The Sweet Divines

The Sweet Divines with band-leader and song-writer J.B. Flatt

A few weeks ago I experienced a jam-packed Saturday night of live music that started off with the second ever live performance of The Sweet Divines at Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I made it to their first show in Brooklyn Heights at the Magnetic Field but arrived just in time to catch the tail-end of their last song and the wonderful treat of the Mighty Hannibal joining them on stage for a surprise cameo. Someone's already written up a very flattering review of the show at Union Hall here, but I will mention that Sharon Jones (of the Dap Kings fame) made a short, but sweet cameo. It's too bad that the Union Hall stage is only several inches above the dance floor because I think most people weren't able to even see that Sharon was there (no offense meant towards Ms. Jones; she may be a soul-singing giant, but she ain't too tall).

The Sweet Divines have a good formula going on. They ain't bad to look at, they can sing, they mostly sing about sex (not explicitly, but it ain't too obscured neither) and they have a great back-up band. Now that I think about it, they've really gone back to the essence of what made so many classic girl groups so great: dance-able songs, pretty faces, taboo topics, and great performances. All of the four vocalists have chops to spare and they all come with their own style. You have to see them live to get the full effect. There are a few shows coming up in the NYC area for those of you who are local.

The funny thing is that when I got to their first show I recognized one of the vocalists, Pamela Quinn, as a friend of a friend of mine from college. Small world. Big up, Georgetown Phantoms!

So I picked up their only release to date, a three-song CD and while all of the songs are solid mid-to-late 60s style soul tunes, "Honeythistle" is the clear standout. Interestingly, from the live show they had several other songs that I liked better than these three, so I can't wait for the full length to appear.

The Sweet Divines - Honeythistle
So, swing by their website and get on their mailing list or check them out at their next show. These ladies are just out of the starting gate and already they are going strong!