ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY will release their new album ‘Groove is King’ on 31st July via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.
Rock Candy Funk Party is a project that involves the greatest collection of rock musicians in the world, whose sole intent is to get totally funked out.
So we get: Tal Bergman (producer & drums) ), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Ron DeJesus (guitar), Mike Merritt (bass), Randy Brecker (trumpet/horns arr) Daniel Sadownick (percussion) and with Billy Gibbons acting as (MC: Mr Funkadamus.)
‘Groove is King’ is their second funkster project together, and it offers the audience “An aural kaleidoscope, mashing-up funk, rock, dance, electronica, jazz and R&B into 14 original tracks and 2 covers.”
‘We Want to Groove’ — their 2013 release — was smooth and genuinely jazzy. This new album has more rocky ambitions, and focuses on the vitality of guitar-driven funk.
We had a listen:
“Tonight Groove is King…” Says MC Funkadamus… and so we spin into the Title Track which judders with overdriven twangy fuzz — like an orchestra of rusting “Snoopy’s Harps ” getting high on a trampoline.
This piece has more eloquent folds than the drying zone of the Dhobi Ghat outdoors laundry.
“Low Tide” is dark, sticky and glutinous — like Tom Trot black-treacle toffee. It gets stuck in your gums.
The bass-guitar is superlative and the horn notes shine through like golden-saffron. The sinewy organ is ripe & delicious as it threads through the latter parts like a surgical suture made of silk.
Ron DeJesus adds guitar to ‘Don’t Be Stingy With The SMPTE’ and this will take you back to your disco days.
This has style, elegance and more stradlin’ gristle-grind than a Sin City lap-dancer short-on-tips.
The yummy trumpet from Randy Brecker is bright and victorious. And the rhythms are truly hustlin’.
But this track is largely a vehicle for Bonamassa’s liquid guitar, which filters through the edges. Ignore the timecode, just feel the groove on this. [Check the video below.]
There’s certainly an intention to entertain on this album, so tracks like “C You On The Flip Side” with its purring bass-beat and ripples of guitar — are sure to get audiences up and dancing.
‘Don’t Funk With Me’ has a huge riff and jiggly bits around the edges that wiggle as they flaunt their jazzy pedigree. But otherwise this is a rockin’ triumph.
The album concludes with the burning track “The Fabulous Tales Of Two Bands” which is a mash-up of all your favourite slices of EDM — presented here in the form of a super-cool cocktail.
You will not believe the bitterness of the dark grooves you are fed around the 1:40 mark.
The fuzziness will rattle the barnacles from your sweet patootie. And that’s for sure.
The RCFP are a considerably-greater-than-average-band, and here they offer up more hyperventilating booty-rub and decorative deliciousness than a dressing room at a burlesque dancers convention.
Funk you very much!
Words: @neilmach 2015 ©
Link: https://www.facebook.com/rockcandyfunk
This title will be released on July 31, 2015 by Provogue, a division of the Mascot Label Group. Pre Order Here – Groove Is King [CD+DVD]
RAW RAMP 
Daniel Sadownick is usually percussion for RCFP. Great article otherwise.
Thank you for noticing Barbara, we have made an adjustment!
So, is this the official video for Joe’s new album? Even if it isn’t, how sad that grown men with such mind blowing talent felt the need to revert to MTV days! I want to see Joe and the band playing not porn queens. Since when does Joe need this crap to get attention?!?! I am a HUGE Joe Bonamassa fan but, I am extremely disappointed. I thought he was better than this!