Morning 40 Federation – Ticonderoga – Review

morning40federation200Morning 40 Federation

Ticonderoga (M80 Music)
by Craig Regala

The New Orleans spit swap with Alex Chilton’s broke-ass solo career sits right in front of me. I, correctly, view this as a perfect “date” band. The six piece (sax, tuba, and trombone added to the usual rock and roll gear) that is Morning 40 Federation would weed out the squares, dumb-fuck rockers, turtle-ass cross-armed indie “fans,” and fussy NPR purists undeserving of your further personal investigation. Totally for anyone who wants to shake a tail feather to a party band squonking Creole funk and leering way-too-hung-over-to-lie sleazy ’60s R&B the White Stripes could dance to. In classic white guy rock tradition (dunno their racial make-up, so what?), they play a rude guitary roughed-up version of a folk form, (the relaxed New Orleans version of funky-jazzy soul), slathering its more mannered social function with a gibbering howl. They also ooze out some glammy sex urge vs. regret uh, ballads,.. uh, kinda. It’s pretty good. (I apologize for my slap at the NPR folks; I think this’d milk their fun glands just right. Shriners? Shriners would go ape shit over M40F.

Ipod playlist it with Tom Waits, Lou Reed’s “Transformer,” Dr. John’s Creole gumbo, (early) B-52’s, Funkadelic, The Atlantic Soul Box, Bowie’s “Young Americans,” that Clutch offshoot, The Bakerton Group, and any of the regular Polka vs. Zydeco bands around town.
(www.m80music.com)