Recording review - Team Spirit, Killing Time (2014)

Forever young and other deals with the Devil

Some 18 months ago, Team Spirit dropped their five song self-titled EP and it's little exaggeration to say that I've been waiting for their first full length release ever since. Their infectious blend of thrash, pop, and muscular dual guitar riffage made them one of my favorite acts of 2013. Killing Time captures the manic energy of their live performances with a well-crafted set of songs that delivers on the promise of that first taste.

The album leads off with"Surrender", and although it's not a cover of the Cheap Trick classic, it's easy to hear that band's influence in the uptempo staccato beat and the chorus harmonies. The lyrics are soaked in the turmoil and ambivalence of teen love. Tired of being toyed with but still drawn back to the flame, front man Ayad Al Adhamy is left with no other choice but to surrender. He yo-yos between sneering attitude and helpless fascination, driven by the punk guitar thrash. Of course, all of this is effectively trumped by the revelation that "It's too late to help me / Cause I made a deal with the devil / And I'll be forever young," which goes a long way towards explaining Team Spirit's magic. Al Adhamy wears his teenage heart on his sleeve and, like Joey Ramone, it doesn't really matter how long it's been since his high school years. He taps into the angst, the naïveté, and the seething emotions of adolescence, and distills them into tight servings of pop punk perfection.

I've often referred to my love of "snotty boys with guitars" and Team Spirit knocks that out of the park with a sound that links back to Too Much Joy and The Refreshments along with punk idols, The Ramones. But they also have a polished pop attitude that doesn't get mired down in simple blues-based progressions. Even a darkly heavy track like "Closer" can't quite settle for a single facade. The initial splash of New Order introduction gives way to a thick tidal wash of guitars, while the sneering vocals come straight from the garage or fuzz-warped basement. This kind of layered experience is typical of these tunes. Team Spirit is equally happy, regardless of whether listeners head bang along or pick up on the danceable drive of the songs. Along the way, they toss out plenty of interesting perspectives that may be missed the first time around underneath the low-fi grind, but they give Killing Time some real staying power.

In many of these songs, Al Adhamy takes on a borderline persona, like the hapless character in "Teenage Heart" who tries his best to talk his way out of trouble ("C'mon, c'mon/ Come on, Baby, give me another second chance") even though it's clear that it's a hopeless task. He may have forgotten to tell his girl that he suffers from a teenage heart, with all the hormonal fluctuation that incurs, but there's no way she's going to fall for that. Again. "Cool Guy", on the other hand, wallows in indecision about whether to commit or walk away from trouble, "I'm trying to convince you/ I want you to convince me, too" but can't get much beyond, "I'm trying to convince myself/ That you are worth all of this Hell."

That 18 month lag since their debut EP included plenty of changes for Team Spirit with Al Adhamy losing his original bandmates fairly early on, but he quickly regrouped with a solid line up that includes Daniel de Lara and Alex Russek holding down the rhythm and Kieren Smith on guitar. While these guys bring their own personalities to the mix, Killing Time shows that the band never abandoned their core thrashy attitude or dedication to party-time rock. Turn it up to 11 and soak it in. Then, when Team Spirit makes it to your corner of the world, come out and see what rock and roll is in all its exuberant glory.

Recording review - Atomga, Atomga (2014)

If you want a party, you need a crowd

These days, it's a stripped down DIY world. Electronic production and recording tools are cheap and ubiquitous, so it's easy for a person or two to create dense layers of complexity worthy of a studio full of musicians. Plenty of interesting work is produced by small groups like this, but oftentimes, the music lacks the spark and surprise that a larger band can bring to a shared moment. Music that favors larger ensembles, especially improvisational styles like Afrobeat, rely on cooperation to nurture an idea into vibrant life. The seed may be a simple melodic run or chord vamp, but the band takes the framework and negotiates how the song will develop. In Afrobeat, funk, jazz, and soul come together with African flair. Percussion and bass form the backbone, while horns, guitar, and keyboards add color and detail. In their live performances, Denver band Atomga does an excellent job of demonstrating how a larger group can coordinate on a piece and take it into surprising directions: the syncopated foundation shifts from congas to bells to snare and the horns turn the melody into a conversation. Sax player Frank Roddy has talked about simplified playing and the importance of leaving holes so the group can find their voice. Atomga uses this approach in combination with active listening to construct fairly intricate arrangements that adapt organically to the flow of the moment. While nothing can quite match the magic that happens on stage, their new, self-titled CD does capture that contradictory ideal where the band is tightly aligned but the tunes evolve loosely and naturally.

The album begins with a quick flourish before establishing a solid funk base. Vocalist Kendra Kreie launches into the conscious lyrics like a preacher rousing the congregation. The chorus warns, "Wake up!/They're building empires/ They're building on our backs." The progressive theme calls back to the socio-political criticism that has been at the core of Afrobeat since Nigerian Fela Kuti created the style, but the music animates the message. Each member of the band contributes a deceptively small piece to the overarching mix. The parts fall into repetition with minor variations, but they always leave enough space so they can interlock into a resilient chainmail of bouncing groove. The bass bubbles, the guitar ratchets a light call-and-response, and the organ just taps in the accents. The horns hang back but pull together after the chorus for a thick, droning set of punches. Even during the solos later in the tune, Atomga's horn section works as a team. After a spicy percussion interlude, Alekzandr Palesh leads off with an impressive trombone line. Leah Concialdi's baritone sax jumps in to overtake him but this becomes an exchange between the two instruments.

The following tracks show off the band's range. "Boneyard" slides into a darker, reggae influenced sound with a hot set of Latin horn solos. Then guitarist Casey Hrdlicka drifts into an expressive jazz-blues run. These stylistic shifts are based more on subtle coloring than heavily telegraphed change-ups. "Still Today" on the other hand stays in a jazzy space, with rolling triplets that propel the tune forward. The pensive rhythm is a bit like Dave Brubek's "Take Five" but Atomga uses it like a launching pad. The first solo features Tim Lee's trumpet taking a Miles Davis turn. He hands off to Hrdlicka, who starts out calmly enough, but he builds to a fiery climax of guitar shred. All the while, the rhythm section maintains their composure and the keys float dreamily. The eight and a half minute run time gives the tune plenty of room to stretch out.

"Still Today" turns up again at the end of the album in a remix by Craig Welsch. Welsch has worked with The Avett Brothers and a number of reggae bands like 10 Ft. Ganja Plant and John Brown's Body. His treatment here follows a dub style approach, giving the horns a rich echo and stripping the track down to its roots. The bass gets most of the love, along with the thoughtful Doors style keys. The percussion is still upbeat and active but Welsch locks onto the groove and emphasizes its hypnotic languor.

The only downside with Atomga is the all too brief running time. Even with the remix, the album's five pieces only fill about 33 minutes. By pop song standards, the six minute average track length is expansive, but Fela could lavish a half hour on a single track. On stage Atomga has no problem following his example, but it makes sense that they'd rein in these tunes on the CD: studio time is expensive and plenty of jam bands have proven that a long, meandering live cut can turn wooden without the crowd there to feed off of. While I'm a bit greedy and want to hear more, I'll settle for another time through the album to appreciate the hidden details I might have missed before.

Drop by their Bandcamp page to check out Atomga for yourself.

Concert review - Dirty Dozen Brass Band with the Pimps of Joytime

Thursday, 27 February 2014 (Bluebird Theater, Denver CO)

Young and old, from the hopping scene in Brooklyn to way down deep in the Big Easy: this was a great pairing to show off the range of music that can lay a claim to the funk. The Pimps of Joytime and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band are touring together, taking turns in the headliner slot. This was the first of a two night residency at the Bluebird and the Pimps of Joytime were the openers. AXS TV were on hand to film the Dirty Dozen Brass Band - I don't know if they came back on Friday to catch PoJT's headliner or if this was part of their coverage of this year's Jazz Fest. In any case, the cameras were no impediment to a wild night of dancing and celebrating the insistent beat.

Pimps of Joytime

The Pimps of Joytime were just here this past August (review), but it was great to have them back in town again, this time at a larger, nicer venue. Bandleader Brian J kicked things off by wrenching a funk-blues jam from his guitar. After he anointed the venue with the emotional echoes of this solo excursion, the band fell into place and transformed the tune into a soul review. They followed up with another bluesy interlude before turning up the heat with "Dank Janky". The band really hit their stride with the low-down, dirty jam of "Janxta Funk". David Bailis laid down a wicked P-Funk bass line while the percussion tossed in some light syncopation.


Bailis has a pivotal role in the band, switching between bass, keyboards, and controlling the samples and some pre-recorded backing music. After he set up the bass groove, he layered in a set of keyboard loops that filled out the sound, making a much bigger sonic impression than a five piece can normally summon. Drummer John Staten, though, stole the song with his amazing drum work.


The set shifted mood when the band launched into their new single, "Booty Text". The vocals were soulful, but the heart of the song is anchored to the club dance floor. The chill synth loops channeled classic disco with an aura of electronica over a mechanical beat. Cole Williams and Mayteana Morales provided the sweet femme backing and Brian J put down his guitar to focus on crooning the lyrics. The crowd was game to surrender to the rhythm and boogie down. It was a fun interlude, but Brian J, who is normally a very charismatic frontman, seemed lost at times without his guitar. "Booty Text" transformed the set into more of a dance party than a funk-stravaganza. This meant that Bailis spent more time on the keys than on his bass guitar.


It all came back around, though. The reggae groove of "Stop Wastin' Mine" brought the bass to the forefront. It didn't slow down the crowd from dancing and it hit that sweet spot I have for the band. The groove ebbed and flowed and eventually led to "Hey Mister J", which featured a cool hippy guitar groove and Brian J's best facial expressions of the night. Closing on "Body Party", the Pimps of Joytime didn't have enough time left to perform the ritual of leaving the stage and returning for an encore, but it was a solid set and showed off the band's diversity.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

It took a while to clear the stage and place all the necessary mics for the band, but the wait was worth it. Band members wandered in and out amidst the flurry of setup: Kirk Joseph organized the array of effects pedals for his sousaphone while Kevin Harris scoped out the crowd and connected with a few select people. Eventually, everyone came out and warmed up their instruments. The set opened with a free jazz exploration. Like a bubbling stewpot, the surface was in constant motion: a splash of trumpet rising for a moment before falling beneath the squonk of a baritone sax. After a few minutes of this ritual, the loose flow coalesced into a solid, syncopated groove and the show was underway.


This provided a chance to meet each of the players as they rotated their solos. Trumpeter Gregory Davis balanced his intensely focused playing with a mellow, genial stage presence. Efrem Towns (trumpet and flugelhorn) was more of ham, mugging for the audience and playing his solos with a visible flourish. Kevin Harris alternated a serious demeanor with a touch of clowning as he tore it up on the tenor sax. Completing the front line, Roger Lewis peppered his baritone sax riffs with sly knowing glances, building up for his finale.


On the back line.Kirk Joseph provided the bass support on his sousaphone, mutating the sound to pop like a funk bass with the wah-wah or warping it with flange into a didgeridoo drone. Drummer Terrence Higgins stayed locked into his drums, but his playing was transcendent. Where a traditional drum solo can often stretch the rhythm so far that the audience is lost and the interlude drifts into the weeds, Higgins could counterbalance the rhythmic exploration with a steady pulse, interjecting any number of flashy paradiddles or stutter beat riffs. Finally, the youngest member of the band, Kyle Roussel laid the rest of the musical foundation with his keys. Alternating between a standard Nord keyboard and a wonderfully retro key-tar, Roussel was shy and unassuming, but his playing was loose and natural and his solos demonstrated a core sense of jazz harmonic theory.


As you'd expect, the band has its roots in New Orleans jazz and their songs featured plenty of traditional jazz moments. But just as the New Orleans scene they come from has evolved and grown, their set branched out into a rich gumbo of genres, from nasty jazz funk slink to spicy Latin fireworks. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's goal was to create the right party atmosphere, stylistic niches or generational stereotypes aside. Whether it was Davis leading the crowd in a call and response for "Me Like It Like That" or the blistering layered funk of the Neville Brothers' "Fiyo On The Bayou", the band worked the audience into a dancing frenzy.


By the same token, though, they had a good sense of flow, letting the dynamic drop into dreamy, meandering solos in order to make the next peak that much higher. They closed out the night with a perfect soul gem, "Dirty Old Man". Roger Lewis summoned the spirit of James Brown and flat out testified. "I'm a dirty old man and I feel like spankin' somebody." Despite his claim, Lewis showed that he had plenty of spunk to keep up with the younger crowd. By the time it was over, they had created a literal party on stage, with girls invited up to join the band and dance til the end of the night.



More photos on my Flickr.

Concert review - Reel Big Fish with Suburban Legends, Mighty Mongo, and The Maxies

17 January 2013 (Gothic Theatre, Denver CO)

Aside from getting pelted with somebody's half-full mixed drink while taking pictures of Reel Big Fish, I've got little to complain about. Well, I could also mention the traffic between Ft. Collins and Denver. It took longer than expected to get down to the Gothic and we arrived shortly after the Maxies came on stage. This means we missed the secret opening act: Reel Big Fish drummer Ryland Steen performed a solo set to promote his new album, This Magnificent. I wish I had caught it; sampling the album on iTunes, it would have been interesting to hear how he translated the driving rock sound into solo guitar arrangements.

But traffic is a constant pain and rowdy crowds are a fixture at hyped up ska-fests, so let's dive right into the bands.

The Maxies

The first thing you notice about The Maxies is how well the band leader moves for a fat guy. Actually, that not true; the first thing you notice is that the band are all sporting crazy masks and distinctive red and white costumes. Aside from the kitschy outfits, the band also hid themselves behind a family of pseudonyms: Maximum Maxie, Android Maxie, etc. Oh, yeah, they also had a polar bear on stage and claimed to be the biggest band in Greenland.


It's all a glorious gimmick, but the band committed completely to the conceit. Lead singer Maximum Maxie was a frontman determined to affront. Like a super-hero (villain?) Don Rickles, he abused the audience with a sneer and a wink. He taunted the crowd, singling out people to mock and making one outrageous statement after another. This only let up when he turned his insults to the other bands playing with them on the tour. Meanwhile, the rest of the group clowned around, capering around the stage like deranged mimes. That barely-reined comedic chaos drove the set and spurred the whole venue to party.


The group's stage work fit well with the smart ass punk attitude permeating the songs. Each tune was a power punk explosion of tight chops, catchy riffs, and irreverent lyrics. In deference to the skankers, the band threw down a chank beat now and again, but neither that nor their masks could disguise their punk roots. It was a high energy set from a well-practiced group and cheap shot one-liners added just as much character as the costumes. Their own press says it best, "More PUNK than ROCK. More ROCK than PUNK!"

Mighty Mongo

When a band kicks off their set at a ska show with the heavy reverb of Dick Dale's "Miserlou" AND a member is playing a wicked-ass keytar, you know you're in the throes of cognitive dissonance. After the Maxies' in-your-face performance, Mighty Mongo initially seemed a bit restrained. But that impression faded as they quickly gave us a taste of their stage personas and made it clear just how much fun they were having. Bass player Alex Card in particular had an outsize personality, moving from rock god pose to self-consciously Caucasian rapper without a pause. Those shifts were scripted into the setlist, but, like a good actor, Card owned the role at any given time, laughing his way through a hip-hop call and response ("When I say 'hot', you say 'dog'!) or earnestly singing an '80s style rocker.


Fellow singer Lindsay Vitola balanced him out with an exuberantly wholesome performance. She had a strong voice and a warm stage presence. Completely at home in front of the crowd, she danced and bounced along with joyful abandon, but locked right into the mic to nail her part. The early songs in the set emphasized her keytar work but even more would have been welcome. Instead, she focused on her singing. She and Card had worked up some great vocal arrangements, trading verses then harmonizing on the choruses.


Mighty Mongo's setlist skipped across a stream of genres, favoring alternative rock and '90s pop, but they leveraged enough ska to satisfy the crowd. Of course, it didn't hurt when they brought in Chris Lucca from Suburban Legends for a couple of tunes including a solid rendition of "Never There" by Cake. Tapping into such a versatile sound, the band had the crowd moving from start to finish.

Suburban Legends

The sound check teased us when bass player Brad Polidori riffed through a taste of Rush's "Limelight". That served as fair notice that the band would pepper their set with a host of interesting covers. Their show actually opened with the hard punching "High Fives" (Rump Shaker, 2003). A perfect blend of catchy pop, driving beat, and ska breakdowns, this song jump started the audience. The music was super high energy enough but Suburban Legends demonstrated the value of their experience playing at Disneyland and crafted every moment to wring out maximum entertainment. Whether it was Vincent Walker charming the crowd, the tight stage choreography keeping everything in motion, or the big reveal of their trademarked backdrop, the band never wasted an ounce of opportunity to create a big splash impression.


While Walker and the horn players performed the most intricate stage moves, all of the band had their parts.  Walker was an incredibly dynamic frontman, working the edge of the stage, and projecting theatrical facial expressions that played all the way to the back of the room. In fact, it's clear that they're well prepared for much larger venues than the Gothic, but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm.


Their Disney background bubbled to the surface as they ran through several company classics, from turning "Duck Tales" into a rousing party anthem to channeling the spunky arrogance of "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" from The Lion King. Walker even traded roles with guitarist Brian Klemm so Klemm could take "Kiss The Girl" (The Little Mermaid) over the top. Klemm topped himself, though, with a spot on Neil Diamond impression for "Sweet Caroline". Several of the Disney tracks are available on the band's recent EP, Dreams Aren't Real But These Songs Are.


The non-stop extravaganza stage presence is great, but it plays so large that it could make Suburban Legend as mockable as the latest boy band. Fortunately, they understood that and remembered to give the occasional wink that acknowledged the campiness, balancing the sincerity with satire. And it helps that they weren't just a set of dance moves and posturing; their musicianship was top notch. The arrangements could be infectiously poppy, but they knew how to bring in a rocking solo riff or nail a horn blare in tight formation to give the music the right edge. This made them a fine match up for the headliners.

Reel Big Fish

Last year, Reel Big Fish landed high up in my list of favorite shows for the year, largely based on their fun, party atmosphere, great songs, and frontman Aaron Barrett's wildcard humor. They tore up the Gothic during their set, inciting the mosh pit to reach for the edges of the room and the tunes were as droll and sarcastic as ever. Barrett seemed in even better form than last year's show. But with trombonist Dan Regan retiring from touring, the act lost some of the stage repartee magic that Regan helped create. Saxophonist Matt Appleton, proud beneath his mohawk, did his best to contribute to the mood, but I missed the good-natured sniping that Barrett and Regan had developed.


That said, the band still put on a hot show that rocked their fans. After the precise choreography of Suburban Legends, Reel Big Fish seemed fairly loose and relaxed, but Barrett and the band made more karate kicks than you'd have seen in an Elvis show. Otherwise, Barrett was content to spin across the stage while the horns coordinated some of their movements. But while the stage blocking was left to chance, the music was locked down into the groove. Lead guitar would take the dive and fall just as the horns burst in to clamor for attention. The bass and drums insistently propelled the songs with well-oiled synchronization.


The set list favored the group's early material, leading off with "Everything Sucks" and later hitting crowd favorites like "I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend" and "Beer". Dropping the banter, Reel Big Fish flew through the songs, juxtaposing old with the new: "I Dare You To Break My Heart"  led to "Good Thing" before the band transitioned back up the timeline to "Your Guts (I Hate Them)". One of the funniest moments came in the set up for "Sell Out". They launched into a deadpan ska cover of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe". After nailing the chorus, Barrett said, "Yes, we're going to play the whole song." Then they challenged the men in the audience to start the second verse, but immediately detuned into chaotic discord before rebooting into "Sell Out".


Lindsay Vitola from Mighty Mongo joined the band for a pair of their classic male/female duets, "I Know You Too Well To Like You Anymore" and "She Has a Girlfriend Now". Vitola brought her own character to the parts, acting out and holding her own with Barrett. Their chemistry was perfect.


The encore skipped the multi-genre romp of "S.R." that they often perform in favor of "Thank You For Not Moshing", but they still closed with their iconic cover of A-ha's "Take On Me", which I think I've finally heard more often than the original. Gladly.

More photos on my Flickr.

CD review - The Pimps of Joytime, High Steppin' (2007)

Brooklyn must have an incredible music scene because so many great bands from there are going national lately (including my favorite, Earl Greyhound). The latest one I've heard is the Pimps of Joytime (PoJT). My friend Brent texted me from a Michael Franti show to tell me about them and a quick search delivered the party to my ears.

High Steppin' is a couple of years old, but I also got a chance to hear three new unreleased tracks that I'll talk about at the end of the review.

First of all, Brian J and the band have studied under the masters. You can hear the inspiration of Sly, Stevie, George, and Carlos from song by song. The PoJT are products of their generation, so the sound is updated a bit with some samples and rap. And although there's a hint of Prince's falsetto vocal style on High Steppin', they've got their own take on classic funk and soul. They like to toss in some Latin beats to keep it interesting and their jam band party feel makes them a joy to listen to. I really need to catch them live to get the full effect, I think.

High Steppin' kicks off with PJT's High Steppin', an old school album intro track. They use a looped set of spoken samples to set a beat, which the band formalizes. Scratching samples, funk guitar, and other instruments come in to built a groove.

With the intro out of the way, the album slides into it's strongest song. My Gold uses complex poly-rhythms and a repetitive guitar figure to set up an Afrobeat feel. The falsetto vocal adds a touch of Prince or Sly Stone. By the time the song hits the solo, it can't quite decide whether to be Afrobeat, funk, soul, or psychedelic jam. It's all of those things together, swirling in a hypnotic stew. The PoJT effortlessly slide between genres, while maintaining the African foundation. This version is just under four minutes, but it's easy to imagine a 10 or 15 minute live version.

Another strong track is Bonita, which takes a Santana style groove and kicks it into modern Latin dance pop territory. The percussion and horn stabs are note perfect. While the guitar is keeping, it doesn't dominate the way Santana would, which gives the piano and horns more room to run.

The rest of album is pretty tight, from the Stevie Wonder feel of She-Do to the P-Funk keys and horns of Workin' All The Time. There are three tracks that seem out of place: the toasting DJ and solid reggae of Tea Time, the early '60s revival ballad of We Can Find a Way, and the odd mish mash of Hey, Mr. J. The first two aren't too jarring but the last one bounces between new wave, soul, Adrian Belew style pop, and a Latin section. It's the only distraction from a finely crafted album.

So, if that's the Pimps of Joytime from 3 years ago, how are they now? There are three unreleased tracks all available on their MySpace page. Janxta Funk is a hopping party funk groove, with a tight, P-Funk, Up For the Down Stroke feel. It's very danceable. Blues Wit You hits that Santana space again (think Oye Como Va), with some great lyrical flow. There's a lot going on in the underbrush: free floating, jazzy flute and solid bass licks. Finally, Pimpin' Music starts with a scratched loop, club beat intro and delivers another booty shake, sounding like classic soul dressed up for the disco.

The Pimps of Joytime are a great funk/soul band. They seem to bounce between the East and West coast, so catch them live if you can. In the meantime, grab High Steppin' from ITunes or Amazon. I'll toast Brent with an Anchor Liberty for turning me on.

CD review - Kidd Russell, Backyard Heroes (2010)

Kidd Russell is a relentless self-promoter. He's out there hyping his music, acting as his own publicist. Like any good salesman, he believes in his product, which seems especially sincere as he avoids any false modesty. His latest project, Backyard Heroes, is a scattershot collection of pieces. There are several nice moments and some good flow, but it lacks some coherency. In this time of singles, that may not matter as much.

Mostly, it's a party album, with a mix of rap and singing that remind me of Sugar Ray or maybe a bit like Smashmouth. This vibe covers the recent video single, E North Ave to the love tribute of She Feels Like Home. There are side trips from the basic groove -- the MC 900 Ft Jesus feel of Legendary and the heavy message of Dear Shooter.

Dear Shooter is the strongest song here. It's an anti-violence rap, starting with a gangbanger's young victim and progressing to a soldier with the enemy in his sights. This chain of examples is anchored with a poignant chorus:

I wrote you this letter the other night
For you to read before you take my life
My life, my life
Gotta get this off my chest
Before your bullet ends my breath
My breath, dead shooter

Focused on creating empathy between victim and perpetrator, it's a powerful approach. The lyrical flow is smooth, with well chosen backing music.

Kidd Russell has a good ear for music and laying out some catchy flow. I'd like to hear more stylistic focus, but Backyard Heroes is well worth checking out. Raise a tallboy to the band.