Snarky Puppy's Michael League Shares His Five Favorite Bands (Right Now)

February 23, 2018 | by Michael League

Michael League w/ Snarky Puppy at the SFJAZZ Gala 2017 After Party

With Snarky Puppy returning to SFJAZZ on March 1-4 for six shows over four nights, we asked the funk supergroup's leader Michael League to hip us to five of his favorite bands right now. 

1. Kardeş Türküler

"My favorite band in Turkey right now. They've been around for 25 years, combining regional music styles from around the country with their own sense of genre-busting originality, but they're as relevant now as ever. Their new album, Yol, is unbelievable."

2. KNOWER

"An electro-pop duo comprised of Genevieve Artadi and Louis Cole. They're aliens, as far as I'm concerned. They write catchy pop songs on top of deep grooves and have a very specific sense of humor that immediately draws you in. We did a tune with them on our Family Dinner - Volume Two album and have been fans ever since."

3. Breastfist

"The weirdest band I know. And I love them. Bizarre/hilarious lyrics, serious grooves, and definitely my favorite live show. It's basically a passion project from a group of musicians who are/were members of other groups, such as Andrew Bird, Robert Glasper Trio, Norah Jones, Nicholas Payton, and more. We're fortunate to have them on our label."

4. C4 Trio

"Made up of three cuatro players and a bassist, all from Venezuela. They have reinvented their instrument and are one of the most engaging, jaw-dropping groups I've ever seen live. We invited them to perform at the GroundUP Music Festival this year, and they stole the show."

5. "I'm going to cheat here and use one of my options to plug multiple artists on our label, GroundUP Music. The last seven records to come out on GroundUP are incredibly different from each other, and every single one lies outside of an established genre. Please, please go listen to a bit of each one to see what you're drawn to."

Becca Stevens - Regina (out of the box pop)

Roosevelt Collier - Exit 16 (pedal steel funk)

Sirintip - Tribus (electro-jazz-pop debut)

PRD Mais - Rittenhouse (Brazilian percussion ensemble)

Alina Engibaryan - We Are (Montreaux Jazz Vocal Competition winner)

FORQ - Thrēq (instrumental power quartet)

Banda Magda - Tigre (world music masterpiece)