Galactic stirs up ‘Ruckus’

Galactic’s brand of N’awlins funk may not be the next music trend to set the MTV set on its ears, but it’s worth a listen.

Made up of Theryl DeClouet (vocals), Ben Ellman (tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones; harmonica), Robert Mercurio (bass), Rich Vogel (organ, piano), Jeff Raines (guitar) and Stanton Moore (drums), the band appears tomorrow and Saturday at the 9:30 Club, giving co-founders Mr. Mercurio and Mr. Raines a chance to play for friends and family.

And show off a little to the kids from high school: They both have roots in punk music and Chevy Chase.

“I was into the punk rock scene in high school,” says the 31-year-old Mr. Raines, who attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

“Both Robert and I ended up going to the University of New Orleans, where we heard the Meters and the older R&B groups like Chocolate Milk. At first we started covering those bands, playing frat parties, and we have kept a lot of the ‘frat party fun’ in the live appearances.”

“Now,” he says, “the music is all ours, and this latest album, ‘Ruckus,’ is a bit more polished, thanks to our producer, Dan ‘the Automator’ Nakamura.”

“Ruckus,” the band’s fourth studio album (along with one compilation and one live recording), is a clean melding of funk, punk and jazz — along with a bit of computerized hip-hop that creates a hook-friendly series of songs that push “Ruckus” a bit further along than the party madness of the band’s early efforts.

That means this band has found a way to grow up without losing the groove that makes its members happy. The result is an audible mix that sounds highly improvisational one moment and highly structured the next.

Providing continuity through the songs is their musical punctuation — the staccato drumming of top funk/groove drummer Stanton Moore paired with the melodic grooves emanating from Ben Ellman on saxophone and harmonica, which wind in and around the song and often take center stage.

These two alone make a show worth seeing.

The influence of Mr. Nakamura, who has become a musical legend for being one of the defining influences of hip-hop and electronic music going back to the early ‘90s, can be heard in the group’s latest release. Known for his work with musicians such as hip-hop artists Prince Paul and Gorillaz, rap star King Kool and the rock-blues group the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mr. Nakamura has helped take the wildly improvisational music of Galactic and prune it down to a crisp 44 minutes of good groove music that is “Ruckus.”

“We wanted a producer with a modern approach, and he was right in line with that,” Mr. Raines says. “He brought a fresh set of ears and a modern approach to the album, and what we learned is that things we thought were hip, such as wandering improvisational musical journeys, he showed us how to refine them.

“He has definitely helped us in the process of trying to stay true to this band and its music, versus just playing New Orleans jazz/funk music.”

Galactic’s cover of General Public’s 1980s soul ballad “Tenderness” shows the band mates’ ability to make music their own. With the addition of Stanton Moore’s head-bouncing drums and Jeff Raines’ gentle guitar textures, the song, while undoubtedly melancholy thanks to phrases such as “I don’t know where to stop or when to start,” is a warm remake perfect for holding hands.

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