Let our journalists help you make sense of the noise: Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter and get a recap of news that matters.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have recently appeared on recordings by such newsmakers as Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright, and Lily Allen, but they’re hardly trendy. This funky Brooklyn outfit plays classic ’60s soul without a hint of archival mustiness: You can practically feel the heat coming off their greasy, horn-driven grooves. Suggesting a more flexible Tina Turner, Jones is a commanding shouter whose odes to sex (“Let Them Knock”) and self-respect (“Nobody’s Baby”) could be spontaneous outbursts rather than meticulously crafted pieces. Along the way, she fires off some cutting double entendres, warning an unreliable lover, “Your crafty little pencil is running out of lead.” Like a gathering storm, she shouldn’t be ignored.
