Floating Action Explained
Floating Action is a band from Black Mountain, North Carolina, founded by Seth Kauffman. Kauffman is the band's sole lyricist, songwriter, recorder and producer, in addition to playing almost all the music.[1] Kauffman has been called "the underappreciated genius of the Asheville music scene",[2] and has been compared to Harry Nilsson.[3] Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Kauffman's frequent collaborator, called him "the most underrated person in music".[4] He has also been praised by the Black Keys,[5] Zach Miller of Dr. Dog,[6] and Jonah Hill.
History
Floating Action was formed by Kauffman after his previous musical project, the Motown sound group The Choosy Beggars, broke up in 2005.[7] The project was named after an out-of-date Gretsch kick-drum pedal. Kauffman is also a member of the reggae- and dub-influenced duo Lord King, along with Evan Martin.[8] Kauffman wrote and recorded an album with Michael Nau of Cotton Jones and Mighty Thread while quarantined under the project name Dream Sitch.[9] He has also released a solo album called Ting.[10]
Floating Action performed at South by Southwest in 2009[11] and at the Hangout Music Festival in 2017.[12]
Kauffman is notable for his contributions to other musicians' albums. He played guitar on Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence[13] and Angel Olsen's My Woman,[14] bass on Jim James' Uniform Distortion,[15] and drums on Tyler Ramsey's The Valley Wind.[16] James and Olsen appeared on Floating Action's 2016 album, Hold Your Fire.[17] Other albums Kauffman has played on include three Ray LaMontagne releases (Supernova, Ouroboros, and Part of the Light)[18] and Good Advice by Basia Bulat.[19] He has produced music for Georgia Fair, Courtney Jaye, Lissie, and Daniel Martin Moore.[20]
Floating Action has released 11 full-length albums.[21] His most recent album, Outsider Art, received a digital release before its expected vinyl release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]
Musical style
Floating Action's music blends multiple styles, including indie rock, folk, dub, and blues. Seth Kauffman has described Floating Action's sound as "lo-fi Carolina funk." Floating Action's music has been compared to the Beatles, the Black Keys,[23] James Brown, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone,[24] Ray Davies,[25] Dr. Dog,[26] the Flaming Lips,[27] John Mayer, Menomena, My Morning Jacket, Okkervil River, Bill Withers, and the xx.[28]
Full-Length Releases
- Research (2008, Park the Van, as Seth Kauffman)[29]
- Floating Action (2009, Park the Van)
- Desert Etiquette (2011, Park the Van)[30]
- Fake Blood (2012, Removador)[31]
- Body Action (2014, New West)[32]
- Hold Your Fire (2016, PIAPTK[33])
- Is It Exquisite? (2017, PIAPTK[33])[34]
- Heartache Essentials (2018, PIAPTK[35])[36]
- Old World Camels (2019, PIAPTK[33])[37]
- Outsider Art (2020, PIAPTK[33])
- Jinx Protecting (2022, PIAPTK[33])
Notes and References
- Web site: Schacht. John. 2011-02-02. The story of Floating Action's pan-everything soul. https://web.archive.org/web/20110211024012/http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/the-story-of-floating-actions-pan-everything-soul/Content?oid=1999687. 2011-02-11. 11 November 2011. Indy Week. dead.
- Web site: 2016-03-28. Sense Of Place Asheville: Joe Kendrick's Local Picks. 2021-02-11. NPR.org. en.
- Web site: Sears. Andy. 2014-09-16. Interview with Seth Kaufman/Floating Action. 2021-02-11. Allston Pudding.
- Doyle. Patrick. 2013-01-29. Q&A: My Morning Jacket's Jim James on the Band's Next Album and His Dark Period. 2021-02-11. Rolling Stone. en-US.
- Web site: Clark. Paul. 2013-12-19. Floating Action playing new music at Mothlight. 2021-02-12. Asheville Citizen-Times. en-US.
- Web site: 2018-04-20. Playlist: What's Dr. Dog listening to?. 2021-02-12. USA Today. en-US.
- Web site: Floating Action. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126202820/https://www.friendshipfever.com/artist/floating-action. 2021-01-26. 2021-02-10. Friendship Fever. en. dead.
- Web site: Gilbert. Dave. 2014-04-08. Lord King brought dub to the Grey Eagle. 2021-02-10. Mountain Xpress.
- Web site: 2020-12-08. Dream Sitch- Dream Sitch. 2021-02-11. New Commute. en-US.
- Web site: 2006-05-01. Seth Kauffman - Ting. 2021-02-11. No Depression. en-US.
- Web site: Boilen. Bob. 2009-01-16. SXSW 2009: Who's Coming, Who's Going?. 2021-02-12. NPR.org. en.
- Web site: DeVille. Chris. 2015-02-11. Hangout Festival Adds Sam Smith, Joey Bada$$, Sylvan Esso, Tove Lo & More. 2021-02-11. Stereogum. en.
- Web site: Roylance. Ben. Music Review: Floating Action - Body Questions. 2021-02-11. Tiny Mix Tapes. en.
- Web site: Pearce. Sheldon. 2016-06-06. Angel Olsen Announces New Album My Woman. 2021-02-11. Pitchfork. en-us.
- Web site: Berman. Stuart. 2018-07-09. Jim James: Uniform Distortion. 2021-02-11. Pitchfork. en.
- Web site: Strowe. Jeff. 2011-10-16. Tyler Ramsey: The Valley Wind. 2021-02-11. PopMatters. en.
- Web site: Arnaudin. Edwin. 2015-12-22. Floating Action readies album release, plays Grey Eagle. 2021-02-11. Asheville Citizen-Times. en-US.
- Web site: Gil de Rubio. Dave. 2018-07-28. Ray LaMontagne lights the way with authentic sounds, musical camaraderie. 2021-02-11. Detroit Free Press. en-US.
- Web site: Day. Laurence. 2015-10-30. Basia Bulat announces new record Good Advice, reveals lead single "Infamous". 2021-02-11. The Line of Best Fit. en.
- Web site: Capozza. Madeline. 2019-12-19. Daniel Martin Moore - Never Look Away. 2021-02-11. MXDWN. en-US.
- Web site: 2020-04-01. Floating Action- Outsider Art. 2021-02-11. New Commute. en-US.
- Web site: Arnaudin. Edwin. 2020-04-22. New Floating Action album seeks to lift people's spirits. 2020-02-11. Mountain Xpress.
- Web site: Roylance. Ben. Floating Action - Body Questions. 2021-02-11. Tiny Mix Tapes. en.
- Web site: Hemmerling. Joe. Floating Action - Floating Action. 2021-02-11. Tiny Mix Tapes. en.
- Web site: Unterberger. Richie. Floating Action - Desert Etiquette. 2021-02-11. AllMusic.
- Web site: Moses. Richard. 2014-08-28. Mundo Musique: Floating Action's 'Body Questions'. 2021-02-11. The Revue. en-US.
- Web site: Barnes. Henry. 2009-07-01. New music on Wednesday. 2021-02-12. the Guardian. en.
- Web site: Haver Currin. Grayson. 2012-09-26. Floating Action, The xx, and the trouble with avoiding effrontery. 2021-02-12. Indy Week.
- Web site: 2018-08-28. Floating Action. https://web.archive.org/web/20210127223231/https://www.parkthevan.com/label/floating-action. 2021-01-27. 2021-02-11. Park the Van. en. dead.
- Web site: Fields. Lanny. 2011-08-05. Floating Action Desert Etiquette Review. 2021-02-11. No Depression. en-US.
- Web site: Lello. Michael. 2012-10-04. An Interview with Floating Action's Seth Kauffman. 2021-02-11. Highway 81 Revisited. en-US.
- Web site: McGuire. Pat. 2014-08-25. Floating Action, "Body Questions". 2021-02-11. Flood Magazine. en-US.
- url=https://piaptk.limitedrun.com/bands/floatingaction
- Web site: Mills. Fred. 2017-09-08. YES, IT IS EXQUISITE: Floating Action. 2021-02-11. Blurt Online.
- Web site: PIAPTK .
- Web site: 2018-02-09. New Music For The New Year. 2021-02-11. Real Cool Vibe.
- Web site: 2019-05-16. Floating Action- "Burst of Ordinary Light. 2021-02-11. New Commute. en-US.