The Hot 8 Brass Band
The Life & Times Of...
Release Date: Nov 6, 2012
Genre(s): Rap, Funk, New Orleans R&B, New Orleans Brass Bands
Record label: Tru Thoughts
Music Critic Score
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Album Review: The Life & Times Of... by The Hot 8 Brass Band
Excellent, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
It's hard to believe that the second full-length release from the Hot 8 Brass Band wasn't recorded at a live gig, as the energy level is consistently high throughout The Life & Times Of... . Similar to the Lil' Rascals Brass Band and the Rebirth Brass Band, the potent mix of brass bands, funk, and hip-hop has made their reputation solid, not only around their New Orleans home base, but throughout the world.
Based on rating 4/5
No outfit has done more than the Hot 8 to recast the long tradition of New Orleans marching music for modern times. This second album finds them in incendiary form, infusing the strut of Crescent City brass with funk and hip-hop flavours and offering tart commentary on their beleagured home town. Can't Hide From the Truth castigates local police for killing a late band member, while the Specials' Ghost Town is given a riotous refit.
Opinion: Excellent
They’ve become an appealing metaphor for their home city’s hope and vitality. Lloyd Bradley 2012 The Life & Times Of… is the second album from this New Orleans group. Since breaking through via exposure in Spike Lee’s post-Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke, Hot 8 have become an appealing metaphor for their home city’s hope and vitality.