Who: T Bird & The Breaks
What: Momo’s Anniversary Party
When: Midnight. Friday, August 28th, 2009
Sound: An American born Van Morrison dipped in a deep vat of funk and Wilson Pickett.
If you are in Austin and want to dance there are plenty of options. If you are in Austin and want to not only dance, but to lose yourself in a sweating frenzy of funk, there is only one real option: T Bird & The Breaks. Fronted by the croaking cadences of Tim Crane, the band is a swinging party of soul, sex, and spirit, guaranteed to get feet moving.
While Tim Crane (aka T Bird) moved to Austin expressly to form a rollicking soul and funk revue, the formation of the Breaks came about somewhat serendipitously. With just a few bucks and a pocketful of drive, T Bird set about the task of finding a group to realize his dreams. The Breaks are one of the tightest backing bands in Austin, not to mention the largest. With three horn players, a drummer, two guitarists, and three back-up singers, the stage space at a T Bird and the Breaks show is often tight.
T Bird and the Breaks - Blackberry Brandy
Close quarters, however, do not stop T Bird from breaking it down on stage. With a suave slide step, he shuffles along to the music in a move reminiscent to Carlton’s on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (though that may sound odd, it is neither odd or a knock on the moves of T Bird, just my best stab at a description of his silky moves).
In Black: John Allison, Damien Llanes, Stephen Beasley, Houston Rawls, Matt Price, Cody Furr, Sam Patlove. In White: Sasha Ortiz, Jazz Mills, Stephanie Hunt and Tim Crane
Tim Crane recently honored HBH by taking the time to have a conversation about the nature of music, the shape of the recording industry, and his future plans as leader of one of the hottest acts in Austin. An excerpt of this conversation is below.
PL: First, I’d like to start out by saying that I really enjoyed your live show the other day at the Continental Club. It was an amazing display.
Tim: I appreciate that. We love playing our music so it’s always nice to hear that people are enjoying it.
PL: There seems to have been a resurgence of soul and funk. Groups like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are bringing things back to the roots of the music. What’s driving this resurgence? Do you think people are more willing to attach themselves to this music because it is so different in this day and age?
Tim: Well, whatever you want to call it, neo-funk or neo-soul…I think it’s some of the best music out there. And I think what we’re doing, and some of these other bands are doing, are taking these building blocks from the past and start turning into something else, something original. You got some bands out there, like you said, playing Wilson Pickett tunes and dressing in suits…and it’s great. I love that stuff, but it’s not 1967 anymore, you know what I mean? I think it’s a beautiful thing, the appreciation of this music and bringing it back to the people and everyone getting into it. Like you said, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have been at the front of that. They are a phenomenal band, one of the best funk/soul bands ever in my opinion.
T Bird and the Breaks - Two Tone Cadillac
PL: Are there particular artists you are really attached to? Your sets are peppered with songs by artists like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Picket. Of course, the energy level is quite reminiscent of James Brown….
Not having anything new come out for eight months to a year can get kind of tiring…It’s more of a singles market these days anyways with the digital downloads.
-Tim Crane
|
Tim: All the big ones you can pretty much assume from the get go. James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Aretha, Al Green, Otis Redding…There’s something that can be learned from each artist. There’s so much out there to be gleaned too. Someone like George McRae’s “I Get Lifted.” It’s just a blow your mind track, but the rest of it might not really be for you. That’s the great thing about a lot of this stuff, there’s just so much out there to find.
PL: I was curious about a song you perform called “Shackles and Chains.” I heard it on your Daytrotter session awhile back and was wondering if that’s an original and not a re-working of the old country song, right?
Tim: That’s an original. I’d love to hear the country song of that name. Do you know who it’s by?
PL: It’s actually ironic, the guy that wrote the song was named Jimmie Davis and was a two-time governor of Louisiana.
Tim: No shit…?
PL: Yeah, man. Kinda wild. His other claim to fame was being (falsely) credited with writing “You Are My Sunshine,” so when I heard your song, I didn’t think it was a reworking because apart from the title it wasn’t anything like Jimmie’s song, but I had to be sure.
Tim: Yeah, that’s an original for sure. That’s one of the newer ones that’s been written since we finished recording that first album. Now, we’re working in the studio again.
PL: I was curious if there were any particular goals over the next few months.
Tim: We’re in the studio a lot. What I’d really like to start doing is every month, month and a half, drop a 7′, a single. Just a few at a time and eventually release a 45 with the free additional downloads. Because I got a mes of songs that we just haven’t had a chance to record yet. A lot of it is stepping out a bit from what we’ve been doing for the past few years. So, I want to do these singles, to keep it fresh every month or so…keep people listening. It’s better for people who want to hear the music and it’s better for us. Not having anything new come out for a eight months to a year can get kind of tiring…It’s more of a singles market these days anyways with the digital downloads. A lot of people don’t bother with buying anything and just stream it. We just want to get the music out there and play live shows. Once it’s out there, they can buy it if they want to.
PL: You know it’s ironic, but in a lot of ways it seems the industry has reverted back to the methods of the past, where singles mattered and people relied on live performances to make money instead of the albums.
Tim: Yeah, and I think it’s probably a good thing. It’s seems that it’s the natural way. If a musician is going to make a living, you gotta go play music.
T Bird and the Breaks - Esmerelda
T Bird and The Breaks
If you are in Austin and want to dance there are plenty of options. If you are in Austin and want to not only dance, but to lose yourself in a sweating frenzy of funk, there is only one real option: T Bird & The Breaks. Fronted by the croaking cadences of Tim Crane, the band is a swinging party of soul, sex, and spirit, guaranteed to get feet moving.
While Tim Crane (aka T Bird) moved to Austin expressly to form a rollicking soul and funk revue, the formation of the Breaks came about somewhat serendipitously. With just a few bucks and a pocketful of drive, T Bird set about the task of finding a group to realize his dreams. The Breaks are one of the tightest backing bands in Austin, not to mention the largest. With three horn players, a drummer, two guitarists, and three back-up singers, the stage space at a T Bird and the Breaks show is often tight.
T Bird and the Breaks - Blackberry Brandy
Close quarters, however, do not stop T Bird from breaking it down on stage. With a suave slide step, he shuffles along to the music in a move reminiscent to Carlton’s on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air (though that may sound odd, it is neither odd or a knock on the moves of T Bird, just my best stab at a description of his silky moves).
In Black: John Allison, Damien Llanes, Stephen Beasley, Houston Rawls, Matt Price, Cody Furr, Sam Patlove. In White: Sasha Ortiz, Jazz Mills, Stephanie Hunt and Tim Crane
Tim Crane recently honored HBH by taking the time to have a conversation about the nature of music, the shape of the recording industry, and his future plans as leader of one of the hottest acts in Austin. An excerpt of this conversation is below.
PL: First, I’d like to start out by saying that I really enjoyed your live show the other day at the Continental Club. It was an amazing display.
Tim: I appreciate that. We love playing our music so it’s always nice to hear that people are enjoying it.
PL: There seems to have been a resurgence of soul and funk. Groups like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are bringing things back to the roots of the music. What’s driving this resurgence? Do you think people are more willing to attach themselves to this music because it is so different in this day and age?
Tim: Well, whatever you want to call it, neo-funk or neo-soul…I think it’s some of the best music out there. And I think what we’re doing, and some of these other bands are doing, are taking these building blocks from the past and start turning into something else, something original. You got some bands out there, like you said, playing Wilson Pickett tunes and dressing in suits…and it’s great. I love that stuff, but it’s not 1967 anymore, you know what I mean? I think it’s a beautiful thing, the appreciation of this music and bringing it back to the people and everyone getting into it. Like you said, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have been at the front of that. They are a phenomenal band, one of the best funk/soul bands ever in my opinion.
T Bird and the Breaks - Two Tone Cadillac
PL: Are there particular artists you are really attached to? Your sets are peppered with songs by artists like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Picket. Of course, the energy level is quite reminiscent of James Brown….
Not having anything new come out for eight months to a year can get kind of tiring…It’s more of a singles market these days anyways with the digital downloads.
-Tim Crane
Tim: All the big ones you can pretty much assume from the get go. James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Aretha, Al Green, Otis Redding…There’s something that can be learned from each artist. There’s so much out there to be gleaned too. Someone like George McRae’s “I Get Lifted.” It’s just a blow your mind track, but the rest of it might not really be for you. That’s the great thing about a lot of this stuff, there’s just so much out there to find.
PL: I was curious about a song you perform called “Shackles and Chains.” I heard it on your Daytrotter session awhile back and was wondering if that’s an original and not a re-working of the old country song, right?
Tim: That’s an original. I’d love to hear the country song of that name. Do you know who it’s by?
PL: It’s actually ironic, the guy that wrote the song was named Jimmie Davis and was a two-time governor of Louisiana.
Tim: No shit…?
PL: Yeah, man. Kinda wild. His other claim to fame was being (falsely) credited with writing “You Are My Sunshine,” so when I heard your song, I didn’t think it was a reworking because apart from the title it wasn’t anything like Jimmie’s song, but I had to be sure.
Tim: Yeah, that’s an original for sure. That’s one of the newer ones that’s been written since we finished recording that first album. Now, we’re working in the studio again.
PL: I was curious if there were any particular goals over the next few months.
Tim: We’re in the studio a lot. What I’d really like to start doing is every month, month and a half, drop a 7′, a single. Just a few at a time and eventually release a 45 with the free additional downloads. Because I got a mes of songs that we just haven’t had a chance to record yet. A lot of it is stepping out a bit from what we’ve been doing for the past few years. So, I want to do these singles, to keep it fresh every month or so…keep people listening. It’s better for people who want to hear the music and it’s better for us. Not having anything new come out for a eight months to a year can get kind of tiring…It’s more of a singles market these days anyways with the digital downloads. A lot of people don’t bother with buying anything and just stream it. We just want to get the music out there and play live shows. Once it’s out there, they can buy it if they want to.
PL: You know it’s ironic, but in a lot of ways it seems the industry has reverted back to the methods of the past, where singles mattered and people relied on live performances to make money instead of the albums.
Tim: Yeah, and I think it’s probably a good thing. It’s seems that it’s the natural way. If a musician is going to make a living, you gotta go play music.
T Bird and the Breaks - Esmerelda