Nona Hendryx-Mutatis Mutandis

Occupy the dance floor! The funk-rock force of nature that is Nona Hendryx is back and bolder than ever on a ferocious new CD on Righteous Babe Records. Whether you've been a fan since the days of Labelle and her acclaimed solo albums of the 80s or you're new to her signature sound, Nona will have you moving your feet and working your brain at the same time. On focus tracks "The Tea Party" and "Black Boys," the groove is deep and the lyrics are as current as the crawl on the 24-hour news networks. Powerhouse vocals, blistering guitars, killer horns, gospel flourishes, and unstoppable beats fuel scathing attacks on political and religious conservatives, corporate greed, and black-on-black violence, among other targets. (Rush Limbaugh even gets the Wild West ballad he so richly deserves.) The result is an album steeped in vintage R&B and soul, but totally in tune with the here and now. These times call for outrage and insight, and Nona is not afraid to tell it like it is: There's "Oil On the Water" and she's got fire in her veins. You'll feel the fire, too—and the joy when she suggests "Let's Give Love a Try." Mutatis Mutandis means changing what needs to be changed, and Nona Hendryx is on the scene (and on tour!) to shake things up with both funk and fury.