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I know you got soul The Delta 72 rock punk's complacency with a shot of R&B by LORRIE EDMONDS
"We've always been pretty upfront about it--we don't call ourselves The Delta 72 Soul Band, because soul and R&B is everybody's music," says Gregg Foreman. "If there's a genuine vibe that can move you, then it's all soul music to me. When an audience is given the opportunity to be as much a part of the show as the band is, who's not going to want to join in? I'm busting my ass out there every night, flying into split-leaps and giving all I can give. If people wanna get up onstage and dance or do whatever, as long as they're not hurting anybody, that's all we want. We encourage any form of expression. " Settling in the soul mecca of Philadelphia, the Delta 72--vocalist/guitarist Foreman, Farfisa player Sara Stolfa, drummer Jason Kourkounis and new bassist Bruce Reckahn--mail-bomb an explosive mix of raw, rootsy tempos and electrifying punk energy into their latest, The Soul of a New Machine (Touch and Go). Ablaze with audio manipulations, scorching slide guitar, Muscle Shoals-style organ and genuine in its rock-the-house R&B grooves, the band's second disc is much more soul-powered than 1996's The R&B of Membership. "It's rare or hard to be completely different in any musical art form because so much has been done," acknowledges Foreman. "But there's also something revolutionary and powerful about bringing a lost art back, because it doesn't have to be dead. Why not bring back something that's missing? For us, that's entertainment, a good groove, a good feeling and a band that's willing to interact with their audience. "It's our own revolution against indie rock," he adds defiantly. "Do something that you feel is missing in music and, above all, do it yourself." The Delta 72 fire it up with Phono-Comb at Jailhouse, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 9pm, $8 |
The Delta 72 don't pretend to be singlehanded soul revivers--they know they're just a well-oiled mix of indie-bred veterans (exes of Nation of Ulysses, Mule, the Goats and Cupid Car Club) who've tapped into a love for the tight grooves and rousing spirit of classic R&B.