In the extended family of the New Orleans street-band scene, The Hot 8 Brass Band is the younger, wilder sibling of more seasoned outfits like the Rebirth and Dirty Dozen brass bands. Like those groups, The Hot 8 specializes in the type of raucous, highly percussive parade music that's been a focal point of New Orleans life and culture for generations. The Hot 8 was founded by tuba player and bandleader Bennie “Big Peter” Pete back in 1995 and refined its talents through continuous gigging at social clubs, parades, and nightspots before recording its debut, Rock with The Hot 8, in 2005. The band isn't above incorporating modern influences into its sound. Some songs here feature frenetic tempos and interjected raps reminiscent of New Orleans bounce, while others have cadences that evoke the phrasing of funk icons like James Brown and Arlester “Dyke” Christian. The album's most affecting moment may come in the form of an exuberant, valedictory take on Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” a truly surprising interpretation that manages to transform and reinvigorate this sometimes-overdone standard.