Thursday, November 12, 2009

Must listen: Fat Freddy's Drop - "Boondigga"

A seven-piece concoction mixed with equal parts dub, reggae, funk, jazz and soul, Fat Freddy’s Drop is a dynamic and largely improvisatory group that plays what New Zealander’s call Aotearoa music—the native Māori people's name for New Zealand.

According to lore, the band came up with its name shortly after recording its first song—“Hope” in 1999—under the influence of LSD. The particular tabs featured the image of Fat Freddy’s Cat from the underground American comic strip, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Comprised of former members of local acts like Bongmaster and The Black Seeds, Fat Freddy’s Drop could easily be cast aside as another hazy, half-baked idea of a band—but that’s nowhere near the case here.

The group's instrumentals are always inspired and delivered with uber-talent, from Mu’s layers of beats to the swinging three-pronged brass attack, keyboards, and an often wah-wah affected guitar. And then there’s Dallas Tamaira. Channeling soul legends like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers, Tamaira's voice is an infectious honey-dripped instrument capable of no wrong—only right. Their latest record, Dr. Boondigaa & The Big BW, is their second full-length studio release.