Are you ready for star time? On record, Chicago's JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound forges a most infectious and soulful stew, with nods to Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and dusty old R&B singles in Chicago basements. If you listen closely, you can even hear some Talking Heads/Gang of Four Brit-funk in Kevin Marks' dry drum breaks (and the fact that the band named one of its songs "Sister Ray Charles" means its members know their history). Live, it's a full-on jam. If you missed the set at last year's Twangfest or this past summer's Indie Rock Ice Cream Social,... More >>>