My first exposure to this Chicago-based band was this summer at the High Sierra Music Festival. I was immediately impressed by their flawless technical ability and on-stage rapport. What really won me over, though, was their ability to make virtually every person within listening distance shake their asses with so much zest and enthusiasm that someone really should have been shooting a music video. So of course, I picked up their album, Soul Solution, and figured that, if it was half as good as their live performance, it’d be money well-spent. As it turns out, it certainly is just as good.

Lubriphonic packs so many great sounds into its style that it would probably burst if it weren’t for the fact that they’re blended together so artfully. Beyond soul, Lubriphonic ties in rock ‘n’ roll, blues, funk, pop, and jazz. The horn section (which is comprised of a saxophone, trombone, and trumpet) gives the tracks a stimulating punch when all three burst in simultaneously, and absolute style when they solo off alone. The complex bass lines really don’t come much funkier than this, and (unlike many bass lines) they’re the last thing you’d ever want to fade into the background. Meanwhile, the drummer manages to employ an impressive range of dynamics and rhythm within songs that are packed with high energy from beginning to end.

Giles Corey embodies everything one would hope to see and hear from a rockin’ frontman. For one, he whips out some truly remarkable leads on the guitar. “Love Bomb,” for example, opens with a wah pedal intro, shifts into a funked-out riff, and eventually transforms into a solo that stretches, flitters up and down the fret board, screams, swells, wallows, and then soars before coming back down again. When he’s not tearing it all to pieces with his guitar, he’s belting it out with a voice blessed with equal parts of expressiveness, control, style, and soul (plus just the right amount of raspiness).

While tracks like “Mixin’ in the Kitchen,” “Say Something Good,” and “Chalk Train” are representative of this album’s lively and upbeat sound, songs like “Mexico City Blues” and “Depression Suite” incorporate a slightly stripped-down style and confront some personal anguish, proving that Lubriphonic indeed sings the blues. After listening to them live and hearing their album back to back, I was very surprised. A lot of bands that are superb live acts can’t seem to come off as well in the studio, whereas countless bands who produce great albums sound like embarrassing wannabe versions of themselves on stage. Lubriphonic, however, gets to have its cake and eat it too. I’m not sure how, but they managed to achieve the same energy and feel of a live performance in the studio, yet held onto a crystal-clear quality without sounding the slightest bit overproduced.

The band is currently on tour, so check out the schedule below to see if they’ll be visiting your area:

September 21, 2009 10:30 p.m. Urban Lounge in  Salt Lake City, Utah
September 23, 2009 6:30 p.m. Memorial Park in Albany, California
September 24, 2009 10:00 p.m. Marilyn K’s in Sacramento, California
September 25, 2009 10:00 p.m. The Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco, California
September 26, 2009 10:00 p.m. 19 Broadway in Fairfax, California
September 29, 2009 9:00 p.m. The Mint in Los Angeles, California
October 1, 2009 8:30 p.m. E String in Henderson, Nevada
October 11, 2009 8:00 p.m. Riverview Music & Arts Festival in Elgin, Illinois
October 16, 2009 9:00 p.m. The Montrose Room in Rosemont, Illinois
October 23, 2009 8:00 p.m. Eastwind Music Festival in New Delhi, Delhi
October 24, 2009 8:00 p.m. Eastwind Music Festival in New Delhi, Delhi
October 25, 2009 8:00 p.m. Eastwind Music Festival in New Delhi, Delhi
October 29, 2009 10:00 p.m. The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas
Oct0ber 30, 2009 10:00 p.m. DG’s Taphouse in Ames, Iowa
October 31, 2009 8:00 p.m. Broadway Oyster Bar in Saint Louis, Missouri
November 5, 2009 9:00 p.m. Marly’s Pub in Springfield, Illinois
November 6, 2009 9:30 p.m. Iowa City Yacht Club in Iowa City, Iowa
November 27, 2009 10:00 p.m. Harrison Landing in Elkhart, Indiana
November 28, 2009 9:30 p.m. Czar’s 505 in St. Joseph, Michigan
December 18, 2009 9:30 p.m. Upfront & Company in Marquette, Michigan
December 19, 2009 9:30 p.m. Upfront & Company in Marquette, Michigan