Author Archive for Alan KhalfinPage 12 of 16

Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: The Expendables ("Set Me Off")

Blending reggae, punk rock, and 80s style dueling guitar solos, the Expendables have been turning heads since their early days in Santa Cruz, California. Growing up in NorCal was a laid back experience for the Expendables: surf, skate, party and play music. Now, they stake their claim as the NorCal representative on the Controlled Substance Sound Labs roster. Their self titled album dropped on September 2007, and now, they bring you “Set Me Off” — a live recording made at Pozo Saloon in Santa Margarita, CA that used to only be available on the Japanese release of their 2006 album Gettin’ Filthy. Not any more! Listen to it here and be sure to check out the Expendables in their upcoming spring tour.

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Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Pepper ("Too Much" – Straight Board Mix)

The spirit of aloha is alive and well and currently residing in sunny Southern California. Meet Pepper: Bret Bollinger, Kaleo Wassman, and Yesod Williams, three young innovative minds mixed with divine inspiration from the Hawaiian Islands. Since relocating to Southern California in 1999, Pepper has brought its island sounds to the mainland. Now, they bring you a previously unreleased live recording of their song, “Too Much”, which was recorded at the Fox Theater in Boulder in August 2008. This song does a great job of exemplifying what Pepper is all about: a captivating live show, the combines passionate roots reggae with a energetic rock feel. “Too Much” is part of the forthcoming Kona Gold album, which features all the cardinal tracks from Pepper’s debut album Kona Town. You should also check out their new album, Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations [iTunes], which they have released under their own label, Law Records.

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Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Fishbone ("Behind Closed Doors")

Nobody bridges the gap between the funk of George Clinton and the blare of Rush like Fishbone. Their sound is a hybrid fusion where Led Zeppelin and Sly Stone dance to a frenetic ska beat that fuels any party. The band was formed in 1979 in the ghettos of South Central Los Angeles. From their childhood together in the hardcore South Central Los Angeles wasteland to years of forced school-bused integration, Fishbone’s influences were kaleidoscopic and never-ending. While the song “Behind Closed Doors” was recorded live in Bordeaux, France, you can here it here from the comfort of your internet connection!

The current Fishbone line up released their 8th record in 20 years, “Still Stuck in Your Throat” in March of 2007. This current lineup has steered Fishbone into a unique Jazzy/Gospel feel that has to be seen live to understand how a band could be considered “jazzy/ska/gospel/punk-rock/reggae”, as described by Fishbone’s Angelo Moore when asked to describe their newest direction. Recently, Fishbone did an amazing energetic cover of Sublime’s “Date Rape” on the album “Look At All The Love We Found: A Tribute to Sublime”.

Live audiences around the world have been surrendering to the band’s stage flash and magical rhythms with uninterrupted regularity. Such passionate devotion is not lost on Fishbone, who refer to their friends on the road as “The Familyhood.” Get a taste of their live chops here. Always be on the lookout for the bone to be touring near you; their tour schedule can be found here.

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Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Trifonic ("Gutter Box")

trifonic_200Trifonic is brothers Brian and Laurence Trifon, a San Francisco based electronic act that seamlessly fuses experimental production wizardry with beautiful melodies and traditional song structures to craft music that is both unexpected and accessible. Their 2008 debut album Emergence combines elements of downtempo electronica, IDM, post-rock and classical music to create a deep, lush musical experience distinctly their own. Recently, they invited you to make your own remixes of Emergence, after demonstrating their own remix chops on Kanye’s Love Lockdown.

Now, they bring you “Gutter Box“, a previously unreleased track fresh out of the studio, that picks up where Emergence left off. It’s rich micro-tech, IDM, and electro sounds will captivate your ears and leave you wondering what the Trifon brothers will do next. Listen to it here.

Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Throw Me the Statue ("Ship")

While the next band in the Tra.kz Artist Spotlight recently joined Twitter, Throw Me the Statue is no stranger to readers of Evolving Music. You can read our interview with frontman, Scott Reitherman, here. You can even make your very own remix of TMTS’ Yucatan Gold here using MixMatchMusic’s Remix Wizard.

As Secretly Canandian Records prepares to release TMTS’ new EP, Purpleface, on February 17th, the boys who want statues thrown at them have decided to give you an early taste. Their song “Ship” is an understated yet inventive gem in which TMTS fuses rich, textured layers with their unique indie-pop melodies. TMTS has spent the majority of 2008 touring the US and Europe supporting its critically acclaimed debut, Moonbeams. While on the road, TMTS has explored the depths of its sound, recreating its playful mystique, and emerging as a proficient and an even more engaging live act. Purpleface is the direct result of this time, albeit showing a bit of a softer side than its predecessor. Word on the street is that TMTS is currently recording their next record in Seattle.

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