The names Paul, John, George, and Ringo have dominated the past 40 years of British music (though occasionally, other names, such as Sid and Morrissey, shared the spotlight). But underneath the madness of the mop tops, nose rings, and generalized depression, a funk scene flourished — and four boys from Leeds grabbed their suits and instruments to join in England’s musical menagerie.

The New Mastersounds will take the Yacht Club stage, 13 S. Linn St., today at 8 p.m. with locals the Diplomats of Solid Sound. Admission is $15.

“I don’t think we could be called a ‘slick sound,’ ” guitarist Eddie Roberts said. “I think [our music is] a bit spiky, a bit rough around the edges, and it’s filled with a little bit of angst — and that pretty much sums up British life.”

The group members have played together for 10 years. During this time, they’ve released eight albums (Plug & Play is the latest) and have toured all over the world.

“You sit down and [write music] because it’s what drives you and what turns you on,” Roberts said. “Basically, I’m very stubborn, and I’m not going to give it up … It’s not that easy. I think that’s the great thing about us, because of that longevity and this time together, personally and musically, it really shows in the music.”

Even though band positions itself in the funk genre, Roberts said, the group’s sound comes from mixing different styles of music.

Melissa Adair, the group’s publicist, told the DI in an e-mail interview the band describes itself with this quote: “ ‘Try to imagine Grant Green and Lou Donaldson having a fight in a Hammond organ shop while James Brown holds the coats, and you have some idea what to expect from this band.’ ”

Roberts said he believes there is a different type of connection between the band and audience with instrumental music (such as the New Mastersounds’ music), versus songs with a vocal melody.

“When you do instrumental music, it’s really a pulse that’s pulling you in, making it a bit more tribal and taking the audience on a bit of a journey in the same way that a DJ would,” he said. “You just have to throw music at people … and reach a point where the energy is going back and forth between band and audience.”

In instrumental funk, there is typically a lot of room for expansion and improvisation. For the New Mastersounds, Roberts said, some live songs will sound like their recordings, while others will expand beyond the original studio tracks.

“It’s nice to go outside the elements as you bang out a slightly different tune, and it kind of recalibrates and resets everybody,” he said.

“The themes will be the same. But it’s nice when that happens, and you have interest between the audience and the band, and people aren’t just sitting there staring at you.”