Donna the Buffalo offer everything you want in a roots band – songs that matter, a groove that makes you dance, an audience that spans generations, and a musical voice that evokes a sense of community.
Dance in the Street (out November 9), their first new album in five years, captures the dynamic energy that has earned the band the love and respect of their fans, “the Herd”, for thirty years.
Donna The Buffalo are well known for their lyrics about human potential and community. Throughout Dance in the Street, Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins, the band’s co-founders, share songs of social commentary and self empowerment.
Donna the Buffalo joined forces with legendary Producer/ Engineer Rob Fraboni to record Dance in the Street at Sonic Ranch Studio in El Paso, Texas. Best known as producer of The Last Waltz soundtrack, Fraboni is also acclaimed for his work with Bob Dylan, The Band, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones. Fraboni set out to capture the essence of Donna The Buffalo’s live performances on a studio record. He had the band record in a circle directly to tape. Dance In The Street is a fully analog recording all the way to vinyl. The track list alternates in his-and-hers fashion; even so, Nevins believes the album makes a cohesive statement. “We think of it as painting a picture and I like the picture that we’ve painted with this record,” she says.
Today Glide is excited to get on the train with an exclusive premiere of “Heaven & The Earth”, one of the standout tracks on the new album. The song features a loose and funky groove that immediately brings to mind the band’s one-time peers like Little Feat and the Grateful Dead. Vocally and lyrically, the song seems to bring to mind the ska and reggae sound of artists like Jimmy Cliff, which is complemented by a bouncy organ. Backup singers elevate the vocals into something more soulful as the organ cuts loose into a free-spirited jam. Even though this is a studio recording, it feels like it could have been recorded live in concert, and longtime fans will be relieved to hear that the band has bottled their fun and spontaneous danceable live sound into a studio recording. Ultimately, the tune packs all of the signature Donna the Buffalo sounds that the band has long been known for.
Jeb Puryear is direct in his thoughts about the tune: “Time is short. Live the life you love. Tomorrow is promised to no one.”
LISTEN:
Dance In The Street is out November 9th. For more music and info visit donnathebuffalo.com.
Photo credit: Chris Mortenson
