Can You Dig It? New CD Available Jan. 27

CAN YOU DIG IT? THE CHICKEN SLACKS FIND THEIR OWN FUNKY SOUND

The new 13-track album from Boston's hardest-working funk and soul band hits stores on January 27th

BOSTON, Mass. - December 16, 2008. A year in the making, Can You Dig It? is the culmination of the latest chapter of the now seven-year 'Slacks saga, closing a year that could be considered one of their best. With the 3rd anniversary of their Thursday night residency at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, The Chicken Slacks also starred in a short "rockumentary" (available on their website), and will appear as the wedding band in the upcoming Hollywood film Bride Wars starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.

"We worked very hard to make this record sound like us - with all the energy, humor, and groove that our fans have come to appreciate," says Justin Berthiaume, the band's drummer and manager (and only remaining founding member). "We've gone through a lot of personnel changes over the years, but this current lineup has a chemistry and comraderie that really shines. That's unusual in a band, and you can hear this on the CD."

Can You Dig It? mixes original songs penned by the band with their own take on several obscure covers, some of which you may not think of as classic soul or funk. The CD opens with a surprisingly soulful Captain Beefheart tune "Too Much Time", and track 9 has singer Diamond D crooning Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See The Light". Throughout the CD the band stays true to the classic themes of the soul and funk genre: love and heartbreak (Diamond D's "I'm In Love" and trumpeter and vocalist John Moriconi's "Only A Fool Gets To Heaven"), tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo ("Going To The Shack" and Berthiaume's "I Wanna Take A Shower With You"), and social justice (Diamond D's "Tragedy") all get their due.

Even the CD artwork alludes to The Chicken Slacks long story. Inside, the 3-panel fold-out features a collage of 'Slacks fans boogying down against a backdrop silhouette of the Boston skyline. "It's a nod to our fans and to our city," explained Berthiaume. "We love them and we wanted them to feel a part of this CD."

Can You Dig It? is now on sale at The Chicken Slacks shows, and will be available in stores and online January 27.

A HUGE Thank You to Scott Couper and Lenny Bradford. Oh yeah... Thank YOU, too!!!

If it weren't for these guys, we may have not had a night!

Last night at the Cantab you may have been wonderin', "Just, where in the heck are Rick "The Dapper" and Mike "The Hammer"?

As, Rick was in a far, off distant land and Mike was... well, "hammerin'" away with other obligations, we decided to call upon the talented efforts of Mr. Lenny Bradford and Mr. Scott Couper. Bass and guitar respectively.

Not only did these guys step up to the proverbial "musical plate", but boy could these cats sing, as well!

"Back In The USSR" is now one of my new favorites! Thanks, Scott. And, Lenny's "The Way You Do The Things You Do" was outta sight! Thanks for "passing it around". (That's Muso Slang for: Givin' each one of us a solo, for y'all hep cats)

If you'd like to hear more of these cats, visit:
Couperbrothers.com to check out Scott and his brother, Jay
and visit: Entrain.com to hear a little more of Lenny and Entrain.

Let's do this again sometime! I know I had a blast. I hope y'all did, too!

See ya next week when we'll be at the Cantab with OUR NEW ALBUM!!! Can You Dig It?

Peace Y'all
-J

We love New York!

"New York is definitely an adult portion, an adult dose. You go in, you get your ass kicked, you take off, and as soon as it heals up you come back again." - Levon Helm, The Band.

Truer words are seldom spoken, but the 'Slacks did their fair share of New York ass-kickin' during our debut in the Big Apple last weekend. Sure, we can rock the Boston scene, but New York City is a whole 'nuther beast. Would we be able to hang? Because, after all, "If we can make it there, we'll make it anywhere..."

Friday: 169 Bar, Lower East Side, Manhatthan: the mercury outside registering a mere 15 degrees, the club a small cozy place with a sensuous funky New Orleans vibe. Several drink-filled tables facing a small performance space, the bar featuring $5 Pabst/shot combos and a wide array of unusual voodoo elixers and adornments. The Slacks take the stage at 10:30 to a standing-room-only crowd. First song, instrumental feature, Curtis breaking fingernails on the house's upright honky-tonk piano, the audience's heads bobbing, unfamiliar smirks turning to full smiles. Second song, Diamond D introduced and a sense of wonder and uncertainty permeates the crowd, while they wait for this living spirit of cajun past to open his mouth and sing. And sing he does. Smiles now turn into dancing. Dancing turns into sweating. Sweating turns into swooning. And the spirits are alive and the groove is tight and the place is electric. 45 minutes and two encores later it's time to give up our post to the Love Man, and join the audience, who are now our bestest friends and confidantes in this small one-horse town.

Saturday: Black tie, beautifully ornate nuptual celebration at Battery Park, the sun setting behind the Statue of Liberty. Just as the Lady of the Harbor lit the beacon of freedom for millions of immigrants a century ago, the Slacks too felt warmed and welcomed by her grand presence. The staff the stuff of legend - courteous, helpful, with an air of nonchalance that is rarely encounted at these important events. The wedding couple completely giddy, more so for the band that anything else it seems, and the crowd soon loosens their bowties and kicks off their heels, and once again it's just the band and the crowd summoning the spirits of celebration and good will, with a cosmic trumpet solo thrown in here or there for good measure. It's now the witching hour and they don't want us to end. More? OK, more. And more? OK, more. Outside it's colder than the kitchen's walk-in freezer, but in our world at this moment it's hotter than the patissier's flambe torch.

Epilogue: Thanks to everyone who made our trip to New York so epic: The happy couple David and Elizabeth, Sarah and friends, Galin and friends, Jessica and friends, Aimee and friends, Alexis and friends, Matty, Joe, Charles from Slidell, the good people at Battery Gardens, Martha for the wonderful accommodations, the Green Kitchen 24 hour diner, Fontana's, the Blind Tiger, the FDR, our courteous drivers and the New York Police Department. Viva New York!

NYC Photos by Joe Russo

Slaacckksss iiinnn ccyybbeerrssppaaaccceeee...

Hey all,

We here at Slacks headquarters are always reminiscing about the past. We like our music like we like our fashion: old school.

But, recently we've jumped aboard a new school train and signed up for MySpace and Facebook! Come be our friend, fan and cyberspace confidante!

The Chicken Slacks on MYSPACE!

The Chicken Slacks on FACEBOOK!

Happy Geekin,
Mike

Hello out there in Cyberland! Another Public Service Announcement from the Chicken Slacks

Them seasons are a-changin' and so are we. We'll be hitting the rehearsal "warehouse" (Coop, if you will.) in the next few weeks. Very exciting!

We have some funky tunes that'll satisfy your needs for this holiday season. Which ya know is right around the corner!!
Whoever wants a Funky Christmas, raise their hands!

We want to give ya some new tunes to shake your booty to.
So listen up for some of your NEW favorites! And, hey! Ya never know if we'll be puttin' some of your old ones in the bag, too.

Peace and Chicken grease

The Jerkus Circus - a truly spooky burlesque world!!

Oh my gracious, if you didn't happen to make it out to Ralph's Diner in Worcester this past Halloween night, let me hip you to what you missed out on.

I walked up the stairs to the stage area and found two gorgeous young ladies (the Steamy Bohemians) performing a singing-comedy routine with acoustic guitar accompaniment to a rapt audience of finely costumed patrons. These gals were followed by:

a) a most bewitching witch doing a mesmerizing R-rated striptease,
b) a funny comedian,
c) more from the Steamy duo,
d) another funny comedian,
e) a troupe of gender-crossing hotties gyrating to the strains of "Transsexual Transylvania",
f) a fellow who laid down upon a platform of broken glass and actually had audience participants WALK ON HIM (this creeped me out, personally!),
g) Steamy Bohemians redux (boys, I'm tellin' ya - these ladies were SMOKIN'!!!),
h) a very funny routine where two people dressed in suits brought an uncostumed male from the crowd onstage and proceeded to dress him up as a baby doll while miming to the tune of "The Doggone Girl is Mine",
i) a naked - yes, as in fully unclothed - male comedian who was very self-depricatingly funny,
j) and yet another interjection of Steaminess before the stage was finally swept clear for the Chicken Slacks to do what we do, which in this case was to put a cap on a very fun, funny and titillating evening of frivolity.

In other word, babies - NEXT YEAR, COME OUT TO WORCESTER and see for yourselves what the Jerkus Circus has to offer. Perhaps we'll see you there!