James Pants 'Welcome' album

The year is 2001 and the place is Texas. Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf is DJing while a sharply dressed young man approaches the DJ Booth with his Prom date in tow to formally introduce himself. Thus begins the story of James Pants. What began as a dream Prom night to see his hero DJ went to an internship at the label to eventually landing the ultimate fantasy by being signed to the roster and championed as the ‘next big thing’ by none other than Peanut Butter Wolf himself – on top of critics like Busy P, Urb, XLR8R, & Dazed & Confused Magazines.

Mr. Pants is a purveyor par excellence of that unmistakable “fresh beat”: 80’s Soul, Electro Boogie, Early Rap, New Wave, & Post-Punk Disco, all of which can be found on Welcome where James plays drums, keys, guitar and sings.

From a radio perspective, what format does this fall under - this new style that Pants has invented? Do you play it on the groove alongside the likes of Skyy, Cameo, or even Pharrell (listen to ‘KA$H’)? Or do you play it in the underground alongside the up-to-the-minute electro pulse of Egyptian Lover, Cybotron and even Too $hort? The answer, of course, is both! There’s enough Pants to fit any style.

tour dates
May 8: LA – Dance Right @ La Cita (James Pants solo)
May 9: SF – I Can’t Feel My Face @ Amnesia (James Pants solo)
May 25: Vancouver – Jamie Lidell Tour @ Richards on Richards
May 27: Portland – Jamie Lidell Tour @ Berbatis Pan
May 28: SF – Jamie Lidell Tour @ Bimbo’s
May 29: LA – Jamie Lidell Tour @ El Rey
May 30: LA – Jamie Lidell Tour @ El Rey
May 30: LA – James Pants In-Store/Release Party @ Turntable Lab FREE
May 31: Tuscon – Jamie Lidell Tour @ Rialto
June 2: Denver – Jamie Lidell Tour @ Bluebird
June 13: Toronto – PBWolf & James Pants at Stones Throw's Move @ Wrongbar
June 14: Chicago – PBWolf & James Pants at Stones Throw's Move @ Sonotheque

quotes
XLR8R: “Blue-eyed synth soul from Texas? Why the hell not?... Future Shock-era Herbie Hancock, L.A. electro, New Age-y French disco, and Paradise Garage love-funkists Skyy may inform the tracks on Welcome, but while the record borrows from these and other roller-rink-friendly ’80s grooves, it’s no jukebox-style revue.”

BUSY P (DAFT PUNK MANAGER, ED BANGER REC. FOUNDER): “Next big thing to watch for in 2008”

DAZED & CONFUSED: “The 16 tracks on Welcome jump all over the place, taking in everything from electro to 80s soul, new wave and 60s psych, but all of them share the same lo-fi punk aesthetic and are adorned with Pants’ unique quirky shouting and falsetto vocals”

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James Pants - Welcome