Album Notes

"Psychedelic Soul!" That's guitarist Ray Wilcox's knee-jerk response when I ask him to describe the 
Latrells. From the ashes of Tang! the mighty East Bay funk armada rose The Latrells with their witches 
brew of classic 60s soul and blissed-out acid pop.
 
The document you hold in your hands was recorded in fits and starts from 2004 and 2008 in a variety of 
settings and formats. "The Latrells Still Love You" charts the band's evolution -- from its bedsit 
beginnings to their days as a sweltering live act. What binds these ranging songs is a shared sense of 
purpose, an attempt to answer the musical question, "What would happen if Sly Stone crashed the Smile sessions?"
 
"Tang! had just played its final gig when I got a call from (bassist) Mark Gallegos asking if I wanted to 
hang out." remembers Wilcox, sipping coffee in his gear-strewn Mission District flat. Some time later, 
Gallegos and Wilcox (Chemo and Brockington Latrell, respectively) found themselves in a darkened 
theater for a screening of "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" the acclaimed documentary about the 
Hitsville houseband. It was a Eureka moment. "We were like two kids, just mesmerized..."  By the time 
the house lights came up, the two had resolved to start a band built around that timeless Tamla beat: 
BAPPa! BAPPa! BAPPa!
 
Soon after, armed with a dozen improvised rhythm tracks, they set about finding the right singer. 
Wilcox had an inkling of vocalist Andre Jones' full potential from their days in Extinguisher, a hip-hop 
project. Manning the mic as Carmine Latrell, Jones is a force of nature, dodging and burning rope-a-dope 
rhymes with his mellifluous tenor. With the addition of Jones’ smooth vocals to Wilcox's nimble guitar 
work and gristly baritone, and Gallegos' slipknot bass lines, the Latrells had found their sound.

 [Dan Weir, Dec. 2008]