Five For Friday: Brass Band Covers

Rob Slater on March 7, 2014

This week, thousands will converge on the greater New Orleans area for the annual Mardi Gras celebrations. Or, as everyone not in New Orleans call it–Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Regardless of whether you find yourself in The Big Easy or not, this is a perfect time to reflect on the great music New Orleans has produced and is still continuing to produce. The music, particularly the brass ensembles, are such an integral part of the Mardi Gras week as well as the city as a whole.

For this installment of Five For Friday, here are five brass band covers that will make your head explode with awesomeness.

Brassft Punk: “Harder Better Faster Stronger” (Daft Punk)

The brianchild of New Orleans’ Earl Sconeaux III (aka Madd Wikkid), this Daft Punk tribute brass project maintains the danceability of the French electronic duo while adding an organic touch brought on by the brass instruments. All this will make you do is long for a Daft Punk tour with a full backing band. Check out “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” above and visit Brassft Punk’s Soundcloud for additional cuts such as “One More Time,” “Around the World” and “Da Funk.”

The Soul Rebels: “Holy Grail” (Jay Z)

The Soul Rebels are practically the gold standard in big brass band cover songs, mixing in just about every pop hit imaginable into their repertoire. Here, the group delivers a slammin’ rendition of Jay Z’s anthemic “Holy Grail” from his last effort Magna Carta Holy Grail. The group also employed a full Jay Z medley on their last mixtape Power = Power, which you can listen to here.

Rebirth Brass Band: “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)”

While Michael Jackson’s dancy “Shake Your Body” might seem obvious when thrown into the live band setting, the Rebirth Brass Band does it justice by putting their own spin on it, turning the song into a bare bones drum circle. Watch above.

Hosen Brass: “Killing in the Name” (Rage Against the Machine)

New Orleans may be about 4,700 miles away from London, but the Hosen Brass Oompah Band is definitely feeling the NOLA spirit with their insane rendition of Rage’s “Killing in the Name.” A must-watch, for sure.