Bus Stop Stallions

Bus Stop Stallions

With sophomore effort Don't Block It!, Bus Stop Stallions have joined the increasingly crowded ranks of throwback local R&B outfits. Formed in 2006, the 10-piece Stallions (including two backup singers) trot in the tradition of Austin's mid-1970s Fable recording artists, channeling Starcrost on the spacey jazz fusion of "Never Is Forever" and mining the same white boy funk vibe that made Steam Heat a local favorite. "Make Me" and "The Gift" aim directly at the early 1970s Stevie Wonder canon with bubbly bass lines and a heavy dose of synthesized keys in the glorious tradition of "Superstition." The Bus Stop boys fall into an easy rhythm on midtempo groovers "Taxi Driver" and "Baby I Want You," which may not cause a stampede to the dance floor but seem to find the band's sweet spot, while "Without a Sound" crawls into a sunny reggae-inspired rhythm before rocking and skanking into a crescendo.