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Not too often that a collection of badass sidemen get their chance to step out and have their moment in the sun, but hopefully that will happen for the New Orleans trio of George Porter Jr. (bass), Russell Batiste (drums) and Brian Stoltz (guitar). Together the three of them have backed up some incredible musicians throughout history; they’ve played with The Funky Meters, The Meters and The Runnin’ Pardnors among other bands and musicians, but now they’ve gotten together and formed Porter Batiste Stoltz.

When Art Neville decided to leave the Funky Meters in favor of his namesake band, the three saw an opportunity for something different. Combined they’re a funky, melt-your-face band, with ripping guitar solos, deep pocket bass lines, and solid drum fills. They find the groove within each song and on their debut album, Expanding the Funkin’ Universe they show a penchant for song writing and three-part harmonies. Something that hits you in a pleasant and unexpected way for a funk/jam band.

We got the chance to chat up George Porter Jr., who is revered as the “funkiest bass player in history” and you won’t get a disagreement from us. Look for that interview later tonight, since we haven’t had a chance to transcribe it. We thought, however, in honor of Mardi Gras beginning today, we’d share a little Porter Batiste Stoltz. Because the only way to hear New Orleans’s favorite funky sons is to hear them live.

Porter Batiste Stoltz November 17, 2007 Live Oak, FL. @ Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park

• Grits N Hurricanes
• All I Do Everyday
• All I Wanna Do
• PBS (Funk the Best) >
• PBS (Funk the Best) > Cissy with Attitude Pt. 3 > Get Out of My Life Woman*
• Ouw* > Not Fade Away* > Ouw*
• Norma’s House*
• I Get High* >
• Bring the Flood* >
• Bring the Flood* >
• Bring the Flood*

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE SHOW (ZIP)

* with Skerik on saxophone and “V-Boy” on trombone

I’d offer up individual Mp3 of the tracks, but what’s the point? You know you want the entire darn show cause it’s that freaking good. Tonight they’re in San Francisco, so be sure to check out the tour dates after the jump and then go check them when they roll into your neck of the woods. MORE »

New Orleans’s Bonerama have teamed up with rock outfit OK Go to record an iTunes only EP You’re Not Alone that will be available on Feb. 5. That’s the start of Mardi Gras and all proceeds from the sale of the EP will go to benefit members of the Crescent City’s music community.

“New Orleans is one of the last places in America where music is truly a fundamental part of everyday life,” says OK Go singer Damian Kulash. “People get together on the weekends and parade through the streets just playing songs; 12-year-old-kids learn funk on the tuba; everyone dances. Life elsewhere in the world simply isn’t as celebratory. If we allow the culture of New Orleans to die by leaving its musicians marooned around the country, America will have lost one of its great treasures.”

Hard to believe but this August mark the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Three years! My god, they haven’t even begun to rebuild in some places. It’s really just a tragedy and though sales of this EP might not amount to much of anything, it’s always great to see other musicians trying to help out.

On You’re Not Alone, Bonerama lends its trombone and trumpet swagger to three cuts off of OK Go’s album Oh, No. Those tracks are: “A Million Ways,” “It’s a Disaster” and “Oh Lately It’s So Quiet.” There are also covers of David Bowie’s “Rock N’ Roll Suicide” and Bobby Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released,” which features vocals from Al Johnson.

Johnson is one of those musicians who lost everything in the flood and he is best known for writing the Mardi Gras theme song “Carnival Time.”

We were hoping to have some links to some of these songs, but alas, the EP doesn’t seem to be up at iTunes yet and neither of the bands’s website or Myspace pages have any of their work together. Pretty lame if you ask me. As soon as we find something on this we’ll update.

Bonerama is on tour, with those dates after the jump. They’ll also be performing on Letterman Feb. 11 with Damian Kulash . MORE »