Bird Songs of Soul

Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds are a seven-piece “hard-soul” band based out of New York. Sister Sparrow vocalist Arleigh Kincheloe calls her band’s sound “high energy — very much meant to make you get up and dance and have a good time.”

The group comes to Eugene supporting its 2015 release The Weather Below, out now on Party Fowl Records. The record has a strutting, take-no-prisoners confidence.

The track “Sugar” features Kincheloe’s powerhouse, gospel-influenced vocals, ’70s wah-wah guitar, greasy Nashville soul-style horns and a down-and-dirty backbeat.

Kincheloe says The Weather Below tracks “We Need a Love” and “Mama Knows” are some of her favorites to play live, calling them “fun crowd-pleasers.”

Both songs showcase Kincheloe’s striking range. “We Need a Love” features a soulful, Joplin-esque whiskey howl. With “Mama Knows,” Kincheloe takes her alto voice to a sultry place over bluesy electric guitar and pulsating bari sax.

Sometimes it’s tough living life on the road with seven other people, Kincheloe says. “We just put out [The Weather Below],” she explains, “but we’re starting to write the next set of songs now.”

“We play so much,” Kincheloe continues, “you have to really get along with people. We’re all basically living in a van. We try to keep things fresh and be as creative as we can on the road.”

Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds play 9 pm Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Hi-Fi Music Hall; $12 adv., $15 door. 21-plus.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

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