Comments on: Listen: Chopteeth’s Afrofunk Big Band http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/12/03/listen-chopteeths-afrofunk-big-band/ News and Criticism on D.C. and Beyond Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:18:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Ted Scheinman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/12/03/listen-chopteeths-afrofunk-big-band/comment-page-1/#comment-13526 Ted Scheinman Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:28:05 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/?p=2155#comment-13526 Curm, Mr. Tree4 comes across as a bit of a publicist, but I tend to agree with him. Yes, the Chopteeth thing's derivative, but richly so. It's a killer blend—little ska, little funk, lotta pan-Africanism. And what do you call a Head-Roc collaboration that actually works? Rare! That's what. The main thing here: I like the Chopteeth disc a lot. It doesn't reinvent the wheel. But I keep listening to it. And I think that supercedes questions of "pioneering," "redefining the genre," "taking artistic risks," &c. Though—and let's be clear on this—it's not one big Fela rip-off, and you should stream some more tracks if you need to see why. Does Raphael Saadiq do anything new with 60s soul? <em>Sort of but not really</em>, is the answer, which is sort of the point, and which is why you'll no doubt be chagrined to hear that he too is in the running for my list. Curm,

Mr. Tree4 comes across as a bit of a publicist, but I tend to agree with him. Yes, the Chopteeth thing’s derivative, but richly so. It’s a killer blend—little ska, little funk, lotta pan-Africanism. And what do you call a Head-Roc collaboration that actually works? Rare! That’s what.

The main thing here: I like the Chopteeth disc a lot. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But I keep listening to it. And I think that supercedes questions of “pioneering,” “redefining the genre,” “taking artistic risks,” &c. Though—and let’s be clear on this—it’s not one big Fela rip-off, and you should stream some more tracks if you need to see why.

Does Raphael Saadiq do anything new with 60s soul? Sort of but not really, is the answer, which is sort of the point, and which is why you’ll no doubt be chagrined to hear that he too is in the running for my list.

]]> By: tree4 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/12/03/listen-chopteeths-afrofunk-big-band/comment-page-1/#comment-13525 tree4 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:56:57 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/?p=2155#comment-13525 Aside from the Fela cover, nothing on the album is strictly afrobeat. Chopteeth is modeled after Fela's band, but their songs are a mix of beats and styles from a handful of African countries, with clear American influences such as rap, jazz and odd meters updating the classic grooves. Take a listen to the whole CD and you'll understand what Chopteeth is about. Aside from the Fela cover, nothing on the album is strictly afrobeat. Chopteeth is modeled after Fela’s band, but their songs are a mix of beats and styles from a handful of African countries, with clear American influences such as rap, jazz and odd meters updating the classic grooves.

Take a listen to the whole CD and you’ll understand what Chopteeth is about.

]]> By: curm http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/12/03/listen-chopteeths-afrofunk-big-band/comment-page-1/#comment-13524 curm Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:39:02 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/?p=2155#comment-13524 Isn't this like voting for a garage-rock revival band? Are they really doing anything new with '70s afrobeat? Isn’t this like voting for a garage-rock revival band? Are they really doing anything new with ’70s afrobeat?

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