V/A - "COUNTRY FUNK VOL. 1" LP

What in the hell is country funk you ask? The answer is a complicated one, in part due to the fact that Country Funk is an inherently defiant genre, escaping all efforts at easy categorization. The style encompasses the elation of gospel with the sexual thrust of the blues, country hoedown harmony with inner city grit. It is alternately playful and melancholic, slow jammin’, and booty shakin’. It is both studio slick and barroom raw. And while these all may seem unlikely combinations at first glance, upon close listen, it all makes sweet sense. Light In The Attic presents Country Funk 1969-1975, a melting pot concoction of the music of Dale Hawkins, John Randolph Marr, Cherokee, Johnny Adams, Mac Davis, Bob Darin, Jim Ford, Gray Fox, Link Wray, Bobby Charles, Tony Joe White, Dennis The Fox, Larry Jon Wilson, Bobbie Gentry, Gritz, and Johnny Jenkins.

Co-produced by Zach Cowie, Patrick McCarthy and Matt Sullivan and featuring extensive liner notes by Jessica Hundley (MOJO, The New York Times, Vogue), original album/label artwork, and new illustrations by Jess Rotter (JessRotter.com, Rotter & Friends), this down home package is not only a treat for the ears, but a feast for the eyes. Think of this as a fantasyland where the Josie-era Meters back young Elvis singing Kris Kristofferson-penned slices of rustic American life and you’ll begin to understand the country funk vibe. It’s from the swamp to the city and all points in between.