100 Days, 100 Nights

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. <i>Daptone</i>.

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have recently appeared on recordings by such newsmakers as Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright, and Lily Allen, but they’re hardly trendy. This funky Brooklyn outfit plays classic ’60s soul without a hint of archival mustiness: You can practically feel the heat coming off their greasy, horn-driven grooves. Suggesting a more flexible Tina Turner, Jones is a commanding shouter whose odes to sex (“Let Them Knock”) and self-respect (“Nobody’s Baby”) could be spontaneous outbursts rather than meticulously crafted pieces. Along the way, she fires off some cutting double entendres, warning an unreliable lover, “Your crafty little pencil is running out of lead.” Like a gathering storm, she shouldn’t be ignored.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate