One of the best things one of my roommates ever did for me was turn me onto the funky goodness of the LA-based Michigan-bred Vulfpeck. Now, contributing guitarist, drummer, and sometimes vocalist Theo Katzman has dropped a solo record worthy of your time if — like me — you’ve got the funk.
Titled Heartbreak Hits, Katzman’s second solo effort dropped today, January 6 (available digitally at Bandcamp), an album whose release was funded via Kickstarter. My favorite Vulfpeck song has always been “Back Pocket,” a track with Katzman takes lead vocal duty on. His voice is superbly underrated and it’s nice to hear a full album’s worth of tracks with his voice. If you’re a fan of indie pop singer BØRNS, Katzman’s voice is right up your alley.
The ten-song album is strong from top to bottom. My favorite is the lead track “Hard Work,” a song that begins with a killer opening riff and features cheeky lyrics about how Katzman has put in the hard work to get a girl’s affection. “Crappy Love Song” is a slower-tempo track that has elements of Jason Mraz to it and a song I could see getting a ton of love on adult contemporary stations. One of the singles that got released before the album dropped is “My Heart Is Dead,” which has a bit of a classic rock feel to it.
Theo Katzman will be playing a show at the Bootleg Bar on Thursday, January 26 to celebrate the album’s release. Tickets are priced at $10.00 and it’s a 21-and-over gig with doors opening at 8:30. I just saw Katzman earlier this week backing up Joey Dosik at The Hotel Cafe opening up for John Mayer, as well as last year performing with Vulfpeck at Bonnaroo — one of the best sets of the festival. He’s worth checking out for sure.
BUY TICKETS TO SEE THEO KATZMAN AT THE BOOTLEG BAR ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 26
