It's been a long time since the heyday of James Brown and the reign of soul superstars. Today, the same people who would have once produced traditional R&B or soul music often turn to rap or hip-hop - in many ways, straight-up soul music has fallen out of favor with the young, mainstream crowd. But Black Joe Lewis, leader of Austin, Texas- based band The Honey Bears, hopes to change that. Lewis takes a genre that has been in some ways deflated in recent years and mixes it up, bringing in refreshing influences from the very genres that threaten his beloved soul. Modern influences are obvious in Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears' music, but the sound remains true to gritty Southern soul. Instead of just sampling soul music, like so many artists in popular music today, Black Joe Lewis actually seeks to reinvent the genre through the introduction of new, fresh updates from today's hip-hop and rap scenes.

The Honey Bears, an eight-piece outfit featuring band members with such diverse names as "Sugarfoot Watkins" and "McKnight the Night," have garnered acclaim in recent years from everyone from local publications to nationally recognized magazines. Their song "Bitch, I Love You," a slow jam with an attention-grabbing title, has catapulted the band into the public consciousness - Esquire named the song No. 4 in their list of the "Top 50 Songs Every Man Should be Listening To," and since its release the group has been announced to play Austin's famous South by Southwest music festival.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears will bring something unique to Rites of Spring - a neo-soul sound that can't be satisfied by just any old artist. Check them out at the festival's Friday show for a peek into the future of soul.