Album Notes

Funk-Fu.
A combination of dirty funk grooves, tight horns, soul-power, outdated dance moves and kung-fu kicks. hyahh!

Shiftless Layabout was founded in Seattle in the summer of 2002 by the loungey, yet soulful, Tim Kelly and piano virtuoso Mike Van Bebber. The band soon grew to include Matt's super-tight jazz-funk bass, Brandon's brassy saxophone, Tom's blues-soaked guitar and a string of ill-fated drummers. Most recently they have added the skin-slapping percussion of Devan Stovall and the fat trombone sounds of Heidi Wischler. word.

After over a year of jazzin’ it up they ditched the keyboards and began the quest for Funk-Fu. Tim and the band dug deep, searching for a leaner, grittier sound, that has gradually evolved into its current funk-rock explosion. sweet.

The Shiftless sound is a blend of rock and funk, grit and polish. They bring a fresh perspective to the old-school: combining wah-wah funk and ass-tinglinging brass with a crunchy dose of 70's southern rock. Their influences include: Average White Band, War, Blood Swaet and Tears, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Mofro, Lynard Skynard and a fistful of 70's kung-fu.

Check out the brass dynamite and bass thunder of Higher; the southern fried soul of CryBaby; the tasty hooks of Something’s Goin’ On; or the rock-solid grit of Saturday Night… we play funk music.