Archive for the 'music' CategoryPage 32 of 70

Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Mat McHugh and the Blackbird ("Under the Landslide")

published
on February 11, 2009
by
Alan Khalfin
in music and tra.kz artist spotlight
. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

The element of surprise has been a cornerstone of great music forever: think Bob Dylan’s electric revolution, or every second album by Neil Young, or the Clash’s outrageous triple-disc sprawl, Sandinista! All and none of them were on Mat McHugh’s mind when he took time out from his day job as founder-singer-songwriter of the Beautiful Girls to record this playful, profound and provocative solo debut, SEPERATISTA!

If you’ve never heard of Mat McHugh and the Blackbird, listen up: he will rock your world. Here’s a dreamy, pop-psych track called “Under the Landslide” off his new album, SEPERATISTA!, a free-floating animal of rare sensitivity and grace, recorded with a band largely seconded from the Sydney jazz scene. Off-kilter drums, deep bass, horns, piano, organ, melodica and cello flesh out Mat’s voice, acoustic guitar and occasional ukulele on an album rich in precious sonic details.

Each story traces its way back to Mat’s time spent in India and the Black Bird, which features in the Beautiful Girls song quiver, is back and central to the albums imagery, as Mat explains: “When I lived in India I stayed in an Ashram on the Ganges River where every morning before dawn a big black crow would land on my window sill and wake me. I was kind of spaced out at the time because of all the Malaria medication and I kept having these dreams that the bird was trying to tell me something.”

Be look out for big things in 2009 from Mat McHugh, Controlled Substance Sound Labs standout new artist.

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Tra.kz Artist Spotlight: Slightly Stoopid ("Closer to the Sun")

published
on February 11, 2009
by
Alan Khalfin
in music and tra.kz artist spotlight
. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

slightlystoopid-band-2005 It’s safe to say that Slightly Stoopid does for music fans what Sublime did for fans in the 90s. They are the current leaders of a genre they helped define: brah brah. Today. they are releasing a previously unheard version of “Closer to the Sun” on Twitter,  from their Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet album. You can listen to it here.

The Slightly Stoopid story can be traced to before their Controlled Substance Sound Labs days in Ocean Beach, California, when childhood chums Miles and Kyle formed the group in 1995, mixing reggae and punk sounds into one smooth stylistic cocktail. Soon after, late/great Sublime frontman Brad Nowell caught wind of the group, and signed them to his Skunk Records label – while the band members were still in high school.

Illustrating the perfect underground success story (and a testament to the new music model), Slightly Stoopid, and their label Stoopid Records, has become a case study in how to ‘make it’ without the aid of radio or MTV circa the early 21 st century. Slightly Stoopid is all the proof you’ll need to show that once and for all, with hard work, new technology and file-sharing, die-hard fans, and the right tunes, anything is possible. The group – which features Miles Doughty (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Kyle McDonald (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Ryan ‘RyMo’ Moran (Drums), C-Money (Trumpet, Keyboard), DeLa (Saxophone), and Oguer ‘OG’ Ocon (Congas, Percussion, Harp, Vocals) – has built a large n’ loyal fan base, who are lovingly known as either Stoopidheads or Ese Locos.

In 2008, the band released their first-ever ‘odds and ends’ collection, Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid – the group’s newest release for their growing label, Stoopid Records. Seemingly always on the move, there appears to be no slowing down in sight for Slightly Stoopid, and according to band, that’s precisely what fuels the group’s creativity. “For us, the most important thing in the future, we just want to stay busy and always playing music – whether creating, touring, or just sitting on your couch and jamming. I think we’ll always be recording. And just have fun – without the fun part, it ain’t worth it.”

Check out the video to their new single “2am” here.

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

published
on February 11, 2009
by
Alan Khalfin
in music and tra.kz artist spotlight
. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

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)

published
on February 11, 2009
by
Alan Khalfin
in music and tra.kz artist spotlight
. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

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")

published
on February 11, 2009
by
Alan Khalfin
in music and tra.kz artist spotlight
. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

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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