Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/Funkadelic machine ruled black music during the ’70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums. Born in Kannapolis, NC, on July 22, 1941, Clinton became interested in Doo-wop while living in New Jersey during the early ’50s. . Basing his group on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Clinton formed The Parliaments in 1955, rehearsing in the back room of a Plainfield barbershop where he straightened hair. The Parliaments released only two singles during the next ten years, but frequent trips to Detroit during the mid-’60s – where Clinton began working as a songwriter and producer – eventually paid off their investment. The Parliaments finally had a hit with the 1967 single “(I Wanna) Testify” for the Detroit-based Revilot Records, but the label ran into trouble and Clinton refused to record any new material. Instead of waiting for a settlement, Clinton decided to record the same band under a new name: Funkadelic. Founded in 1968, the group began life as a smoke screen, claiming as its only members the Parliaments’ backing but in truth including Clinton and the rest of the former Parliaments lineup. Revilot folded not long after, with the label’s existing contracts sold to Atlantic; Clinton, however, decided to abandon the Parliaments name rather than record for the major label. By 1970, George Clinton had regained the rights to The Parliaments name: he then signed the entire Funkadelic lineup to Invictus Records as Parliament. The group released one album – 1970’s Osmium – and scored a number 30 hit, “The Breakdown,” on the R&B charts in 1971. With Funkadelic firing on all cylinders, however, Clinton decided to discontinue Parliament (the name, not the band) for the time being. Inspired by Motown‘s assembly line of sound, George Clinton gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded the ensemble during the ’70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. While Funkadelic pursued band-format psychedelic rock, Parliament engaged in a funk free-for-all, blending influences from the godfathers (James Brown and Sly Stone) with freaky costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. From its 1970 inception until Clinton’s dissolving of Parliament in 1980, Clinton hit the R&B Top Ten several times but truly excelled in two other areas: large-selling, effective album statements and the most dazzling, extravagant live show in the business. In an era when Philly soul continued the slick sounds of establishment-approved R&B, Parliament / Funkadelic scared off more white listeners than it courted. (Ironically, today Clinton’s audiences are a cross-cultural mix of music lovers from 8 to 80.) 1978-79 was the most successful year in Parliament/Funkadelic history: Parliament hit the charts first with “Flash Light,” P-Funk’s first R&B number one. “Aqua Boogie” would hit number one as well late in the year, but Funkadelic‘s title track to “One Nation Under a Groove” spent six weeks at the top spot on the R&B charts during the summer. The album, which reflected a growing consistency in styles between Parliament and Funkadelic, became the first Funkadelic LP to reach platinum (the same year that Parliament‘s “Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome” did the same). In 1979, Funkadelic‘s “(Not Just) Knee Deep” hit number one as well, and its album (“Uncle Jam Wants You”) also reached platinum status. During 1980, Clinton began to be weighed down by legal difficulties arising from PolyGram‘s acquisition of Parliament‘s label, Casablanca. Jettisoning both the Parliament and Funkadelic names (but not the musicians), Clinton began his solo career with 1982’s “Computer Games”. Several months later, Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” hit number one on the R&B charts; it stayed at the top spot for four weeks, but only managed number 101 on the pop charts. Clinton stayed on Capitol for three more years, releasing three studio albums and frequently charting singles in the R&B Top 40. Clinton and many former Parliament/Funkadelic members continued to tour and record throughout the ’80s as the P-Funk All Stars, but the decade’s disdain of everything to do with the ’70s – especially the sound of disco – resulted in critical and commercial neglect for the world’s biggest funk band, one which in part had spawned dance music.. During much of the three-year period from 1986 to 1989, Clinton became embroiled in legal difficulties (resulting from the myriad royalty problems latent during the ’70s with recordings of over 40 musicians for four labels under three names). Also problematic during the latter half of the ’80s was Clinton’s disintegrating reputation as a true forefather of rock; by the end of the decade, however, a generation of rappers reared on P-Funk were beginning to name check him. The early ’90s saw the rise of funk-inspired rap (courtesy of Digital Underground, Dr. Dre, and Warren G.) and funk rock (Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers) that re-established the status of Clinton & co. as one of the most important forces in the recent history of black music. Clinton’s music became the soundtrack for the rap movement, as artists from MC Hammer, to LL Cool J to Snoop Doggy Dogg depended heavily on the infectious groove of Clinton productions as the foundation of their recordings. Along with the renewed notoriety and respect, Clinton’s visibility and presence became familiar to a wider audience thanks to appearances in movies “The Night Before”, “House Party”, “PCU”, and “Good Burger”, hosting the HBO original series “Cosmic Slop”, and doing commercials for Apple computers, Nike, and Rio Mp3 players. Clinton also composed the theme songs for popular TV programs “The Tracey Ullman Show” and “The PJs”. Clinton has received a Grammy, a Dove (gospel) , and an MTV music video awards, and has been recognized by BMI, the NAACP Image Awards, and Motown Alumni Association for lifetime achievement. Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In reviewing Clinton’s illustrious career and success as a producer / writer/ performer, perhaps his greatest achievement stemmed from his relentless dedication to funk as a musical form. Funk as a musical style had been around for what seems like forever, deeply rooted in the music traditions of New Orleans and the Blues of the Deep South. Following the lead – and commercial success – of James Brown and Sly Stone, Clinton took Funk to new heights, blending elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical and even Gospel into his productions, eventually developing a unique and easily identifiable style affectionately called “P-Funk.” Clinton’s inspiration, dedication and determination resulted in the elevation of “funk” music to complete recognition and acceptance as a true genre in and of itself. On February 16th, 2012 George Clinton added to his list of accomplishments a Honorary Doctorate of Music from the renowned Berkley College of Music.  

Since 1998, The Motet have inspired the world with their unique style of dance music. Over the course of nine full-length albums, they’ve traversed the lines between funk, soul, jazz, and rock and built a diehard audience in the process. They’ve headlined Red Rocks Amphitheatre six times and sold out countless legendary venues coast-to-coast. In addition to racking up nearly 20 million total streams and views, they’ve also garnered widespread acclaim from numerous publications including Relix, Glide Magazine, and AXS.  The band has also graced the stages of festivals such as Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra.  

Dopapod access a heightened level of cosmic harmony in their music. The quartet—Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums]—present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. After generating millions of streams, packing shows coast-to-coast, and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Glide Magazine, and more, the group architect an immersive and expansive vision on their self-titled seventh full-length offering, Dopapod. The group’s hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and electronica bloomed brilliantly on 2009’s Radar, and it continued to blossom on the likes of Never Odd Or Even [2014] and Megagem [2017]. Along the way, fan favorites such as “Present Ghosts” reeled in 2.4 million Spotify streams and counting. 2019’s Emit Time arrived to acclaim from Guitar World, Relix, Glide, Jambase, and more. Simultaneously, they sold out headline gigs and graced the bills of Electric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and Bonaroo where Rolling Stone named them among the festival’s “best-kept secrets.” After a marathon near-decade run, they enjoyed an almost year-long hiatus to realign and reenergize before reuniting with a new fire during 2019 and partaking in something of a “soft return.”  After a brief hiatus to regroup and recharge their creative efforts, Dopapod assembled what would become their next album, the self-titled Dopapod, and looked at the loose threads of their catalog to conceptually tie their journey together. They chose to self-title their seventh offering as a totem to the fact they’ve realized their full potential in terms of music and vision. Tackling time travel, balance and symmetry, binary pairs, and more, Dopapod’s palindromic existence continues to conjure alchemy nearly fifteen years into their journey.

When Pimps of Joytime visionary Brian J started laying down grooves in a New Orleans studio in early 2019, he didn’t exactly have a proper album in mind, so much as capturing the steady flow of ideas that were at his fingertips seemingly every day. Over two years and a global pandemic later, Reachin’ Up is Pimps’ vibrant new full-length album that finds the venerable frontman once again brimming with trademark kaleidoscopic styles and undeniably funky dance music. An amalgamation of New Orleans and Bay Area funk elements juxtaposed with Brooklyn’s indie DIY ethos, Pimps of Joytime mirror the diversity of their communities and eclectic generational tastes. Traditionally, their music has always ignored established norms and colored outside the lines, and you can always expect the band to deliver an incendiary live show with swaggering confidence and undeniable cool. With Brian J consistently at the helm, the group has evolved through various configurations since bursting on the scene in 2004. They’ve created countless soulful, swaggering grooves across five full length releases, and can be found playing tours and festivals consistently around the world. With Brian J once again handling a sizable portion of writing, instrumentation, and production, this sizzling new Pimps elixir incorporates crucial contributions from partner Carol C, and several performances from New Mastersounds bassist Pete Shand. Though a decidedly- fresh start for this long-running, genre-blurring collective, on Reachin’ Up, Brian J reconnects with old friends like Chauncey Yearwood and Marcus Farrar (Antibalas), whose roots trace back to Pimps of Joytime’s earliest efforts. Their contributions are prominently featured on the album’s singles, bringing the project full circle. Splitting time between Brooklyn and New Orleans, and honing his craft as an accomplished live performer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Brian J is no stranger to working with legendary talent in both studio and live settings. He’s produced a number of celebrated Crescent City artists including Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers), and shared the stage with George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, and the late Art Neville (The Meters), as well as Big Easy legend Eddie Bo. Brian J has collaborated with GRAMMY Award-nominated blues artist Cedric Burnside (grandson of legendary blues musician R.L. Burnside), and written with jazz-funk luminary Roy Ayers, among others. Brian J. and his cohorts are constantly reinventing Pimps of Joytime, both on-stage and in-studio. With a swath of influences drawing extensively from funk, blues, soul, salsa, house, rock, and beyond, their body of work is an evolving musical mosaic deftly tied together with a devilish dance groove. Reachin’ Up finds Brian J inspired by a blossoming romance, stillness in time, and the classic funky disco and seminal dub reggae of yesteryear. The beloved bandleader continues in the tradition of channeling positivity, righteous intention, and subtle spirituality into the essence of Pimps of Joytime.