Magic City Hippies initially floated onto the scene as Robby Hunter Band. Yet, once their album titled Magic City Hippies dropped, it became clear they had accidentally found their identity through an album title. Renamed in 2015 as Magic City Hippies, the Miami boys tasked themselves with marrying the funk sweat of a mid-afternoon sail with the syncopated shoulder shimmy of a late night out. They quickly gathered steam and took to gracing stages across the planet, from packed night clubs to sold-out concert halls, to earning performances at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza, Magic City Hippies cater to those simply looking to escape with a welcoming, never-haughty, yet delightfully naughty, thwap.
Their Hippie Castle EP (2015) was just the tip of the proverbial ice cube in a cocktail glass of hippie sass. It mixed pool-side melodies and three-day weekend grooves with a soulful, upbeat, vacation-heavy inflection of what can only be described as their own brand of musically casual psych-pop. Modern Animal (2019) brought MCH beachside, adding even more sultry swank to an already damp pair of chinos. A few years later, Water Your Garden (2022) brought the world out of a socially isolated pandemic with a brilliantly shimmering and joyous celebration of dancing on our own, yet now together.
An intrinsic purity drives MCH’s music. Despite the easily danceable grooves and sun-drenched melodies, these guys are making some severe funk built on an unwavering passion for the genre. In their quest to create nostalgic funk for modern times, MCH releases “Givin’ Up On Lovin’” with NoMBe. The larger-than-life single features heaven-sent falsettos that twinkle against the funky minimalism, every element being tied together by an unforgettable bass line. Keeping the melodic phrasing and songwriting simple allows the rest of the tune to uncoil into a warping yet honed funk track naturally. MCH breaks apart the deep grooves to deliver jaw-dropping guitar solos that sear like a ribeye on an open flame. What is miraculous about “Givin’ Up On Lovin’” is the band’s ability to make the minimal arrangement sound so lively and full. MCH leaves behind the blaring horns and syncopated drums of funk to fit their pop sensibilities and soulful crooning. MCH fearlessly rearranges the typical idea of funk and spins it into a soothing yet infectious soulful performance with sonic surprises around every corner.
