Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Introducing: Christopher The Conquered & His Black Gold Brass Band



Fresh to death progressive soul is pumping from my speakers. That's the sound of Christopher The Conquered & His Black Gold Brass Band. Flush with keys and full of horns, this sweet, sweet music comes to us from Des Moines, Iowa, where CTC&HBGBB have been smoothly operating for a few years now. Chris Ford, the band leader, has been making music since 2008 and doing everything from solo piano music to now leading a 9-piece soul pop band.

I stumbled onto the band when I was going through some old Daytrotter sessions, and, man, am I glad that I clicked on them. Bands like this are the reason I pay for the subscription. I quickly downloaded the session and went in search of an album, which I luckily found on his bandcamp. His album, The Fate Of A Good Man, is absolutely fantastic and worth the $7. With tracknames like "Let Us Not Confuse Our Thoughts With Our Beliefs," "The Truth Is On Its Way," and "Life Is Not Always Easy," you can bet that he backs them up with outstanding lyrics. In style, Christopher The Conquered, at times, reminds me of Ben Sollee (particularly on "Let Us Not..").


My personal favorite tune, "Free To Try (But Not Always To Do)," comes with a sweet music video that features Chris Ford dancing, conducting, driving, and jamming with the band. It really is a fantastic video and song, building from somber to celebratory in 6 minutes of awesome.

 

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