Youngblood Brass Band

Youngblood Brass Band defies convention in an ecstatic, raucous, incendiary way, taking the form of a New Orleans brass band and transforming it into a punk-infused hip-hop behemoth of groove and purpose. The ten-member ensemble, founded in Madison, Wisconsin, now draws members from all over the U.S. (New Orleans, Brooklyn, Nashville, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles) and has been unleashing its crash course in genre-bending on stages worldwide since 1998. What other band can claim the honor of having their music spun by Questlove, collaborating with hip-hop luminaries like Talib Kweli and Mike Ladd, having their original compositions performed by marching bands and jazz ensembles around the globe, being included in university and national curricula, and still not seem out of place at a punk festival?

Youngblood has headlined countless tours in the U.S. and abroad, selling out shows in over 20 countries. Their festival resume reads like a list of the biggest music events in the world: Roskilde, Glastonbury, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, SXSW, CMJ, North Sea Jazz, WOMAD... and so on. Their electrifying live performances have cemented the band’s reputation as an incredible group to witness, whether in an intimate club setting or in front of thousands on a festival stage.

YBB’s debut album, *Word On The Street*, was released independently in 1998 and is still hailed as a landmark in the brass band world, with several tracks frequently covered and celebrated as classics. Their next release—the first to blur the lines between hip-hop, brass band, and future funk—was *Unlearn* (2000), featuring collaborations with Talib Kweli, Mike Ladd, DJ Skooly, and Frank Zappa vocalist Ike Willis. The attention led to a signing with Ozone Music NYC, the revolutionary avant-hip-hop label that introduced Saul Williams, Company Flow (El-P), Antipop Consortium, and others. On their follow-up, 2003’s *center:level:roar*, the band truly came into their own, spawning the hit brass band anthem “Brooklyn” and taking YBB on a global tour to sold-out audiences.

Youngblood then released two more albums on their own Layered Music imprint: *Live. Places.* (2005) and *Is That a Riot?* (2007), both of which cemented their reputation as the world’s preeminent live brass band. The band also continued to engage in frequent educational work, visiting high schools and universities to offer workshops on New Orleans music history, jazz improvisation, hip-hop culture, and the creative impulse. It is through this work that Youngblood achieved cult status among young musicians. Youngblood’s next album, *Pax Volumi* (2012), was released on Tru Thoughts, the Brighton, UK-based label whose roster ranges from deep soul (Alice Russell) to hip-hop (Ty) to straight-up New Orleans brass band (Hot 8). With this album, the band finally achieved not only its musical goals but also its production goals, capturing the live intensity of the stage while crafting sounds that blast right out of the speakers. In 2017, the band released the compilation *20 Years Young*, which included classics as well as unreleased and live material, chronicling two decades of “riot jazz.” In 2018, the band released the *Covers 1* EP, a reimagining of six songs ranging from a Latin-funk-inspired take on No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” to an anthemic, driving version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” to a twist on Tears for Fears’ “Mad World’ reimagined as a banger. After an extended hiatus during and after the pandemic, YBB is back with palpable fervor, having recently completed an international tour that saw the group play to its biggest club audiences yet—as passionate about music as ever, and somehow still sounding better than ever. Whether it’s roof-raising shows, a commitment to education, small-town roots, or fist-pumping anthems, Youngblood Brass Band is an institution—and one that demands to be seen and heard. Of course, vigorous dancing is also welcome.