Showing posts with label *Posts by Todd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label *Posts by Todd. Show all posts
THE SKINNY: Three Legged Fox’s sophomore release called Not As Far (Recorded and produced by Chris DiBeneditto of G. Love & Special Sauce, Slightly Stoopid) is a blend of soulful vocals, blues licks, reggae grooves, and feel- good vibes. Three Legged Fox was formed after winning the 2006 Battle of the Bands at the University of Delaware. The band now resides outside of Philadelphia and gigs around the east coast. TLF was voted #1 Best Rock Band in the 2008 Out & About Magazine Music Awards and has received airplay on more than 170 radio stations nationwide. My first listen of this 13- track album left me humming the catchy choruses weaved together by Kyle Wareham (Lead Vocalist/Rhythm guitar).
Not as Far contains tracks packed with tasteful instrumental breakdowns and heart- felt lyrics. The album has crisp percussive horn harmonies and tasteful guitar licks dancing throughout the tracks. If you like an album you can nod your head and sing along to then Not as Faris my top choice. "Slow Down" is my favorite track because it embodies that up beat reggae groove with quality vocal soul. Kyle Wareham brings it to church on the next track called Help. Here the band shows off their musicianship with nice chord changes and a soulful back up choir that will knock your socks off.
Three Legged Fox is a group of true artists and true musicians. The instrumentals are dazzling and the vocals/lyrics give you that emotional chill that we all look for.
"Slow Down" off of Not As Far:
WEBSITE: http://threeleggedfoxlive.com
MYSPACE: http://myspace.com/threeleggedfox
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/threeleggedfox
PURCHASE: Amazon
FAVORITE TRACK: "Slow Down"
FOR FANS OF: BALLYHOO!
http://www.myspace.com/ballyhoo
THE SKINNY: Thelonious Dub is the heavy groove version of your favorite jazz standards with ambient guitar tones and an orchestra of electronic sounds.Thelonious Dub is an experimental Jazz, jam and dub group out of Glendale, Calif. The band’s major contributor is Joe Bartone, the man behind the record's guitar, sitar, melodica and keyboards. He is also responsible for all the arranging and tracking on the band's self-titled LP, an impressive feat considering the multitude of instruments and sounds the album offers. T- Dub has taken classic Jazz standards and completely transformed them into heavy grooved-based jams filled with electronic goodies and plenty of dub feel. They have an original approach to these standards and it really has me glued.
On their record, you'll hear well-known melodies from Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington. My favorite is the Miles Davis cover entitled "So What". I particularly love when they drop a reggae groove after the intro and then dub the rest out, as a heavy reggae bass line takes point. They kick a similar in groove again on "Footprints", a cover of a Wayne Shorter cover. Here, Bartone weaves melodies nicely to fit the adjusted 4/4 feel. There are so many great things going on in this album, specifically from electronics and guitar tones. The sax and trumpet have an awesome presence and tone, as well. What I love best though, is singing my favorite Jazz melodies under the heavy groove that Thelonious Dub lay out on every single track.
"So What" off of Thelonious Dub
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/theloniousdub
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/TheloniousDub
PURCHASE: CDBaby
FAVORITE TRACK: "So What"
FOR FANS OF: John Scofield's "Uberjam"
THE SKINNY: Attention all reggae fans: I've had the good fortune of coming across a band from Rochester, NY which goes by the name Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. GPGDS is an arsenal of six musicians shedding true Roots Reggae and experimental Dub that will make you bob your head until it falls off.MYSPACE: http://myspace.com/giantpandadub
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/giantpandadub
PURCHASE: iTunes
MERCH: District Lines
I had the pleasure of catching these guys at a gig in NYC two years ago and it was the best live reggae experience I’ve ever had. The slow jam grooves were so heavy it literally put me in a trance for the entire show. The most unique aspect of the group is the vocals which are both catchy and rhythmic. The strong, rhythmic lead vocals are fronted by Matthew O’Brian while bassist James Searl fills out the sound with his constant and effective vocal harmonies. The percussive groove is so deep that drummer Christoper O’Brian will have you drowning in his pocket from song start to finish. A Hammond B3 Organ is played by Aaron Lipp while Rachel Orke glides through changes on a Rhodes. Finally, Dylan Savage handles tripped out lead guitar and vocals, finalizing a powerfully talented sextet trained in the arts of dub.
GPGDS has played with everyone from Steel Pulse to G Love & Special Sauce. They are true road dogs and never stop playing. My favorite track, "Foundation," has a slippery groove, delayed vocals, and guitar that sucks you in hard. This song, along with their (mostly live) catalog represents love, creation, and great music, and this is revealed in every note. These guys are the reggae movement for the new era.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Foundation", "International Mother"
FOR FANS OF: Reggae, Funk, Dub
THE SKINNY: The Black Seeds' latest record is a quintessential reggae album with plenty of groove to appeal to any fan of the genre.WEBSITE: http://SITE.com
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/theblackseeds
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/TheBlackSeeds
PURCHASE: Amazon
The Black Seeds have hit a giant aesthetic nerve with their new album Solid Ground. It is a brilliant mix of Reggae, Dub, Funk, and Soul. The feel good lyrics with the tender rhythmic devices is a great balance. Every track delivers something special throughout the album. You’ll be listening to slow dub reggae one track and then be thrown into some deep pocket James Brown funk on the next one. The album mixes genres back and forth as mentioned, but what really binds the album together for me is the heavy brass harmonies. The band does reggae perfectly and then switches up on the lag beat Funk. Also, you can hear influences from the Roots, Sublime, and my favorite funk group called Lettuce. The bari-sax is so heavy and solid under the rhythms.
My favorite track is "Love Is a Radiation". The reggae groove, lyrical phrasing, and percussion are everything I look for in a great reggae track. The vocal harmonies answering after the main leads put the lyrics straight to your head. This is where the brass shines by playing scarcely, but at the most critical build up times. Funk, Reggae, and Soul listeners MUST give a listen to Solid Ground by The Black Seeds.
"Slingshot" off of Solid Ground
FAVORITE TRACK: "Love Is A Radiation"
FOR FANS OF: Lettuce, James Brown, The Roots, Sublime
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