If you never heard of them, The Bamboos are a funk band from Australia. They have some solo releases, and often turn out playing backup for Alice Russell and various other singers.

This is their new single/ep which has been getting some attention. The A-side features Latyrx member Lyrics Born, here trading in his lyrical miracle hat for a vaguely James Brown-ish funk affectation. This is the song that’s getting noticed, and while it’s not bad it’s not particularly great imo. There’s lots of energy and Lyrics Born is not the worst singer, but something about it grates on me. Truthfully I was never a fan of him as a rapper either, so maybe I’m just biased.

The Bamboos – Turn It Up ft Lyrics Born

What moved me to post about this single at all is the overlooked B-side featuring Paul MacInnes, taken from The Bamboos 2008 album Side Stepper. I’m not familiar with MacInnes, but based on this track I’d say he sounds very Marvin Gaye-ish. The conscious overtones in the lyrics further the resemblance. The uptempo pace of the aside is traded in for a smooth soul jam, which is more suited to my personal tastes. The song overall is very easy on the years, and is making for a nice relaxed transition into the weekend. And so the Bside wins again.

The Bamboos – Move On ft Paul MacInnes