The Ron Jeremy of Soul-Funk: Har Mar Superstar - "Lady, You Shot Me" (Cult Records)

While well-groomed "heart-throb" types like Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke are busy concocting smooth baby-making Future R&B, lone scantily-clad showman Sean "Har Mar Superstar" Tillman's bringing the Ron Jeremy to old school-sounding Soul-Funk/R&B. Har Mar Superstar's been doing his thing for the past 10-15 years now and has toured or worked with a wide variety of underground/mainstream talent: Ben Lee, Fabrizio Moretti (The Strokes), Father John Misty, Britney Spears, Neon Neon, Beth Ditto, Jennifer Lopez, and Drew Barrymore. "Lady, You Shot Me" were supposedly crooner Sam Cooke's last words, which now effectively doubles as Bye Bye 17's lead single, of sorts.


Julian Casablancas' newly-formed Cult Records quietly unleashed the 10-track album a little while back on April 23rd. Bye Bye 17 feels like Har Mar Superstar's first honest attempt @ some tried-and-true LEGIT R&B music and while I'm really only vaguely familiar with his music, Tillman's voice kinda reminds me of a middle-aged Rod Stewart growl. It looks like Har Mar Superstar's whole refined Soul-Funk vibe has even manged to spill over onto "Lady, You Shot Me"'s just released, Warren Fu-directed grainy music video. We're talkin' red-tinted stage lights, choreographed dance moves, 2 beautiful back-up singers, slick rhythm changes, various stages of undress, and a mysteriously absent horn section.