There’s something funky headed to Oxford, and it’s not just more crazy weather. Say goodbye to your winter-time blues and hello to CBDB, the self-labeled “joyfunk” performers from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
CBDB is bringing its fresh sounds back to Oxford at 9 p.m. tonight at Proud Larry’s.
Whether you’re a classic rock fan or prefer more of an indie-folk sound, CBDB offers music that bridges the gap between old and new.
“I guess you could call us progressive rock,” Cy Simonton, CBDB’s lead vocalist and guitarist, said. “But at the heart of it, we’re rock ‘n’ roll.”
Featuring pulsing bass-lines, impressive electric guitar solos and gritty vocals, CBDB’s music brings to mind new folk-rock artists like Ben Howard and NeedToBreathe and throws back to classic rock legends like Styx. With this upbeat combination of sounds, you will find it hard to listen without wanting to move and dance.
The band has made several stops in Oxford over the years, playing shows at fraternity events and local venues.
“We love playing in Oxford,” Simonton said. “We always get a lot of energy from the crowds there. We definitely feed off that.”
Simonton said the band has come a long way since the first time it played in Oxford, and he reflected on its humble beginnings–nothing more than an idea in Simonton’s head after recording a solo album in college.
Now boasting a diverse group from Nashville, Tennessee, Huntsville, Alabama, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, CBDB has evolved and grown in popularity across the Southeast. The band’s song “New Eyes” from its 2015 album “Joyfunk is Dead” has more than 500,000 plays on Spotify.
“I think you can definitely hear some changes to some of the albums,” Simonton said. “Some of that is just member changes, you know, new opinions and writing styles being introduced to the band, but some of it is on purpose. With ‘Joyfunk is Dead,’ we definitely worked to add in some more of that heavier stuff we wanted to play that you didn’t see in our first album.”
CBDB recently released two new singles, “She’s Mobile” and “Old Dog,” and Simonton said he looks forward to playing them at Proud Larry’s.
CBDB’s songs feature the storytelling elements many people love from the indie-folk movement, but the music does not limit itself to just one kind of story.
Simonton said there are not any particular overarching themes to his music; rather, he writes whatever he feels at the time.
“Sometimes it’ll come out subconsciously,” Simonton said. “And sometimes it’s more of a focused destination. But sometimes I’ll just start singing gibberish and words will just form from that into a phrase, and we can build outward from that.”
This writing style lends itself well to the experimental sound that CBDB has created for itself.
Performing alongside CBDB is Roots of a Rebellion, a Nashville-based reggae rock band.
If you’re looking for an exciting, upbeat, energetic performance to spice up your Thursday night, CBDB will not disappoint. Tickets are $10, and doors open at 8 p.m.
“We’re really excited to be there,” Simonton said. “We hope to see our biggest crowd yet.”
