The Budos Band: The Budos Band III
Last August, The Budos Band released their third full-length album The Budos Band III. While it may appear the act lack creativity based on their choices for album titles, don’t judge this album by it’s title. True to their form, the band continues to release great instrumental works. That’s right. The Budos Band have no need for a lead singer. No frontman to steal the spotlight. They are a modern day ensemble, and they do it well.
To describe their sound is difficult. You have a guitar, drums, various horns, congas, bongos, a flute, the organ, and various other instruments. They draw influence from Ethiopian music, jazz, funk, and soul and they mix it together well. Any of the tracks could function as an instrumental for James Brown or fill in on soundtracks to movies such as the original Shaft.
One of the key aspects is the horns. In a way, they remind me of the type of gallantry royal families would have used to announce their presence; they’re loud, crisp, and get your attention. It’s the ancient cry of, “Hey, look over here. Something important is about to happen.” Though in our modern societies we’re not used to looking over at some very rich and powerful people walking in and telling us what to do, unless it’s on the television. So it’s nice that The Budos Band throw in some funk and jazz and follow that “hey!” call with some “get down and boogie”.
Another way to describe the band is to call them a jam band. You really get the jazz feeling when listening to The Budos Band III. They are all well versed in their instruments and just let what comes happen naturally. Their first album was recorded in just three nights, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that their latest was completed in about the same time.
Yet, strangely enough most people may have already heard The Budos Band. Several of their songs were featured on the soundtrack to New York, I Love You. They’ve also been used in a commercial for the NFL Network, had music featured on an episode of HBO’s Entourage, had tracks appear on both MLB09: The Show and MLB 10: The Show for Playstation, as well as making it onto Wale‘s The Mixtape About Nothing. Clearly they aren’t under the radar, but it would be great if more people knew about them. My favorite track is “Unbroken, Unshaven”. If the horns don’t light your soul on fire, you’re ears aren’t working properly.
Rating: 8.5/10
MP3: The Budos Band “Unbroken, Unshaven”
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The Budos Band: The Budos Band III
