Urban Mixer Blog

On Thursday, May 1st, Five Alarm Funk, the 11 piece Funk and Afro-beat juggernaut, launched their new album ‘Voodoo Hairdoo’ at Richards on Richards.

Along with the band came a packed house and a dynamite sound - the group is truly in their element at Richards which some of the best tuned acoustics in the city for live music. Check out the original release and some exclusive video footage after the jump.

Voodoo Hairdoo release videos:

The original release:

Five Alarm Funk will celebrate the release of their second studio album Voodoo Hairdoo with a CD release party on Thursday, May 1st 2008 at Richard’s on Richards in Vancouver.

Voodoo Hairdoo captures the boundless energy of Five Alarm Funk’s live show. It is a journey from fast funk and dance-crazed Latin to epic reggae and thunderous Afro-beat.

The title track blends a tight funky groove with punchy horn shots, searing lead guitar and outerspace keyboards. The song then shifts gears, dropping to a percussion groove that builds to an epic Afro-beat climax.

“Keeps Me Up At Night” is a slap-bass driven, heavy funk workout reminiscent of Earth Wind & Fire. The song features guest appearances by soul-singing powerhouses Tim Fuller and Dawn Pemberton, adding a new element to the band’s trademark instrumental grooves.

Five Alarm Funk has built an enthusiastic fan base large enough to twice fill the Commodore with over 900 fans in 2007. Every performance is an unstoppable dance party. The intense horn lines, percolating Afro-beat guitar and explosive percussion section are irresistible.

The 11-piece phenomenon has performed over 120 shows throughout Western Canada, sharing stages with such artists as Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Herbaliser, Sly & Robbie, Fishbone and Xavier Rudd. The group’s first release, put out in March 2006, has sold over 2500 copies.

“We spent over three weeks in the studio to record and mix the 10 brand new heavy-hitting tracks,” says Justin Kennedy, one of the band’s four percussionists. “We were able to isolate each part and make the grooves pop like Orville Redenbacher’s freshest kernels. This album will make the land that rhythm forgot remember.”

Five Alarm Funk dedicates Voodoo Hairdoo to its fans, who made it possible to record this album independently without label support or government grants.

Check out the original invite in our events calendar, HERE.