The Buttshakers

4684 fans

The rewind button brings the tape back several times and, with it, The Buttshakers. From the tape to the studio, the décor changes to an America lost in its own reverie, the America that Ciara Thompson left in 2008 to settle in Lyon, France. Untethered from the idealistic veil of her childhood, this America, her America, now appears in its crudest reality: disfigured by violence and racism, the streets transformed into a make-shift shelter for those without a home.
Black Lives Matter, Not In My Name, #metoo and other red flags light up the soundboard without stopping this desperate and breakneck race to darkness.
Yet, when everything darkens, there is always an afterglow that cannot be extinguished, that final ember capable of rekindling on its own a brazier of hope. This is soul music.
Arcadia, “the land of delights,” a perfect world as described by the poet Virgil. This land where all is beauty and perfection becomes, for The Buttshakers, the place to rally, to unite, a moment of resilience. Not a place of retreat, an escape from reality, but a goal towards which to reach.
On their previous album, Sweet Rewards, The Buttshakers offered a soft light on the romantic side of soul. With Arcadia, they explore its conscious face. The one which, in the heyday of the 70's, shone thanks to the albums of Gil Scott-Heron, Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield.
Creation influenced by the political and social events of our times. The form that meets the content in a music that is visceral and raw yet full of finesse and delicacy.
If over-worked productions tend to kill first intentions, The Buttshakers knew, with a skillful movement of the hips, to avoid diluting their intentions in layers of production, always preferring to be as close as possible to the natural source of their music to keep the fire burning. Here we find the sound of a group who has found a solid balance between soul music, its roots and its offspring : blues, rhythm and blues, funk.
A group led by the rugged feline presence of Ciara Thompson who’s vocal prowess, here put on perfect display, finds itself flawlessly balanced between a generous horn section and a devilish groove. A feat, yet once Ms. Thompson takes a step back, the void is quickly picked up, leaving room for the guitar and organ to reverberate, the trombone appropriating the last bars for a funk to the bone solo. With Arcadia, the listener is ushered through the kalediscope, letting the groove drift into an instrumental trans where the robotic beat takes control and sinks into a voudou-psychedelic mystique from which we can only be drawn out by the intervention of the brass section. The dust of a six-string western incantation embedded in the groove like a muffled groan, an explosion that is always on the edge, and which the vocals masterfully contain and amplify.
Leaving behind the compositional automatisms that could have hampered a band that has been playing together for over a decade, Arcadia is their most successful album so far by the sheer audacity of their compositions. With each member of the group participating in the writing process, the richness of each idea put forward illuminates and guides the listener.
Dark and yet still luminous, Arcadia remains true to the spirit of soul : hope out of struggle, light out of fear; even when the cracks expose the darkest side of humanity, soul music has always given us the assurance that out of this chaos, a better day will come. A philosophy on which they built their discography and their stage presence; founding principles that the group has always been faithful to: to awaken the listener, to ignite the fire, to bring the dance.
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Top tracks

08
Never Enough
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
03:47
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
03
Hear Me
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
02:36
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
02
I Wanna Know
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
04:05
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
02
Crossroad
The Buttshakers
Cold World
03:58
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
02
In the City
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
04:55
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
01
Back in America
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
04:28
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
08
Roll Miss Roll
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
03:25
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
01
Lessons In Love
The Buttshakers
Lessons In Love
04:39
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Cédric GREFAUD - Riad Klai - Théo Fardele - Thibaut Fontana - Franck Boyron / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Cédric GREFAUD - Riad Klai - Théo Fardele - Thibaut Fontana - Franck Boyron
10
Gone For Good
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
04:10
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
05
I Wait
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
03:23
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
01
Sweet Rewards
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
03:58
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson

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  • Discography
Albums
Youz
05-11-2021
Arcadia
01
Back in America
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
04:28
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
02
Not in My Name
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
02:54
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
03
Hear Me
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
02:36
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
04
Pass You By
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
03:44
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
05
Keep on Pushing
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
03:34
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
06
Night Crawl
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
04:19
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
07
Daddy Issues
The Buttshakers
Arcadia
04:37
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
℗ 2017 Youz
09-02-2018
Sweet Rewards
01
Sweet Rewards
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
03:58
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
02
In the City
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
04:55
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
03
What You Say
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
03:26
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
04
Movin' On
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
04:19
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
05
Hypnotized
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
05:12
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
06
Tax Man
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
03:43
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
07
Trying to Fool
The Buttshakers
Sweet Rewards
04:12
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
Singles
℗ 2025 Youz Prod
09-05-2025
Lessons In Love
01
Lessons In Love
The Buttshakers
Lessons In Love
04:39
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Cédric GREFAUD - Riad Klai - Théo Fardele - Thibaut Fontana - Franck Boyron / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Cédric GREFAUD - Riad Klai - Théo Fardele - Thibaut Fontana - Franck Boyron
℗ 2024 Youz Prod
19-04-2024
Cold World
01
Cold World
The Buttshakers
Cold World
04:01
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
02
Crossroad
The Buttshakers
Cold World
03:58
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
℗ 2021 Youz
05-11-2021
Not in My Name
01
Not in My Name
The Buttshakers
Not in My Name
02:54
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
℗ 2021 Youz
16-04-2021
Back in America
01
Back in America
The Buttshakers
Back in America
04:28
Writer: Ciara Thompson / Composers: Ciara Thompson
Albums
CopaseDisques
09-05-2014
Night Shift
01
Night Shift
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
02:47
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
02
I Wanna Know
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
04:05
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
03
Chains
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
03:29
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
04
Tell the Truth
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
02:30
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
05
I Wait
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
03:23
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
06
Your Love Is Amazing
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
02:17
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
07
Only Your Love
The Buttshakers
Night Shift
04:42
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
EPs
CopaseDisques
01-02-2013
Wicked Woman
01
Man's World
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
03:04
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
02
Nothing to Hold
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
03:10
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
03
A Way to Get By
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
04:16
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
04
Wicked Woman
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
03:51
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
05
Tell Mama
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
03:34
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
06
The Start
The Buttshakers
Wicked Woman
02:39
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Vincent Girard - Sylvain Lorens - Jerome Bartolome - Guilhem Parguel - Josselin Soutrenon / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
Singles
CopaseDisques
09-10-2015
Soul Kitchen
01
Soul Kitchen
The Buttshakers
Soul Kitchen
02:43
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
02
Get Away
The Buttshakers
Soul Kitchen
02:51
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag
03
Treat Me Right
The Buttshakers
Soul Kitchen
04:01
Writer: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Composers: Ciara Thompson - Frederic Gardette - Guillaume Nuss - Josselin Soutrenon - Sylvain Lorens - Vincent Girard / Other contributors: Tentacle Musikverlag