Okay, guys, let’s get something out of the way here: I fucking love Steely Dan. Like a lot. Part of this is because I’m a sucker for good chords and goddammit (more like godDanIT am I right?), the Dan has a lot of them. I’m pretty much up for all things Steely Dan related until the 90s hit. See, the problem with everything that my boiz Donald and Walter wrote after the 80s is that (like many old dude soft rockers) they truly don’t believe audio production practices got better than the ultra smooth gloss of the 80s. But what would Steely Dan sound like if they didn’t ignore everything that’s happened since 1985? Well, probably something like The Stepkids’ “The Lottery.”
“The Lottery” is one insane smooth soulful jam. Unlike many other Dan disciples, The Stepkids have no desire to ironically subvert and warp the 70s/80s soft funk of their heroes. Instead, the band completely develops and modernizes this aesthetic. Sure, there’s great jazz chords and multi tracked vocal harmonies, but there are also turntable scratches, synth arpeggios, and an insanely shifting structure that might have been deemed a bit too crazy for Gaucho-era Dan. At times, the track bears some similarity to the orchestral funk of the less schizophrenic tunes from Of Montreal’s excellent Paralytic Stalks. Like Kevin Barnes and co., The Stepkids are creating a strangely modernized adaptation of harmonically rich, soulful funk.
The Stepkids’ Troubadour is out on September 10 via Stones Throw. You can stream “The Lottery” below:
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• The Stepkids: http://www.thestepkidsband.com
• Stones Throw: http://www.stonesthrow.com