Music
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Next up, we have the Josh Phillips Folk Festival, the side/semi-solo project of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band songwriter and percussionist Josh Phillips. While Phillips’ music is a bit less party-oriented than his work with YMBFBB, there’s still a strong current of upbeat and largely positive views in his songs. Backed by the Folk Festival, a group largely composed of his friends from the Asheville music scene, Phillips has been crafting a diverse collection of songs for his eventual debut album. We suggest starting with the lighthearted “I’d be mad too,� available on his MySpace page. - Mtn. Xpress- Steve Shanafelt
LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Booty Band Official Website) - Singer, guitarist, and percussionist of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band Josh Phillips has announced that he is leaving the Booty Band in pursuit of his new project, Josh Phillips Folk Festival. The break up is on good terms and you can surely expect to see Josh performing with the Booty Band from time to time in the future.
Though the Folk Festival plays some of the same songs that Josh has written with the Booty Band, the overall vibe is more song oriented and less of the party vibe that is synonymous with the Booty Band experience.
While the music seamlessly bounces between folk, world, reggae, and R&B, the common theme of the music is heart felt lyrics with a strong focus on the song itself.
"I don't want to be bound to a single style when I sit down to write a song because you can easily get away from expressing the real way that you feel at that moment in time. What I do strive for is to write songs when I am in a clear, thoughtful, and honest headspace that feels good for me to sing and also for others to hear out loud; a way for us all to connect and realize though situations are different, we all go through a lot of the same feelings."
Josh Phillips Folk Festival new ep "For Today Premix" is available now online and at Folk Festival shows, and the full length album "Wicker" scheduled to be released the first week of September. The well written, wide range of songs include performances by members of Acoustic Syndicate, Toubab Krewe, The Blue Rags, STRUT and many others. You can also check out their first music video "Movin On" on You Tube, or on their website www.joshphillipsfolk.com.
Have no fear, this is not the end of the Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band. The Booty Band has an exciting summer schedule and with recent recordings and a collaboration with George Clinton & P Funk, Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Lee Boys, and many others, the Booty Band is quickly evolving and finding it's unique, new sound. And you can expect an album debut of this collaboration, known as "The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown," out soon. Find out more about this release and more news about the Booty Band at www.bootyband.com.
- TOP40-CHARTS.COM
Discography
For Today Premix- summer '08
Wicker- Sept '08
Photos
Bio
Josh Phillips began writing music when he received a Tascam 8 track recorder as a high school graduation gift. Because of this gift he learned more than just practicing scales on his guitar. Instead he learned the importance of layering simple parts to let music do its own thing. Though writing music, Josh never joined a band in seriousness until he met Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band in 2002. Joining the band as a percussionist, Josh soon started playing guitar as well and quickly became one of the band's main song writers. He's been playing and touring heavily for the last 4 years with Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band. And while their sound and energy on stage is unmatched, Josh recently began a solo career as well to get back to his roots and harness a more simple sound that highlights a song and it's lyrics.
Josh formed a collective of Asheville musicians known as the Folk Festival and began recording in June of 2007. While the Folk Festival was a core group of Jacob Baumann, Eli Cramer, Suzanna Baum, and Ryan Burns, many other local Asheville musicians came out to make an appearance on the album such as the Asheville Horns, Toubab Krewe's Justin Perkins, Acoustic Syndicate's Bryan McMurry, Woody Wood, and many more. The Folk Festival, which began as a side project for the members of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, STRUT, Trainwreks, and Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, soon became Josh's primary focus.
Since Josh Phillips Folk Festival's first show in Dec. '07, the line up has been ever evolving due to working around different tour schedules, but has been a blessing in finding just the right mix of folks. Over a period of six months, the Folk Festival found it's core players and began to slowly hit the road. The Folk Festival has already shared many big stages throughout the southeast with Toubab Krewe, as well as several performances with Snake Oil Medicine Show and Laura Reed and Deep Pocket. They have also played festivals such as AmJam and Floyd Fest, will be playing LOKI Festival in October and are headlining the annual Asheville Street Festival LAAFF in September.
Josh Phillips Folk Festival will release it's highly anticipated debut album, WICKER, on Sept. 9th with a nationwide publicity campaign and self distribution. They just bought a tour bus and will be playing as many dates as possible throughout September and October in support of the album.
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