By Anu | December 6th, 2012
Menahan Street Band’s “Lights Out” is a cocktail of swank paired with a slick funk, reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s cinematic aesthetic. The blazing brass alone draws memories of The Coaster’s “Down in Mexico,” from the Death Proof soundtrack.
The band’s old-school glamorous groove is no accident. The Menahan Street Band borrows members from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalas, The Budos Band among others. They are the official house band for Brooklyn’s Dunham records, and their 2008 debut album Make The Road by Walking has been sampled by mainstream heavyweights. After Jay-Z sampled the title track for 2007′s “Roc Boys” the band used the royalties to build an all-analog recording studio.
Their sophomore album The Crossing, recorded at the new studio, is out now via Daptone/Dunham Records.