Hummers

The titular plea of this effort from the Hummers arrives about seven years too late for beleaguered NHL fans in the band's hometown of Winnipeg. Luckily for this clever collective though, its soulful, turntable-infused, instrumental pastiche of funk remains ahead of its time. This is the band's fifth full-length release in as many years, yet the first to be called something other than Listen (translated into different languages on each successive release). It's also the first one to feature proper song titles, credits and liner notes, suggesting the band is finally ready to have its music heard outside Manitoba. Given proper distribution and some word of mouth, the Hummers' material is both solid and off-the-wall enough to make instant fans out of any self-respecting Ninja Tune enthusiasts. It wouldn't be an overstatement to suggest the appeal of the music (both to the mind and body) has the potential to go even further than that. Anchoring the band's local scene super-group line-up is talented deck doctor Tyler Sneesby (aka Peanuts & Corn veteran DJ Hunnicutt), along with elements of 'Peg City grit-rockers the Vagiants and the enigmatic Royal Art Lodge.