Review: Ikebe Shakedown – Stone By Stone

Ikebe Shakedown

Stone By Stone

Ubiquity Records

Street: 04.15

Ikebe Shakedown = Africa ‘70 + The Meters

If you’ve ever listened to Otis Redding or Al Green and thought, “Gee, they sure don’t make ’em like this anymore,” rest assured, it’s not for a lack of trying. Ikebe Shakedown are part of a growing contingent of musicians dedicated to replicating the feel of classic recordings. They do a good job, and it’s a noble goal, too.

This retro-sounding set of instrumentals (made in the same studio where Sharon Jones records) is fun. It’s far more enjoyable, in fact, than I thought possible for an all-white band capitalizing on vintage afrobeat and R&B. Ultimately, though, Ikebe Shakedown are proficient, but helplessly out of their depth. I can’t imagine why anyone would prefer this to something more serious (Fela’s Expensive Shit comes to mind). Still, I’d bet these guys are a blast live. –Dan Vesper