Keeping The Beat With Clyde Stubblefield

March 9th, 2010 | By Steven Potter

Given his groundbreaking originality and influence combined with a longevity that spans decades, few can be compared to legendary drummer Clyde Stubblefield.

Drawn to the drums after seeing a military parade as a child, Stubblefield first picked up a set of sticks when he was about 11. And he hasn’t put them down since. “It was always a career when I started doing it,” the now- 66-year-old Madison resident says. “I wasn’t looking to be anything else.”

Known best for his work with the Godfather of Soul James Brown, Stubblefield proved his skills on songs that laid down the foundation of Funk, such as “I Got The Feelin,’” “Ain’t It Funky Now” and “Cold Sweat.” His career has taken him around Continue Reading

Star Persons Releases First Single

March 6th, 2010 | By 608

EXCITING NEW ELECTRO-HIP-POP BAND RELEASES FIRST SINGLE “SUPERNOVA” B/W “BANANA BANG”, PLAYS PREMIER CONCERT

Star Persons is a six person, fully electronic pop band that combines catchy hooks and dance rhythms with futuristic soundscapes and thoughtful lyrics to create a sound that is fun, fresh, and fascinating. Their first single “Supernova”, which captures the essence of their style, was released in early February as a free download from their website (www.starpersons.net) along with “Banana Bang”. Both tracks will be on the upcoming Star Persons album, “Just Visiting”, due out later this year.

Though the band is Continue Reading

New Mixtape from JDante

March 1st, 2010 | By 608

James Gavins     A.k.a JDante

Hometown: Chicago,IL      Current Location: Madison,WI

Feature Project: Moses Presents JDante’s FallingUP Mixtape Pt.1

JDante’s style stems from two of his biggest influences, Lupe Fiasco and Drake. Continue Reading

Rap Has Earned Its Place

February 24th, 2010 | By Piko

Rap Has Earned Its Place in the Celebration of Black Music

Black History Month is about celebrating African-American culture. And while Black music is always a part of this celebration, rap isn’t always the most welcomed aspect of Black culture.

From its in-your-face, testosterone-fueled posture to its overly materialistic attitude, rap is often criticized. When it’s compared to the blues, soul and jazz music, some see rap as the bastard step-child of the Black music family. That said, there are some segments of rap that portray a less profane depiction of Black urban life. The so-called ‘conscious’ rap artists are often praised, but even they aren’t always as welcome in the Continue Reading

Sound Factory

February 6th, 2010 | By Rob Franklin

Madison has a rich and deep music performance history. The Steve Miller Band, Garbage, The Original Funky Drummer Clyde Stubblefield, even Otis Redding’s death has a Madison tie. One of the biggest strengths that Madison also offers is a history of great recording studios. 608 recently sat down with Jake Johnson and Bill Maynard from Paradyme Productions (www.paradymeproductions. com), Mark Whitcomb from DNA Studios (www.dnamusiclabs. com) and Mike Zirkel and Beau Sorenson from Smart Studios (www.smartgeeks.com) to get a look at what the studios are currently working on as well as their thoughts on the continuing emergence of Madison Hip-Hop as a fixture Continue Reading