Over the past couple of years, the Chicago-based neo-soul and funk quintet The Main Squeeze have become something got a mainstay act on this site as I’ve written about them on a handful of occasions. The quintet originally formed in Bloomington, IN and over the course of the first few years of the band’s history, the band spent time working and refining their material and sound, before relocating to Chicago, which is the home of a vital and nationally recognized soul revivalist scene. And with a relentless touring schedule last year that had the band play 160 shows, including Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Summercamp, Gathering of the Vibes, and Rolling Stone‘s Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Party, the band had developed a rapidly growing national profile. Interestingly, the band had also made inroads internationally as they won The Venetian Macao international battle of the bands in China, back in 2012.
Adding to a growing national, the band’s forthcoming sophomore effort, Mind Your Head was produced by former American Idol judge Randy Jackson. The album’s latest single “Angelus” is a slick piece of soulful pop consisting of cascading synths, sinuous bass, and a persistent and tight rhythm section paired with Corey Frye’s s silky falsetto vocals. Sonically, the song nods towards late-period disco and synth-based 80s R&B — and in a similar fashion to Jazzanova‘s Funkhaus Studio Sessions, The Whispers‘ “It’s A Love Thing” and “And The Beat Goes On,” and others. The song possesses an old-school joy, charm, warmth and sincerity that’s not just infectious but rare in a world with charmless and joyless love songs.
The recently released music video follows a waitress on what may be the worst work day of her life, before she quits for the day — or perhaps forever. Before she hits the roller skating rink, she spends some time pre-gaming with some scotch and some of her favorite songs as she picks out her sexiest outfit and heads to the roller skating rink to get her groove on. Of course, the woman is stunningly gorgeous and everyone is instantly enraptured by her presence and her beauty; how can they not? And of course, the members of the band happen to the band playing at the roller skating rink — and they’re playing a song seemingly inspired by the gorgeous woman we’ve been following all along. Plus, there are some ridiculous 70s-styled costumes that should remind you of Soul Train and Roll Bounce.
