Dumpstaphunk

Dumpstaphunk is a funk band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

Origins and background
A decade evolved from their debut at 2003's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Dumpstaphunk offers fans an unforgettable live experience steeped in the Big Easy tradition of a good time. The quintet's current lineup features Ivan Neville on vocals, B3 and Clav, the double bass attack and soulful voices of Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III, Ian Neville on guitar, and Nikki Glaspie on drums and vocals.

Formed in 2003, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk was initially put together by keyboardist Ivan Neville on a whim in order to perform a solo gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Ivan called in cousin Ian Neville (guitar), the double-bass bottom of both Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Weber (no longer in the band) to round out the show. Named after a song Ivan had recently written, Dumpstaphunk's informal performance became that of immediate legend. The project has since grown from chance side-project into what is now widely considered to be New Orleans' most popular musical export. The band was voted 2007's "New Orleans Best Funk Band" by both Offbeat Magazine and Gambit Weekly, and performs at some of the nation's largest music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest, 10,000 Lakes, and High Sierra.

"Ivan is the son of Aaron Neville, and he joined his father along with two uncles — Art Neville of the Meters, who defined New Orleans funk, and Cyril Neville — in the Neville Brothers before starting Dumpstaphunk. Their funk follows through on the Nevilles’ distinctive style: a complex of syncopations developed from sudden bass lunges, chattery drumming, hooting keyboard chords and wah-wah guitar."

Musical style
"Dumpstaphunk is the best funk band from New Orleans right now." ~ New York Times

From annual performances at New Orleans' Jazz Fest -- "The colossal low end and filthy grooves they threw down from the Gentilly Stage must have set a Jazz Fest record for baddest bass jams ever." (Bass Player Magazine, 2012) —to music rooms and festivals across the nation (Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, All Good, High Sierra and beyond), Dumpstaphunk continues to spread an unmistakably New Orleans groove with hard-hitting performances that dare listeners not to move.

“We always keep the spontaneity going, that’s something I love about this band," says Ivan. “We can funk it out with the best of them, but we also like to showcase how all sorts of music can come together and push the boundaries of what funk music is."

“Dumpstaphunk’s groove is a unique monster. It's not the minimalist funk of The Meters and it’s not the relentless funk of James Brown, although it has that rhythmic drive. It's not the psychedelic, over-the-top circus of Parliament Funkadelic, but it often has that political slant. It's not the party funk of the Ohio Players, but it shares the high vocals that take the pressure off the bottom. Dumpstaphunk is a whole other school of funk. If you're under 35, you think you've seen funk, but you haven't. You missed the original Meters, James Brown when he wasn't a parody, Parliament Funkadelic’s landing of the “Mothership”, Sly and the Family Stone before he went M.I.A and Booker T. and the M.G.s before the demise of Stax. Dumpstaphunk is as good as all that, and they're in their prime now.”

Upcoming Releases
Dumpstaphunk's summer 2013 release, Dirty Word, re-imagines their genre, holding true to the opinionated, vintage funk of Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, but with a modern edge that forays into gospel, blues, second-line, R&B and straight-up rock n roll. True to New Orleans tradition, Dumpsta’s friends and family Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Rebirth Brass Band, Art Neville, Ani DiFranco, Skerik, the Groovelive horns and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers kick the Dirty Word sessions up a notch.

"The whole record speaks to the righteousness of music. We’re not necessarily telling a specific story, but expressing how music makes things right for everyone in their own way. Our fans can feel that vibe and let it take them wherever they need to.”

“We just hope to spread the good word through funk," added Glaspie. "If we can create an escape, give people a reason to get down and forget their problems, then we're doing what we set out to do."

This release not only marks the band's official musical debut, but also serves as a group's formal transformation from popular side-project to full-time occupation. For some that might seem trivial but with Dumpstaphunk's collective resume it speaks volumes.

Recent Releases
"Listen Hear provides at long-last the aural, syncopated nastiness listeners have been denied outside of a Dumpstaphunk live performance. Saxophonic magician, Skerik, also guests on the EP. Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk is not re-writing the book so much as adding a much needed new testament. While fortunate enough to stand upon the shoulders of giants, make no mistake – Listen Hear is not an attempt at world music or feel-good vibrations, like that of some of their counterparts, but rather straight-ahead inner city funk for the masses. Tracks like "Living in a World Gone Mad" and "Turn This Thing Around" describe the troubling times we live in, while songs like "Meanwhile" and "Shake" suggest accepting such times in order to enjoy life."

Live performances
"Dumpstaphunk has grown from a small side project into one of New Orleans' most prestigious modern funk ensembles." ~ Rolling Stone Magazine

The members of Dumpstaphunk have recorded and performed with a veritable who's-who of popular music over the years including the Rolling Stones, Dave Mathews, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Trey Anastasio, Emmylou Harris and, yes, even the Neville Brothers. And while the members of Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk will surely continue to get the calls to do such collaborations, it will become increasingly difficult to find the time as the band forges ahead creating a new identity and standard for New Orleans music.

Dumpstaphunk Releases

 * "Dirty Word'' – Red Hot Records (2013)
 * "Everybody Want Sum'' – Controlled Substance Soundlabs (2011)
 * "Listen Hear'' – Dumpstaphunk (2011)

Other Appearances

 * "Live at Jazzfest 2012'' – MunckMix (2012)
 * "Live at Jazz Fest 2011'' – Home Grown Distribution (2011)
 * "Jazz Fest 2010'' – MunckMix (2010)
 * "Live at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival'' – MunckMix (2009)
 * "Jazz Fest 2006'' – Home Grown Distribution (2006)