MOE mixed in with some southern rock.  After digging into google a little deeper what I had heard was confirmed by members of the band in an interview they did for a newspaper article.  This is a very good start because that list of musicians includes some of my personal favorites.  But don’t get me wrong as these clearly aren’t their only influences and even more importantly they don’t sound like a cover band or rip off by any stretch.  Although the influences are evident I can say with confidence that the band has their own unique sound.

Based on the name alone you know what the sound is going to be.  With a name like MOTHER.FUNK there had better be some serious funkiness going down.  The guys pull it off and it doesn’t sound forced, rushed or bad at all (believe me I’ve heard plenty of bands trying to sound Phishy or to a broader extent jammy and if its not done right it comes off as lame…not the case here).  The tight grooves and solid drum beats drive the music leaving plenty of room for the guitars, bass, keys and other instruments to experiment, stretch out and play around to see where the jams will go.

I can imagine packed college bars or frat parties raging to the music they put down.  If you close your eyes you can just about see all the kids jamming and feeling the good vibes being showered down on the happy crowd.

I’ve reached out to the band and hope to get some time to do a more in depth interview and really see what they are all about but for now I’d definitely recommend checking out some of their YouTube vids and if you happen to be near the University of Alabama you should try to find out where their next gig is.  I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.

Hopefully MOTHER.FUNK continues to expand their touring area and maybe they will make it down to South Florida where I can get the chance to see an entire show live.  In the mean time their new album Coastal is available for download at iTunes and you can find more info about them on the MOTHER.FUNK facebook page.  Check them out and let us know what you think.

If you’ve seen MOTHER.FUNK perform drop us a comment and let us know what you thought and don’t forget to give us a like on facebook and follow @guitarnewsdaily on twitter.

About Dave Abrams

Dave has been eating, living, and breathing music since before he could talk. This makes Dave perfect for his role here at Guitar News Daily.