Californian The Coup returns to the Elephant. Delighting the critics and antagonizing all kinds of parental associations since Kill My Landlord (1993), the couple is definitely one of the most interesting festival guests of the whole year.

Last seen in Tavastia in 2007, this rap music band has drawn attention with their heavily political lyrics and provocative album covers; in the original cover of Party Music, which was misfortunately timed for publishing in the fall of 2001, Boots Riley and DJ Pam the Funkstress blew away the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Of course some great content can be found between the covers as well, as every single one of the published five albums are revolutionary funk-rap classics.

The 6th album of The Coup, Sorry to Bother You, will be published later this year, and it will also be the soundtrack to Boots Riley’s similarly named indie movie. As an inspiration to the film Riley used the time he spent as a telemarketer, so the frustration we’ve got familiar with from the earlier albums won’t most likely be lost on this one, either.

The hefty lyrics peppered with Californian rhythms have been the main reason for their cult reputation and for staying on the borderlines of the consciousness of the mass media. In these politically charged songs Riley tackles everything from the greediness of the corporate giants to police violence with such deadly serious humour and restrained aggression, that we haven’t heard similar since Public Enemy. In retroness, the only thing winning Boots’ funky style is his afro. The man himself wrapped up his verbal offering sharply in My Favorite Mutiny: “Death to the pigs is my basic statement / I spit street stories ’til I taste the pavement”.

Boots Riley strongly swims against the mainstream outside of music, too. He’s been an active member of the international Occupy movement, especially in its unit in Oakland. During their European tours along with the gigs he always has some time for impacting and having speeches in the local popular movements. From the interviews and Facebook updates of Boots’ you can draw a conclusion that at least as strict text can be expected as on the albums. It’s difficult to say if there’s a revolution coming, but if so, Boots Riley is already in the frontline.

Boots Riley >> vocals
Silk-E >> vocals
B’nai Rebelfront >> guitar
J.J. Jungle >> bass
Hassan Hurd >> drums
LJ >> organs and keyboards

http://www.myspace.com/thecoupmusic

Ennen The Northern Governorsia klaanin jäsenet ovat vaikuttaneet monissa merkittävissä kokoonpanoissa. J.K.L tunnetaan muun muassa Ricky Tick Big Bandista ja Sun Triosta, jonka lisäksi hän on soittanut Randy Breckerin kaltaisten legendojen kansa. Osmo Ikonen taas on vaikuttanut kotimaisen musiikin monitoimimiehenä niin Elastisen kuin Sunrise Avenuenkin kanssa soolouransa ohella. Prättälä myi kultaa jo ensimmäisellä omaa nimeään kantavalla albumilla ja muukin ryhmä on pysynyt ihailtavan kiireisenä kotimaisessa musiikkiskenessä.

Yhtyeen jonkinmoinen esimuoto, The Orgones, soitti ensimmäisen isomman keikkansa vuoden 2009 Funky Awardseissa. Jo silloin lupaavalta vaikuttanut bändi on kehittynyt vuosien varrella yhdeksi oman lajinsa kovimmista live-esiintyjistä.

Orkesterin ensimmäinen albumi julkaistaan kansainvälisesti maaliskuun 12. päivä legendaarisen Blue Note -levymerkin kautta.

J.K.L » trumpetti, laulu
Tuomo Prättälä » koskettimet, laulu
Osmo Ikonen » basso, laulu
Petteri Sariola » kitara, laulu
Jyri Sariola » rummut
Linda Fredriksson » alto-, tenori- ja baritonisaksofoni
Heikki Tuhkanen » pasuuna

http://www.northerngovernors.com/