Lefties Soul Connection

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the Lefties Soul Connection sound is the word ‘RAW’. Sound and music wise the band is influenced by funk acts like the Meters and the JB's, but also by hip-hop acts like for example Jurassic 5, the Roots and Beastie Boys. In general they have their backbone in the raw (obscure) funk & soul from the 60s till early 70s but a lot of tracks are based on hip-hop feel/sound/structure (open drum breaks, ready to sample riffs). They also have some '(mod) rock' influence in their sound, this can be especially seen and heard at live concerts and you can hear it in the aggressiveness of their sound. Their goal is to rock the crowd hard with heavy beats, low bumping bass, screaming Hammond organ and tight guitar riffs, sometimes accompanied by vocals or chants.

The band is not strictly a retro band, they're not trying to copy an old soul/funk band; an important difference with some other (raw) funk & soul bands of today. It's not their intention to play funk exactly the same like the JB’s or the Meters used to do. These bands will always be the best because it's the sound they've created. Lefties Soul Connection just picked up some of their grooves and philosophy and mixed it with hip-hop breakbeat / song structure and (mod) rock aggressive sound/performance style. What you get is an explosive performance with tight grooves and the heaviest live beats you ever heard (we like to call it the "shock 'n' awe" style or garage funk).

Slowly they've been building a fan base within the international (raw) funk & soul (bboy) community with their sound and especially at performances but, because they're not strictly retro, they also broke out of this scene and got noticed by people that are more into hip-hop and even rock and dance. A good example of a track getting noticed outside the funk community is their interpretation of Organ Donor, a dj Shadow track (sound clip: http://www.leftiessoulconnection.com/organdonorreviews.htm).
A large part of their recordings is instrumental. Basically they've set up the band similar to the Meters and Booker T & the MG's. Like these bands, their music is centred around groove/sound and not so much lyrics/a singer. At live shows though, more vocal tracks are added. These tracks are sung by guitar player Onno Smit; before starting the band together with Alviz also a soul singer.

The Lefties Soul Connection line-up:
Hammond organ/percussion Alviz
Guitar/vocals/percussion - Onno
Bass/percussion - Bram
Drums - Vogel

Hutspot (Excelsior Recordings 2006)

If you consider yourself a soul and funk fan or collector it is not unlikely that your are familiar with some of the songs on this album. That is because Hutspot is not so much the first 'real' album of Lefties Soul Collection but a collection of singles that the band has released over the last three years. Since all of those singles have been limited vinyl only releases, the music will still be new to most listeners outside of the elusive soul or funk 45 fraternity.

As much as we like our homemade 'raers' we also believe that the music of the Amsterdam-based Lefties Soul Connection appeals to a wider audience than those die-hard fans who hunt their vinyl in thrift stores and online-shops around the globe. Nothing proofs this better than the ever growing number of concert goers who catch the Lefties bug at one of their live shows. Alviz, Onno, Bram and Cody love to perform and have become one of the hardest working raw funk & soul bands on the circuit.

In 2005 alone they have played everywhere from the Jazz Cafe in London to the 'Supernatural' festival in Utrecht and numerous clubs from Berlin to Marseille. Wherever they play, their raw and heavy sound never fails to set the place on fire. The Lefties need no gimmick, no flash. They just let the music speak for itself: from Alviz' squeaky hammond organ to Onno's ruff & scratchy guitar to Bram's bumping bass and to Cody's hard hitting drums.

Amsterdam may not be known for gritty funk and soul but the diversity, drive and spirit of this great city is in many ways reflected in their music. Even though the Lefties' sound is rooted in the classic funk of bands like the Meters, they are not trapped in the past. Lefties Soul Connection are a band of today creating songs for the year 2006 and beyond. Cody's deadly drum-breaks and Bram's bass lines keep dancers and hip-hop producers equally happy. The raw energy of their music (all recorded on an analog 4 track tape machine at their rehearshal studio) follows no rules and you will never catch them on stage pretending it is 1969 again. The Lefties believe that you have to create your own brand of funk in order to keep the music alive. So when they started recording they didn't do any cover versions. A decision that proved them right from start. Their first single, the self-penned Doin' The Thing was an immediate success and has been called a new funk classic by many. Three more singles Bouncing Ball, V2 and Peacock Strut followed before the Lefties finally decided to put two classics from their live sets on vinyl: the Isley Brothers / Meters medley It's Your Thing / Hey Pocky A-Way and DJ Shadow's Organ Donor.

This is what the first album of Lefties Soul Connection is made of. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (MPM Press Release)

1. Doin' the thing
2. Bouncing ball
3. It's your thing - Hey pocky a-way
4. Peacock strut
5. V2
6. Organ donor
7. Sling shot
8. Generator oil
9. Bam bam
10. Welly wanging
11. Hutspot

http://rapidshare.com/files/65213397/lefties_soul_connection_-_hutspot.zip

link found on : http://vinyl4giants.blogspot.com/

Skimming The Skum (Melting Pot Music 2007)

The Amsterdam collective Lefties Soul Connection gives a new meaning to raw funk & soul with their new album ‘Skimming the Skum’. In Europe, but also in countries like Japan and USA, they got a lot of attention because of their energetic, heavy raw music on record and on stage. With the release of ‘Skimming the Skum’ they definitely can be placed among the best funk bands of today and they get a lot of love by the international funk community.

1. Fais Do-Do

2. Paul Newman
3. Get Back (Drum & Clap)
4. Loose Change
5. 12 Inch Rims
6. Skimming the Skum
7. Chop It!
8. Freaky Frankie
9. Funky Chick
10. Move What You Got
11. Sling Shot, Pt. 2

http://rapidshare.com/files/88121501/Lefties_Soul_Connection_-_Skimming_The_Skum__2007_.rar