YEAH IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!! SO GET WILD WITH CRYSTAL CASTLES AND THE FRIDAY FREAKOUT!!!!
I don't know what it is that I love about these guy(s) (and gal). It must be the perfect mix of electronic groovey-ness, computerglitches, straightup fuzz, and pure freakout prowess of Alice Glass. (whateverthehellthatmeans?)
Since I haven't done the "Band/Artist of The Week (that you might not have heard of)" spot in a while. I figured I would sort of kill two birds with one stone here and feature this band not only because a lot of people may not know of them, but also because the band is from my hometown and I happen to know the lead singer AND have a feeling they might just be going somewhere.
The band has been around since 2006, but John "Guido" Phillips has been writing and playing music for a number of years, both by himself as well as a member of the cover/party band UUU.
The rest of the group is comprised of Steve Husted on lead and rhythm guitar and backup vocals, Aaron Bruch on bass, Mike Dudley on lead, rhythm guitar, and the Chapman Stick (an instrument that is essentially the neck of an electric guitar played only by finger-tapping) and finally Chad Szeliga on drums and percussion. By the way, Chad is also the current drummer for the little band by the name of Breaking Benjamin.
Because the group includes 5 members (and 3 guitars), Ourafter's music is extremely full sounding, as each individual member contributes their own element to the band's sound as a cohesive whole. Drawing from alternative, post-punk, ambient, and current mainstream rock, their melodies, rhythms, lyrics, and songs as a whole are both passionate and heartfelt as well as powerful and catchy. I'll be the first to admit that their music might not be exactly "my scene", but I'll also be the first to admit that I honestly think this band is extremely talented and is certainly on to something. I'm not surprised that they have already opened for such national acts as: Flyleaf, 10 Years, Red, MAE, Yellowcard, Saving Abel, Rev Theory, Smile Empty Soul, The Exies, Everclear, Boy Hits Car, Johnny Lives, Eve to Adam, The Ataris, and Cage 9.
If they continue to create as good music as they have been, I feel there is nowhere to go but up for this band. Just give them a LISTEN and you'll understand what I mean. (a few personal favorites are : Push the Pill, Candles, Karma and Circles). If you are on the East coast around PA, New York, Maryland, or Virginia be sure to check these guys out. You won't be disappointed.
This Week's Band/Group/Artist you may not know of is Phoenix. I personally just heard of this band about 3 weeks or so ago. They are a French (yeah yeah their French) slightly alternative/pop kind of electro type band with some pretty enjoyable music. They have been getting a huge amount of buzz due to their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which came out at the end of May (this year) but they have been around since 2000. Okay enough talking... Check em out !
(From their website) Because I can't really even describe them
Kicksville. Population at last count: 58 and growing fast. Founded as a creative vacation resort by Mayor Mike Stehr and Commissioner Conrad St. Clair, it's grown into a musical collective, artistic movement, and a virtual community. Everything is created from scratch by Kicksville's citizens, a team of musicians, artists, writers, and tech geeks who commute to Kicksville from twelve different cities on three continents and who've worked with a dizzying range of other artists ranging from Laurie Anderson to Van Halen and dozens of others, including Queen, BB King, King Crimson and members of the Grateful Dead.
The music of Kicksville ranges from the Malian blues of Kalamaya to the surrealist funk of Dumfukistan to the dark industrial throttle of Krankypants. Incorporating improvisation, painstaking programming, melodic sensibility, bizarre sound effects, and award-winning poetry, genre-defying is a lame cliche that doesn't even come close to describing Kicksville.
I first heard of these guys about 2 or 3 years ago at All Good Music Festival. I happened to be wandering around on either the second or third day of the festival when I heard some interesting sounds off in the distance. I made my way to where the sounds were coming from, which happened to be the Ropeadope sidestage and subsequently, from the band Kicksville. I had never and still to this day haven't ever (as far as I can remember) seen or heard anything like this before. From their thumping bass, 19-something speech samples, electronic experimentations, and pounding rhythms; this band is well, somehow enjoyable. They have since released three albums, Enter the Flavor Hut, The Results of a Higher Mission, and lastly Kicksville The Singles- Season 1, which is a collection of weekly single "episodes" of sonic ambition that were released over a 13 week period. They have also released quite a number of episodes for Kicksville- Season 2 as well. Check em out HERE. Buy their music. See some videos HERE', you know the routine.
Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu !!!!!!!!! That's right, this week's band that you may not have heard of is "The Big Wu"
The musical influences that helped create the Big Wu were loud, and large, and heartfelt. And through the years, this Minnesota troupe has stepped into the role of creating the type of music that wants to course through your veins. Writing in truly American styles, the Big Wu slides, bends, rumbles, and chicken-picks with on the top intensity and good-time fervor.
This is inclusive rock-n-roll, people. So boys bring your girls, parents bring your kids, therapists bring your patients. Let the Big Wu loosen the straps of your daily burden with real vibrations.
These guys have been touring less and less over the years but every year they continue to put on their festival "The Big Wu Family Reunion" (currently in its tenth year). Also their 1999 album "Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub" is one of my all time favorites.
It's been a little while but here is this week's artist/group you may not know of. Duck Down Records and Boot Camp Clik rap group O.G.C (Originoo Gunn Clappaz). The group features three members (each with about 3 nicknames): Starang Wondah (Gunn Clappa Numba One, Big Will, Hurricane Starang, and Da Beast From Da East); Louville Sluggah (Gunn Clappa Numba Two, Hennyville Guzzler, Henny); and Top Dog (Gunn Clappa Numba Three, Big Kahuna, and D-O). This group is pretty slept on but their 1996 release, Da Storm made it to the #10 position on the R&B/Hip-Hop Charts. They have that classic raw hip hop sound that you can just put on and vibe to. Although the group hasn't put out anything since The Boot Camp Clik’s 2005 compilation release, The Last Stand, their early work stands the testament of time and is some quality old school hip hop. Check em' out.
I thought I might start doing this every week or so. That is, mentioning a band or artist that might still be under the radar, or has sort of fallen off the scene and I think is worth mentioning for some reason. Anymore I'm on music overload. There's just so much music out there it's hard to keep up with it all, BUT I will do my best to provide something or someone worth listening to. So, without further ado, I give you.......DRUMS AND TUBA
"Somewhere in the burgeoning depths of a sea full of processed and pre-packaged rock bands lie the three men of Drums & Tuba, who blend eclectic instrumentation and electronic gadgetry with a free-wheeling, improvisational bent, resulting in a sound that’s hard to classify, and even harder to ignore."
These guys used to kind of be on the Jamband scene back around 2001-05. They used to be all instrumentals (Guitar, Drums and Tuba (get it?!)) but on their last album, Battles Ole they added vocals. Anyways, check out some their stuff, kinda weird but cool at the same time.
This is a place for all things "entertainment", which is essentially all things me. Music, art, movies, TV, new technologies, "everything" and (maybe) anything involved with entertainment. I put the words "entertainment" and "everything" in parenthesis for the fact that firstly some things I may find entertaining other people may not and secondly there's no way I can really cover everything out there.
Some of my entries may seem completely random but I feel as though spontaneity and randomness should be a part of life. Nonetheless, I hope this brings you some kind of enjoyment, for that's the real reason behind this whole thing.
The exact origin of the name "Danny b Funk" is unknown but it was developed years ago due to my funky bass playing and all around "funky" nature (whatever that means).
My outlook and attitude towards life, as well as inspirations are influenced greatly by:
1960's hippie culture, sounds, noise and beats, Funk, the Grateful Dead, cartoons, Les Claypool, comic books, the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, professional wrestling, "the groove", Living in the country, rhymes, The Twilight Zone Dr. Seuss,improvisation, video games, standup and improv comedy, old school hip hop, DJs, Shel Silverstein, Drum Machines, Vinyl Discs, boat shoes, electricity, mythology, Eastern religion and philosophy, acoustic instruments, Mick Foley, jazz, awkwardness, music as a whole, antics, shenanigans and tomfoolery.
Friday, June 4, 2010
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