PRESS...
Funky, fresh, freaky, and habit forming - Shiftless Layabout's music gets under your skin. From the smooth instrumental stride of "Soul Steppin" to the burnin' groove of "She's With Me" this CD is for you. You must buy this CD and shake your booty daily. - Dave Newman, DJ, Hollow Earth Radio
That's a goodness session in my ears.- iTunes reviewer
...These players can really play. They are confident and soulful, reminiscent of Tower of Power and an era when strong musical chops were a requirement. - Barry Corliss, Masterworks CD Mastering, Seattle
Loungey, luscious, horn-based funk music... - olympianshadowfarm.com
Here's What Some Fans Are Saying About “Higherâ€... (garageband.com)
- Pass my afro sheen NOW!!! And give me platform shoes!!! What can I say, I'm a dancing machine, too. Horns have great presence... Lead vocal dude is CRAAAZZZYY. I like the energy. - Rihki Kennebrew, New York
- Bring it back to the Old School! ...Love the funkiness... fat, warm and juicy, just like funk oughta be! - Heather, Fort Meyers, FL
- Love that brass section... quite raw funk, which is always refreshing. - Shannon, New South Wales, Australia
ABOUT the BAND...
FUNK-FU: a combination of dirty grooves, tight horns, soul-power, 70s rock, outdated dance moves and kung-fu kicks.
The Shiftless sound is a blend of rock and funk, grit and polish. They bring a fresh perspective to the old-school: combining wah-wah funk and ass-tingling brass with a crunchy dose of southern rock. Their influences include: Average White Band, Tower Of Power, Chicago, War, Blood Sweat and Tears, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Frank Sinatra, Mofro, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Lynard Skynard and a fistful of 70's kung-fu.
Shiftless Layabout was founded in Seattle in the summer of 2002. It began with TK (Revolutionary Hydra) writing songs with his buddy Mike in a one-room University District apartment under the working title of ..SOULIO... Dreams of a full band soon grew to include The New England Rhythm of Matty Good-Times super-tight bassphonics (The Red Note, RB Reed) and Tommy Two-tone's blues-soaked guitar (BlacVelvett). Further fueling the fire is the 'lunchbox' flavor - brassy saxophone and angelic back-up vocals - and the phat trombone sounds of Heidi 'chico' Wiischler (Jonny Sonic, Red Note). After making their way through numerous drummers the band finally came back to the only guy who could handle their super-hot grooves, Master Of The Percussive Arts, Christian 'the squid' Krehbiel (Banda Del Sol).
DISCography
Layin' It Down Eight Days A Week (June 2009) A dynamic new soul experience from self-made Seattle funk band, Shiftless Layabout. On this release, the band deftly combines elements of vintage 1970's funk (brassy, close miked horns and swinging rhythms) with the crunch and swagger of southern rock and the lo-fi grit of an old-school Hong Kong action film soundtrack. The self-produced, seven-track EP was recorded over a few weekends in a junior high band room just outside of Seattle. It was mixed by lead singer, TK (and his 4 year-old son) over the course of almost two years. It was mastered by the uber-awesome Barry Corliss at MasterWorks, Seattle (Modest Mouse, Carrie Akre, Blue Scholars, Common Market).
Shiftless Layabout EP (June 2006) was recorded at Mirrorsound Studios in Shoreline, WA, and mastered by Barry Corliss at MasterWorks, Seattle. It is currently available on-line through iTunes and CDbaby.com.
Drink To Bones That Turn To Dust: A Tribute To Oingo Boingo (Dep't Of Records, October 2006) which featured tracks from Brett Dennen, Scott Fischer, Intervision and The Cheats.
Check out our 'old' EP on iTunes HERE . It ain't new, but it's still got some heat.
