Soul Revival

It's not often that you get to launch a brand-new Internet phenomenon. But I'm confident that the following link to the Soul Revival webpage will be in everyone's work Inbox come Monday morning. These guys are THE BAND TO WATCH IN 2006.



Yeah...There you go...I give you, Soul Revival.

Now, despite the obvious fact that 3/5 of Soul Revival is comprised of particularly greasy-looking white dudes, the band's mission is to honor the past 50 years of American black music.

Soul Revival is a speacialty band celebrating over fifty years of American Black Music. We pay tribute to legendary Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Rhythm and Blues artists and their music, as well as honoring some of the greatest black musical talent flourishing the pop charts of today. An homage to The Black Music Experience in America from the 1950’s to current day.

But it's not just odd white guys playing Nelly covers that makes Soul Revival such a fulfilling experience. Really, the magic rests with frontman/band founder Marcus Dey.



Here's a bit from his bio:

Before starting ‘Soul Revival’ Marcus performed with various groups of musicians at parties, special events, and wedding receptions. He has performed a wide variety of music, ranging from jazz standards, rock, alternative, country, soul, hip-hop, top 40, and R&B. His vocals have been inspired by the likes of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye, to name a few, but with a vocal styling and a tonality that remain uniquely his own. As well as singing, Marcus plays keyboards, guitar, conga drums, and has a background in jazz, hip-hop, ballet, tap, and salsa dancing.

Marcus doesn't lie...He has a style that remains uniquely his own.

Okay, time for the good stuff. Clicky below for actual video clips of The Revival playing various cover songs. I PROMISE YOU, you will not be sorry you followed these links.

You may notice, for example, that Marcus seems to be singing over pre-recorded karaoke tracks of these famous songs, while the band behind him merely pretends to play instruments. You may notice that Marcus intercuts stills of the original artists as well as himself during the songs, and that these photographs are the most hilarious thing you have ever seen. Please note that Marcus only appears to be having involuntary muscle spasms and crippling bowel discomfort...he's a professional. And that's only in the Prince clip.

Nelly's Hot in Here

Outkast's Hey Ya

James Brown's Sex Machine

Prince's Let's Go Crazy (this receives my highest recommendation...)

There are several more video clips available here. And, no, there's no need to thank me. This is what I do.