Alabama Shakes - S/T EP

The Alabama Shakes—formerly the Shakes, whom I wrote about back in early August—released their debut EP on Tuesday. Fans of sweaty heart-on-the-sleeve soul music and southern-fried rock will find a wealth of musical riches here from the Brittany Howard-led Athens, Alabama group. While bands regularly channel 1960s soul music—here specifically, the Stax Records sound—few do it with the raw, hard-edged, and nearly reckless sincerity heard in this EP. And while Howard's resonant soul-stirring vocals are clearly the difference-maker here, the Alabama Shakes fire on all cylinders: from the riff- and hook-heavy guitar work to the steady bass grooves and splashy drums, this is a dynamite young quartet on the rise.

Pick up the Alabama Shakes debut EP via Bandcamp.

The Shakes - "You Ain't Alone"

"1, 2, 3, are you too scared to dance for me?"

The consistently fantastic Aquarium Drunkard recently uncovered a doozy of a soul gem from Athens, Alabama band The Shakes. The track, "You Ain't Alone," has a a classic and raw sound comprised of a piano, upstroked guitar, and a roaringly impassioned vocal performance from bandleader Brittany Howard. It only takes a quick listen to understand Howard and her bandmates are a hell of a talented group. Below, you can download "You Ain't Alone" and stream two additional songs from The Shakes' Soundcloud page. If you dig what you hear, follow these young up-and-comers on Facebook and spread the word.

The Shakes - "You Ain't Alone"