Stream: The Suffers, ‘Make Some Room’ and ‘Gwan’

Andrew Veeder on January 30th, 2015

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The Suffers are a 10-piece band from Houston, formed in 2011 by bassist Adam Castaneda and keyboardist/vocalist Pat Kelly, and subsequently filled out with local musicians including guitarist Kevin Bernier, trumpet player Jon Durbin, frontwoman Kam Franklin, percussionist Jose “Chapy” Luna, trombonist Michael Razo, jazz saxophonist Cory Wilson, guitarist/vocalist Alex Zamora, and drummer/vocalist Nick Zamora. They tout their sound as “Gulf Coast soul,” combining rock â€™nâ€™ roll with neo-soul to create dynamic and feel-good music with their stacked horn and rhythm sections in the vein of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, and exemplified on their 4-track “Make Some Room” EP, which came out last week. Franklin’s voice is a force to be reckoned with on the title track, gliding high with a raspy hint as the band cruises along with a full groove, while “Gwan” is a funky, four-alarm number about getting down for some hibbity dibbity, propelled by a conga run and accentuated by the lively brass. The Suffers’ debut album, which is also titled “Make Some Room,” will be out later this year.

||| Stream: “Make Some Room” and “Gwan”