By: Kyle DiRaddo
Are you looking for a song to boost your spirits? Are you looking for a song that causes your head, feet, and booty to involuntarily bounce to the rhythm of a funky Philly groove? Hell, are you looking to just get the funk down? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, don’t seek medical attention. All you need is a large dose of Wack Cheddar and their new single, “It’s a Little Fast”.
Clocking in at two minutes and thirty seconds, “It’s a Little Fast” has a title that’s tongue-in-cheek and accompanies a tune that is absolutely kick-you-in-the-face. And the thing is: they aren’t lying in the title. This track is a blistering free-for-all from the quick bass-snare drum opening to when the final clap of stick on snare brings everything to a satisfyingly abrupt end. Blending elements of traditional funk, jazz, and even Motown, this song is a perfect way for the band to show off not only their eclectic style, but their masterful musical chops as well.
“It’s a Little Fast” brings a lot of muscle in a short amount of time. The opening comes hard and correct with a layering of drums, guitar, bass, and that sweet, sweet organ that any fan of 70’s funk would immediately jump to. Then come the horns. The jazzy one-off solos and seamlessly blended tones show off what a horn section SHOULD sound like. Most interestingly, there is a bridge right at the halfway mark where the guitar comes in with straight up rock and roll chords that normally would be completely out of place. However, with the tone and speed of “It’s a Little Fast”, the chords find their place and create an awesomely unique blend of sounds.
Forming in 2016 while attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Wack Cheddar is a blend of rock, modern jazz, and, of course, the funk and as if “It’s a Little Fast” needed anything else, one thing to note about this track is that the band did it all, as they like to say, “in house”. This marks the first new track they’ve released since their 2019 debut, “Who Cut the Cheese?” and everyone had a hand in getting this bad boy recorded. Not only did drummer and guitarist John Venezia pen the tune, but he also produced it and mixed it alongside bassist Phil Anthony and trombonist Nick Lombardelli. Lending their expertise in the arrangement of the song were keyboardist Nathaniel Hawk and saxophonist Anthony Nigro with trumpeter Joe Lockwood creating not only the single’s cover art, but the band’s new logo to boot!
Averaging right around 25 shows a year since the band began, Wack Cheddar was poised for a big 2020. Obviously, the year that just seemingly won’t end had other plans and like everyone else, the band had to pivot amid the Covid-19 pandemic. If there is anything positive to come out of this whole experience, it is the ingenuity and creativity musicians have found to continue to make and distribute their music to their fans. Wack Cheddar is no exception and they proved it by recording the entire song remotely, by themselves, in their own homes. Covid can’t keep these Philly funkers down and if this is the kind of music they are creating remotely, I can’t wait to see them on stage all together and in their element.
You can hear “It’s a Little Fast” by clicking this link —> https://wackcheddar.bandcamp.com/track/its-a-little-fast
Check out all things Wack Cheddar on Twitter and Instagram by following them at @wack_cheddar and on Facebook by searching Wack Cheddar. The video of them playing this track remotely on Facebook is worth the follow alone because it really proves that just because we’re apart it doesn’t mean we can’t all get the funk down together.
