Beat of Our Own Drum

2009 release. Beat of Our Own Drum is the long-awaited debut album by Chicago's JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. Described by The New York Times as neo-soul glory, their sound is an explosive mix of '60s soul passion, the energy of '70s punk, and the eclectic spirit of contemporary music. Born in 2007 out of Chicago's Uptown, a melting pot neighborhood known for it's immigrant and refugee populations, guitarist Billy Bungeroth, drummer Kevin Marks, and bassist Ben Taylor lay a ferocious foundation for the soulful shouts of JC Brooks. The son of a Jersey soul queen set adrift by the disco era, he's renowned for his take-no-prisoners stage style, leaving audiences with no other choice than to get up and move! Brooks knocks out his audience with heart and raw emotion, while The Uptown Sound's post-punk attack updates The M.G.'s and The J.B.'s groove model, resulting in pure and unrelenting soul music that ranges from sweaty on-the-one workouts to dance-punk booty shakers, garage-rock thump humps, and aching R&B ballads without a missed step. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound are not just another throwback group - they came to be during an era of war, manifesting their style of urgent dance music with lyrics that address more than the standard baby, baby fare. In the year leading up to this release, the group sold out Chicago's Hideout four times, collaborated with a diverse array of hometown heroes including Twinight Records kingpin Syl Johnson and Tortoise drummer Dan Bitney, and won the Chicago Tribune's Best Band of 2008 contest. They've also acted as the house band for Numero Group's Eccentric Soul Revue at Chicago's Park West, hitting the stage again with Syl Johnson, in addition to backing up local legends Renaldo Domino, The Kaldirons, Nate Evans, and The Notations.