This is a really fun tongue and cheek pirate punk band called THE THIRSTY PIRATES. Their artwork is really skilled and the video cracks me up! Check it out!!
Monday, October 11, 2021
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Music Review 021:: Zach Phillips - Feed a Pigeon, Breed a Rat
The incredible Zach Phillips I discovered through the indelible Alice Cohen. With a remarkably beautiful cover by Annie Loucka (and an equally fascinating back cover by Robert Beatty); this great album Mr. Phillips' wrote, performed, and produced himself. This progressive pop album boasts an impressive 22 tracks of complex, almost third-wave influenced, jazz infused songsmithing with a long roster of collaborators.
The album's opening track "Starblind" begins with lyrics from the classic "Last Dance with Mary Jane" by Tom Petty albeit with some amazing shred guitar workouts by David Givhan (along with vocals) and sparse instrumentation almost reminiscent of Talk Talk's Laughingstock album. Zach Phillips is one nasty arranger. The album is formatted with narrations to seem like a radio show; brilliant.
The album's second track "Know What?" has sparkling vocals by Genevieve Artadi and complex, mellow jazz guitar. Again, more beautiful soloing. Excellent drum tones and clever lyrics. There is a palpable surrealist element to Phillip's themes and motifs.
Carry the One is a shreddy bossa-nova with some very cool meter in the vocals singing "stair at the sun/carry the one". The guitar tone is smooth and memorable. The album itself is rife with endearing polyrhythms. Lots of tracks even seem orchestrated in 12/8 time (the universal time signature).
When I Go Live is a beautiful ballad with another one of the album's signature gorgeous guitar solos. The lyrics are sumptuous and the trombone work is endearing and smooth. The album's guitar chord voicings are all and all unstoppably fresh. While the album is steeped in more traditional jazz, Zach Phillips throws out the rule book and starts anew with his own take on progressive composition.
Unmistakable takes the jazz pop form in an almost hard fusion direction. The record has some great drum and percussion work. Just Call The Fool has a beautiful rhythm and a modern classical edge, featuring Alice Cohen's wonderful vocals and organ solo. Ten Days has some really cool jazz harmonies and some speedy keyboard runs. The album itself has a vast array of different instruments including live electronics, electric piano, synthesizer, saxophone, trumpet, and flute. Lectric Sled has some really unpredictable chord changes and some big guitars.
This is really a modern benchmark in jazz pop. I had a really great time listening. The variety on this album makes for a very fun listen.
For fans of progressive bossa nova, third stream "jazz", progressive pop, smooth grooves, Prefab Sprout fans, the Galtta Media universe of stars (Alice Cohen, Adrian Knight, Blue Jazz TV, Billy G. Robinson, Max Zuckerman, etc.), Gaucho era Steely Dan, late era Talk Talk, vocal jazz, and anyone looking for something fresh.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE ALBUM ON BANDCAMP BY CLICKING HERE!!!
Friday, July 30, 2021
Music Review 020:: Kahuna - Hard Rock Cafe/Kahuna 1/2+0
Kahuna is a totally amazing progressive, noise rock group who answered a random internet post looking for sweet new music. And sweet it is. Angular, yet dancable arrangements, straight from New York City these guys take the groundwork laid out by The Mars Volta (a personal favorite), At The Drive In, Ex-Models, and other people combining no-wave guitars with full length macro arrangements in catchy song form to a new level. The guitar work is shred; vibrato picking abounds (Jotham Castillo); Gabe Huxley's shrewd and powerful vocals mixed with his adroit bass playing; and Anthony Taylor's aggressively funky drums.
Hard Rock Cafe is a radio ready (which radio station I'm not sure), hard edged slam of a track. Lots of crescendos and decrescendos and lots of moving parts. The guitar tone is really what I love most. The pacing is genuine and the vocal melody is clever. A really impressive arrangement of mostly linear parts and an incredible drum performance. With each listen; the enjoyment increased.
Kahuna 1/2+0 is a catchy noise pop song (in the vein of Brainiac) that deconstructs into a full blown wall of noise over the course of seven or so minutes. There are some pretty significant tones, including some heavy fuzz bass and some abstract sections that would make U.S. Maple take notice.
This is definitely worth checking out if you're down with noise rock, deconstructed hard rock, early XBXRX, no wave, or any remarkably fresh hard rock acts.
Check it out here at KAHUNA - Hard Rock Cafe/Kahuna 1/2+0
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Monday, April 19, 2021
Music Review 019 :: Julie Hill - s/t
From the get, the new Julie Hill sounds like a progressive, synth-heavy fantasy. Combining modern classical rhythms with dense timbre designs, their are elements of dance music and hard sophistipop. Hill's vocal delivery is Liz Fraseresque and the drum patterns are really elusive with exceptional production.
My mind wanders to Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder, Gary Wilson and maybe even Gaucho era Dan, with a schmear of Gina X Performance and more disco like post punk. As the record progresses it becomes clear that Julie Hill is a very talented keyboardist and tunesmith with many clever chord changes and unpredictable melodies.
The song "Octave" is a stand out; crossing between Goblin and Chick Corea's Return to Forever and a unique style all Hill's own. Some tracks smoother than others, the dynamics of the rhythmic interplay betwixt instruments gives the tracks a powerful live sound, even though a track could contain numerous different synths or synth patches. Her lyrics are bold, modern, and effective.
Another standout is the track Cr(i). Seemingly a minimalistic cyber jaunt through a broken relationship with synthesizer work reminiscent of Stevie Wonder (or Tanto's Expanding Headband); specifically the Wonder track "You & I". "You don't need to get me down/to get high," Hill croons to the listener.
"Transcience", the first single, is a laid back, polyrhythmic jazz rock song. Video below::
"Avow" was by far my favorite song; a punchy and romantically critical song with exceptional keyboards and Julie Hill at quite a memorable vocal performance. It reminds me of Jazmine Sullivan and is more of a R&B swing for the jazz heavy record. The intricate and precise drumming by Steve Bartashav and exceptional guitar & bass work by Paul Millar throughout the record is really a hallmark to her overall sound.
"Unmade" is a fun song; almost a smooth homage to "Between the Sheets" by the Isley Brothers with a catchy clavichord synth patch to boot.
"Danse" is a fantastic disco jam with a groovy bassline and modular synth. "Work so hard in the city for time and money/work so hard in the country for milk and honey" she sings!
This record is definitely worth racing out and grabbing (like all the Galtta Media records are) for a smooth, good time on 4/20 (whatever that means). For fans of Steely Dan, Cocteau Twins, Isley Brothers, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and many other smooth, stylistically diverse, synthesizer heavy groups.
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Music Review 018:: The Controversial New Skinny Pill - Big Whoop!
The Controversial New Skinny Pill is one of my favorite pop groups of the last few years. While this release isn't their most recent (this is from 2016), this is an album I found infectious enough that I felt like re-listening again! Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Controversial New Skinny Pill is the brainchild of Houston, TX songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Skyler Nowinski while the live band consists of keyboard player Mariel Olivera (also of IE and XOXO Tech), Alana Horton on drums, Dan Dukich on bass, and Jared Hemming on auxillary percussion.
The album takes elements of hauntology and mixes it with some really extremely funky and progressive twists and turns in terms of melodic and harmonic surprises but with the backbone, downbeat, and counter rhythms of a funk or R&B group.
Nowinski is a stellar guitar player with an oftentimes heavily effected (particularly wah or auto-wahed) timbre, which matches his hauntingly soft and floaty voice. The drums are particularly fun and flossy with many subtle dynamic touches and crunchy grooves. The bass is smooth and in part funkier and more complex than you'd hear in many pop bands. This band has elements of the Bee Gees, 70s Beach Boys, and smoother post punk like Magazine as well as elements you might find in the Residents, early Beck, the poppier side of Chrome, or R. Stevie Moore. Raw pop appeal is really what this down low mid-fi production goes for with each track sounding like it was recorded in a unique, exotic studio. The keyboards are bright and synthy. Parts are constantly flowing in and out of one another with transitions like a prog band.
If I can express one thing enough; is that the songwriting on this album is crucial. The band has a style that speaks for itself and that style is laid back. The arrangements keep me re-listening but the lyrics are mind blowing. My favorite song on the record is definitely "Backsnapper". In the song, Nowinski says "a two way ticket to hell/shrug your shoulders and say oh well".
In conclusion, this was definitely one of my favorite albums from that 10s and worth checking out if you consider yourself a progressive listener or a pop listener or a progressive pop listener.
Monday, March 29, 2021
MUSIC REVIEW 017 - The Funky JCs - 07307
This is some sensationally smooth funk played by some masterful pocket musicians flying free. Dynamics abound with exceptional drumming of Michael Advensky (also of the far more in pocket Blue Jazz TV of my previous post), the outstandingly tasteful guitar of Arthur Rodriguez, and the low down bass of Mike Todd. What really stands out the most to me is the comfort of syncopation each player has against the other's groove.
The songs are tuneful and soulful with a heavy groove and recognizable melodies but with many unpredictable changes and minimalistic approaches to keep the listener on their toes. All three player's have a virtuosic technical gift but really they're building on something fresh; complex and sophisticated. There isn't a bad track on this release and my favorite would probably have to be "Mosquito Park Party" with the outstanding bass harmonic runs. If I had to choose a group to compare their sound too; it sort of could be compared to an overstimulated version of the Meters. The elements of jazz funk and soul jazz are apparent, with elements culled seemingly from acts like Jimmy Smith, the Isley Brothers, The Headhunters, Steely Dan, and other tasteful yet technically accomplished groups. The production is as smooth as the instrumentalists with clarity and clever touches. This is really a special group of musicians with a really appealing sound.
Their bio reads:
"All three members grew up in “The Heights” section of Jersey City, NJ, and this common background has influenced their unique approach to songwriting and improvisation."
Friday, March 12, 2021
MUSIC REVIEW 016 : Blue Jazz TV - Blue Ragu Volume 2 - Live at Magick City
Blue Jazz TV is a super band of Galtta Media stars including label head Dave Lackner, sophistipop super producer Adrian Knight, the polished guitar & bass work of Max Zuckerman, the smooth drum work of Mike Avensky, and vocal appearances by Galtta luminaries Billy G. Robinson & Alice Cohen. This is perhaps one of the most technically polished live albums I've ever heard. From the first note its clear that these are some nasty musicians. The tightness to their sound is palpable
My favorite song on this record is Chiba Girl with a command vocal performance by Billy G. Robinson. When I first heard this song's refrain I asked myself "where has this song been all my life?"
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3 months later::::::::::: I forgot to finish this post but I absolutely love this album and listen to it regularly in the whip. I can't stop listening to "Chiba Girl" but the entire album is a stunning collection of what is a somehow technically beyond perfect sophistipop jams that make for some smooth driving and fun times. Every re-listen includes a schmear of new sounds and details I didn't notice. This is definitely a must listen if you like Steely Dan, Tears for Fears, or any group where you could combine the ideas of jazz, pop, and virtuosic luminaries!
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