The Soapbox Album Club 2018 Editon

Is everyone okay with this?

Fuck it, here we go. 

The Cactus Channel - Wooden Boy


I think Mahoney might have gave these a listen.  I did recommend them but after my form in the last Soapbox Album Club, I wouldn't be surprised if he never listened to a recommendation from me ever again.

Anyway, for the rest of you, if you haven't heard about this lot, their a 10-piece (not sure if they expanded beyond that) from Melbourne, Australia.  They're a jazz/funk/soul collective.  Their first 2 records (this their 2nd) were purely instrumental but on their latest full-length, they have started adding vocals.  

Wooden Boy is my favourite album of theirs.  Compared to their first album, Haptics, it's a little darker and a little more sinister sounding.

I won't say much else except I think they're really fucking good.  Funky, groovy, soulful and just really, really tight.

Give it a go and if you think it's worse than The Virginmarys I'll retire from The Soapbox forever.

I STILL HAVE 13 HOURS OF AUTECHRE LEFT

THIS IS TURNING INTO ANARCHY 

FUMING 

GONNA POUR SOME MOLTEN HATE ON THIS PIECE OF SHIT ALBUM

Sorry mate!

I thought it'd be cool 'cos everyone has heard Autechre, and with life at home being hectic as all fuck what with 2 kids and bed-ridden missus, I didn't know when I'd next get a good opportunity to post.

I'm leaning towards thinking you're not actually turbo-mad, but if you are, I'll delete my post.

ME ME ME ME ME ME




it's very sweet of you to offer to delete your post, but i'm only joshing Tux, much love to you and your family x  

I am thinking of resigning for good, this is not acceptable at all.

You've got a fucking nerve tucker. First you jump the queue & then you go before its even your (unofficial turn). Hang your head in shame. Look what you've done, you've upset Barny you monster.

It was these guys but it was their debut album. Both are brilliant but this just edges it.

Happy listening!

Just had a PM from Fenster, even though he's not involved in album club, he's also considering walking over it

Fuck a duck, Tucker. This is carnage. Can someone work out a new running order? I was all set for SRK's bold choice.

Rescheduled schedule following Tuckers unforgivable insurrection:

02 March 2018 - Stocky
16 March 2018 - Tucker
30 March 2018 - SRK
13 April 2018 - Columbia Rocks Man
27 April 2018 - titchjuicy
11 May 2018 - Barny
25 May 2018 - Mahoney
08 June 2018 - JP
22 June 2018 - forever
06 July 2018 - krburg

Gotta say, with all this grief I’m getting, I’m showing a lot of strength here to not have a meltdown and delete my account again.

Seems that The Soapbox Album Club will always result in me getting a battering over something or other.

Cunts.

You are not the victim tux. Not at all

Okay, all clear guys.

EDIT: And I was only joking, just in case anyone took me seriously.

Sorry Tucks, I'm not digging the Cactus Channel album.

I started from a negative position anyway, as whenever I read the words 'modern funk band' a chill runs through me. Late 60s/70s US Soul and Funk is probably my favourite era/genre of music and it's so rare to hear anything new that captures the sound and feeling properly for me. With the exception of maybe Prince, I'm not sure I can think of a single decent funk album outside of that era.

To my ears it's a music that's very much of it's time and it sounds dated but in a good way. Like it can only fit in that time. It's something about the dirtiness of the music, a sleaziness that any new stuff never seems to capture for me. To be honest, at first listen of the first few tracks I thought that this lot might have actually nailed it, the saxophones were suitably grotty but then it soon wore off and began to sound a bit too studied. And I'm sure this lot know their shit, but that's the problem, it always ends up sounding too studied and a bit by numbers. Which is perhaps inevitable for a group,of white kids (and it seems they are just kids) in Melbourne.

Not their fault and more power to them for having amazing taste in music.


But this ain't for me. I suspect they're fun live, but if I want a dose of funk I'll stick on the JBs or Curtis or Isaac or Parliament etc.

5/10

Thanks for the recommendation and it's encouraging that we've had two records and neither are indie guitar bands.