THE SWEET DIVINES are doing soul music the only way they know how -- the old-school way. It’s a simple enough concept that many attempt and few get right. But this female vocal powerhouse and their hard-hitting backing band sure enough get it right, and the result is heavenly manna for soul purists, beat addicts, harmony lovers, and just about anyone else with a pair of ears and/or feet.
This is new music that recalls a time when singers could sing, tunes were tuneful, records were on record, and soul music had soul. A time when bold soul sisters worked up a sweat cutting three-minute miracles in woodshed studios and blew the roofs off neighborhood nightclubs. Those of you lucky enough to have been there, give thanks. Meanwhile, the rest of us can give thanks that the Sweet Divines are here, making damn sure we get our chance too.
In early 2008, just outside their NYC home, the Sweet Divines made their conspicuous debut -- live and on-the-air -- at the world famous WFMU studios. At the time, they were known only as the newest spinoff of short-lived underground soul sensation THE DANSETTES. But the Divines have quickly established a solid reputation in their own right. Their first two club dates broke venue attendance records, and live appearances with THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL, ELI “PAPERBOY†REED, and SHARON JONES floored fans and got Brooklyn music blogs buzzing.
The easy catchphrases -- "nostalgia act," "girl group" -- don't really do the Sweet Divines justice. These (ahem) women are performing new songs in high-energy live sets, and they and their band are too young to have lived through the 60s/70s heyday of soul music. Still, they have honed an authentic sound that evokes the greats of the Southern Soul Pantheon -- Stax, Aretha, James Brown, funky New Orleans -- yet feels immediate, unique, and more relevant than ever.
