Ropeadope

There’s a new sound taking over the town known as Boston. If you’re by the banks of the Charles River as the moon glows over the muddy waters you very well may hear some thick, groovy beats banging out a trail for raw guitar licks and a soul-drenched Hammond organ. Yes indeed, ladies and gentleman who are down with the funk, the rock and the soul, you have your new favorite band: Otis Grove. And it just feels so good doesn’t it?

This terrific three-piece from the prestigious Berklee School of Music (got their start in 2003, playing a mix of jazz and funk that leaned more towards the traditional side of things. Their debut self-titled album featured Blake Goedde on drums, Sam Gilman on Hammond organ and Melvin Sparks on guitar. But it was the departure of bassist Fitz-Henry and addition of Tyler Drabick that let Otis find it’s Grove. “When we started Otis Grove, it was definitely more of a jazz end. When Tyler joined the group we shifted more toward the rock spectrum. Our sound is now much more grittier,” Gilman said. An understatement if I ever heard one before (by the way – I have).

And with that grit came stength and power and inspiration, all of which combined to set the band on a roll that began knocking down fans one by one and eventually landing the band a slot with ropeadope’s digital label. The product of all this energy is the band’s second sophomore release Crank it UP which brings comparisions to Soulive, Medeski Martin & Wood and even the Meters. But “traditional” is one adjective that simply can’t fit. Reason being is that when these three dudes claim to all have different influences, you can actually hear it.

Goedde’s drumming style swims in the choppy seas of hip-hop and, hell, why wouldn’t it? Eager to list his influences, Goedde genuinely loves every style of hip-hop that exists (think Tribe Called Quest and the Roots) and even spanning his musical reach into the realms of early 90s gangsta and hardcore rap (think Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang). The hip-hop dynamic is ripe for the fusing when Gilman and Drabick man their organ and axe, respectively. Gilman, being the suave organ player he is plays his organ loud and with a sense of pure power and command. Throw Drabick’s classic rock influences and what you have is a concoction that could be boiled down to a half cup of Led Zeppelin, half cup of soulful jazz and an extra helping of freaky funk and you have maybe one-tenth of what Otis Grove is growing.

Do not confuse this as your average instrumental jazz/rock/funk fusion group that simply goes through the motions at their weekly residency. No, no, this band’s residency at the Middle East Corner Room in Central Square, Cambridge is at the heart of downtown Cambridge, where the hustle and bustle get to hustlin’ and bustlin’. “People walking down the street will stop in and peep their head and even come in and spend the rest of their evening there,” Drabick said. “It’s one of the busiest corners in Cambridge.”

When asked about long-term goals, they don’t have shallow dreams of fame and fortune. Their goal is simple: play the big venues and to play to as many people as possible. Not only that but wake up those poor souls that have already been lost to the dark side.
“Reaching people who are out there saying, ‘Let’s watch American Idol. Let’s watch all the bullshit that’s on TV right now and listen to the radio with the next Britney Spears album.’ Let’s educate people back to the 30s, 40s, 50s whenever there was great music all the time and people actually enjoyed listening to it!” Goedde said.

So, all that’s left is up to you. Otis Grove is more than ready to crank it up; they’ve been doing it since ’03. Are you ready for the experience?