The Couch Sessions Podcast: J*Davey
Published February 02, 2006
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Sometime around April of last year, I was going through my hard drive and came across a track entitled "Mister Mister." Needless to say, that track blew me away, and after some internet searching, I figured out that the track was the work of a then little known duo out of California called J*Davey.
Since then, the group has been gaining major buzz on message boards, blogs, and community websites such as MySpace. They have gotten mentions from Questlove of The Roots, airplay on BBC radio, and a photo spread in The Fader magazine.
And as of this writing, the duo still isn't signed to a record label.
Why the buzz? In an era of R&B that thrives on formulaic lyrics, beats, and vocals, this group stands out. They aren't just another J Records clone. On their current EP, the group combines their many influences, ranging from 80s new wave (Missing Persons, David Bowie), to funk (Prince, Funkadelic), to alternative (Radiohead). The result is a mix of soul and electroclash that is refreshing, however, the duo refuses to adhere to any one label.
We caught up with J*Davey while they were in Washington, DC, ahead of their 9:30 club performance. In this podcast, duo talks to us about their first meeting at a high school prom, their influences, and music industry labels.
Websites
J*Davey, Baby
J*Davey (MySpace)
Loud Minority Music
Stone is the head writer The Couch Sessions, the place for underground and alternative urban music. In addition to his writing duties, he also hosts The Couch Sessions Podcast and spends his days as a computer programmer and freelance web designer.
- The Couch Sessions Podcast: J*Davey
- Published: February 02, 2006
- Type: Interview
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: New Wave, Music: Hip-hop, Music: Funk, Music: Electronica, Music: DJ, Culture: Podcast, Music: R&B
- Writer: Stone
- Stone's BC Writer page
- Stone's personal site
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I saw this act at the Viper Room in Hollywood, the UCLA Jazz Festival, and the Roxy on Sunset Strip too! The band is blazing a new trail. Everyone on the Left Coast has taken note, the Euros are totally in love (just check out the BBC threads), and now that Warners is involved, the U. S. will be in full effect by the end of '08. Now that they have added a lead guitarist and a second keyboardist it's clear that the band is moving in a totally new direction as they were overtaken by swirling hurricane winds. Watching them do their thing and listening to their music (and this podcast) it's clear that Miss Jack and Mr. D'Leau are actually a couple of modern-day BeBop musicians waiting to accept the fact that the music that they were really intended to make is JAZZ! Their just a saxophone or trumpet soloist away from accepting the real truth. Yo, is Branford Marsalis, Pharoah Sanders, Wynton Marsalis or Don Cherry available to go out on the road with Miss Jack and her gang?!?
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I recently caught this act at the Roxy on Sunset Strip in LA. Damn! They tore it up! I don't know what you call their music but it's certainly powerful. It makes you horny, it makes you want to dance, it makes you sweat, it makes you get funky, it makes your CRAZY!!! This band will change the whole soundscape with their discs, but they could change the whole wide world when they take it to the stage. Much props for seeing the gathering storm and warning the rest of us in time...