Grupo Fantasma: Sonidos Gold

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Grupo Fantasma, as soon as I heard the name I knew that I must hear this band. I’m glad I did as Grupo Fantasma’s third album Sonidos Gold has become one of the year’s favorites. It’s been in my car stereo for over a week now and I only pause to hear the news. The twelve grooves on this CD have invaded my mind, haunting my thoughts and turning every movement into an Afro-Cuban/Cumbia jazz step. I work with rhythm and everything is a song until I catch myself and realize that small children are laughing at me.

Latin/funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma have been stacking up the honors over the past year, playing on awards shows, making appearances on late night television, and scoring a gig as supporting band for Prince, who liked then so much that he took them to London’s 02 Arena for his acclaimed “21 Nights In London” stay there. They’ve even caught the attention of sax legend Maceo Parker, who sits in on the tune “Gimme Some.” This band from Austin, Texas is definitely making waves and deservedly so as they have forged a style all their own.

From the opening drums of “El Sabio Soy Yo” you’re hooked. When the horns sweep in and hit you like a tsunami of rhythmic sound, knocking you back then drawing you in, you have no choice but to listen. You groove and move along to the ocean of sound that Grupo Fantasma have tossed you into. It all flows so smoothly that you don’t realize that they’ve moved on to the next tune, “Levantate,” while you’re still in a daze. The horns are arranged in a way that gives them an other worldly sound and you must do as they command and “stand up” and move.

The horns mixed with the keyboards, percussion and guitars instills a feeling of darkness and mystery as if the boys in the band bargained with El Diablo himself to bring you this unique sound. The chaos that winds down “Arroz Con Pollo” and leads into the chants that open the eight-minute jam “Rumba Y Guaguanco” is a perfect example of what the group has to offer. Drums, horns, hell even a whistle fill the air with music that seems to come from every shadowy corner of the world in your mind. “Rebotar” is another song that calls to you from beyond with its classic horror film organs, sultry horns, and echoing guitar chords.

Guitars take center stage on “Bacaloa Con Pan,” “Cumbia De Los Pajaritos,” and “Perso Fra I Mesquites.” “Bacalao Con Pan” is fueled through out by its Santana-like guitars and full-force funky horns. “Cumbia” takes a trip to the west coast with a nod to surf guitar before slipping into the swirling underworld of keyboards and spacey chords made famous by The Doors’ Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger. The chord bending screams Jimi Hendrix as the big horns make it a wicked instrumental and instant classic. “Perso Fra” is a slow yet rockin’ instrumental as well, this time taking us south of the border in search of a dark cantina to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos with Spanish guitars, bullfight horn.s and violin strings that quietly weep for those that have crossed over.

After one spin of their new CD, you’ll be hypnotized by the beats and rhythms as you are taken in by their modern spin to a classic sound. Blending sounds and influences very well, Grupo Fantasma produces a style all their own. It’s crazy, I know but Grupo Fantasma is the perfect all-day music. Whether cruising down the boulevard or drinking with pals, late night or early morning, this band will possess you with their Afro-Cuban Jazz/Cumbia/Latin funk concoction, commanding you to spread the word and seek them out live in this world before they slip back to the phantom realm from which they must have come.

The Band of Heathens

Written by Fumo Verde

I grew up on the country sounds of Willie, Waylon, Hank, and Merle and representing the ladies, Patsy, Dolly, and the sweet Miss Loretta. Acquiring a taste for the new sound of country kind of made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit, and why after Sept. 11 did every other song have to be about God, country, and family values? Thank reason for the Band of Heathens. Here comes a fresh style of county with genuine lyrics and a steady southern beat. Coming out of Texas after being noticed at the Austin Music Awards as one of the best new bands, these Heathens slowed down to make this self-titled debut. So crack open a cold one or pack a freshy-fresh bowl and get ready to enjoy some country music Austin-style.

“Don’t Call On Me” opens up the disc with a perpetual rhythm that will get your feet tapping as the guitar strumming feeds the beat of the drums. Clever lyrics tell the story of everyday life and someone who is fed up with it too. Nothing too complex, which is good when doing a first album because it gives people something to identify with, and this brings us in. Songs such as “Jackson Station” and “Maple Tears” have that down-home southern twang with instruments, such as the lapsteel, mandolin, and Dobro. “Maple Tears” has that “Home on the Range” vibe with a slight hint of Delta Blues. This song alone gave me goose bumps. Patty Griffin adds her lovely voice, lending a lonely soul feel and a sense of realism to the lyrics. This whole album has a deep soul to it, even on the one song I considered the “radio friendly” tune, “Heart on my Sleeve,” and I’m finding myself humming the chorus in my head every now and then.

For a first album the Heathens did a fine job with tender songs like “40 Days” and fun songs such as “Cornbread,” and though “40 Days” seems like a biblical reference the song talks about loving someone through a turbulent world. Again, Patty Griffin joins in and really gives it an emotional bump as a duet.

“Second Line” is another with a Delta Blues feel as the lyrics tell the tale of drunken debauchery over a backdrop sound of mandolin along with slide guitar played by Ray Wylie Hubbard, who helped produce the album. Gurf Morlix adds pump organ, which breathes a sultry sound, giving the tune a gritty taste.

“Hallelujah” closes out the eleven-track disc as the tale is told that for this band, the road is their saving grace and from what I have read about them, these katz are an “On The Road Again” band. From this CD alone I would highly recommend seeing the Band of Heathens live as I also highly recommend The Band of Heathens. I used to feel that mainstream sound of country was as down to earth as cow shit in the meadow, but now with these Heathens out there making music such as this, that has all changed. Get the CD and go see them if they come by you.

This is Fumo Verde saying that I like my cornbread in the morning.

Yonder Mountain String Band: Mountain Tracks, Vol. 5

Written by Fumo Verde

If there were a genre called “high energy bluegrass music,” then Yonder Mountain String Band would be the poster child for it. If you have never been to one of their shows, you are missing something. The level of talent is extraordinary as these four men show how plucking and strumming should be done. This live double-CD pack contains 24 tracks, with some songs only heard at live shows. If bluegrass is your thing, then Mountain Tracks, Volume 5 is something to be added to your collection.

Disc one has eleven songs hand picked by bassist Ben Kauffman who pulled these tracks form live shows ranging from the years 2004 to 2007. “Nothin’ but Nothin’” and “Sideshow Blues” are two song I hope they play at Bonnaroo. “Nothin’ but Nothin’” starts out with a chopping guitar strum as the banjo dances around the bass and mandolin. Though the song only lasts just under three minutes, it feels longer as the music tells a tale of someone who is fed up with another, explaining that this person brought nothing and they will leave with nothing. In other words, don’t come in and try to push this band around.

“Didn’t Go Wrong” is another trip Yonder takes you on. Banjo and mandolin play like a chorus as guitar and bass follow while the lyrics tell the story, “Everywhere I go I keep looking for my baby/ everywhere I look I keep finding she’s gone./ Used to drive her wild, now she’s driving me crazy / damn if the right thing didn’t go wrong / damn if the right thing didn’t go wrong.” Songs like these stay in your head long after you’ve turned off the CD player.

Disc two is from a live show performed in Columbus, Ohio at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on July 27, 2007. Listing to this CD you can get a feel for the relationship the band has with their audience. They banter back and forth with each other giving the show a more intimate feel. One of my favorite tracks on this disc was “40 Miles from Denver.” This song is a little slower than some of the others I have mentioned but it still has that foot-tapping beat to it. “Kentucky Mandolin” is different than your average bluegrass tune. The mandolin itself has that old Euro feel to it and when mixed with the Americana banjo sound, these two distinct instruments can conjure up ideas of haunted swamps, far-off bogs, and sleepy hallows all with a southern twang to it.

If you ever go to a Yonder show, and lets say they play three nights in a row, you will not hear the same music all three nights. Each night will contain different songs than the night before so will walk away with an array of music that Yonder has put out over the past decade. Mountain Tracks, Vol. 5 has to be one of the finest CDs YMSB has put together and I’m sure there will be more to come from such an amazingly talented band.

Best Of Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys

Written by Fantasma el Rey

When I think of Cajun music I think of a real old-school barber I knew that went by the name Frenchy and was born and made frequent trips back to Louisiana. A very lively fellow was Frenchy and he would always have good Cajun music playing as you walked into to get your hair cut. Most times as you were seated, he would offer you a beer. Back in the day, I was just a kid of 21 and got a hoot out of it. Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys are a band that I think ol’ Frenchy would have enjoyed and he probably knew all about them, seeing as how they have been on the scene since 1988.

The Mamou Playboys carry on the tradition of Cajun music and add spices of their own to kick it up a bit and get the crowd moving. When they started in ’88, they where a group of young men lead by Steve Riley, who was nineteen, that wanted to play and sound just like the old timers they loved so much. As they gigged around and improved on their sound they began to add more of their other musical influences to forge a sound that is modern yet traditional at the same time. These Playboys have done it well for twenty years now and make it stick to your ears like gumbo to your ribs. The band has gone through a few members in their time, replacing some here and there as needed do to death or departures. This 31-track best-of set is a great way to get to know Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys and what they do well.

The Cajun sound is solid throughout featuring accordion, fiddle, acoustic guitar, and bass and the triangle for percussion, but the Playboys take it beyond, adding some rock and roll flavor to the mix with the way the electric guitars, bass, and thundering drums are delivered. Classic Cajun jump tunes abound in the likes of “Evangeline Waltz Two-Step,” “Pointe Aux Chenes (Pine Point),” “Laisse-Moi Connaître (Let Me Know),” “Lawrence Walker Medley ” and “Between Eunice and Opelousas,” the later two tunes being instrumental gold. They can even hit you with Southern rock as they do well on “Menteur (Liar).”

On the other side of the coin there are the slow songs that at times have a bluegrass feel to them. “Lovers Waltz” is a slow number that you can two-step your girl around the dance floor to while “Marie Mouri (Marie Has Died)” and “Vini, Jilie (Come, Jilie)” are Cajun tunes that go way back and are actually taken from poems. “Vine, Jilie” has an Eagles type sound to the vocals and arrangement, finding Steve’s voice sounding country. “Marie Mouri” is a mournful track that can be likened to the sound of the Stanley Brothers lonesome hill music.

Group harmony shines bright on “Les Clefs De La Prison (The Keyes To The Prison)” and “La Danse De Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras Song)” and showcase what the boys can do together. While “Je Suis Pas Un Couillon (I’m Not A Fool)” is dripping with a 1950’s R&B vibe much like the bands that came from Louisiana during that time, bands like Cookie and The Cupcakes or Jivin’ Jean and The Jokers. When the boys blend their voices, they sound great, and let me not forget that even though Steve handles most lead vocal chores there are tunes where other band members take the mic.

To close each disc the Playboys switch up a bit and add a Rubboard to the mix for two outstanding Zydeco numbers: “King Zydeco” on the first while “Zarico Est Pas Sale (Zydeco Is Not Salty)” closes out the two-disc set. Both cuts jump and make you move, showing again that Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys can handle all styles with ease and putting their own little spin to them. If you’re a fan, then you should have this material already. If you’re not, you will be after you go out and grab this fine collection of the Best Of Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys.

The Morning Benders:Talking Through Tin Cans

Written by Fantasma el Rey

The Morning Benders have arrived with their debut with CD, Talking Through Tin Cans, carrying with them a sound that is definitely thicker and stronger than tin. Through eleven self-penned tracks these lads, lead by Chris Chu (vocals, guitars, organs, piano) sweetly pound their songs into your head. Chu’s nasal pleading at times borders on whinny emo but is saved by his timing and lyrical talent. Ranking right next to The Kooks as modern masters of the truly great pop tune, stripping the sound back to the days of ’60s legends The Beatles, The Kinks and Count Five. And all just two minutes and thirty seconds over half an hour.

Jump starting the disc with “Damnit Anna,” The Morning Benders show just where they are going to take you on the journey that is Talking Through Tin Cans. Guitars jingle as Chu’s vocals take front and center until the big rumble drums plow forward to let you know they’re going to be a force all along the way. Everything pours rhythm from tambourines, drums, and bass to guitars, acoustic and electric. “Damnit Anna” flows right into “I Was Wrong,” slowing half a hair, then moves promptly to “Loose Change,” which keeps the drums heavy, giving off a brawling rockabilly sound as they thump and kick trough the three-minute mark, where most of their songs end up.

Chu has a way of delivering his crafty lyrics that make them stick as he weaves and bends his vocals through each magical ditty, painting pictures of what’s going on in his head. Keeping his songs edgy is his brilliant wordplay and overall song crafting, giving us a further look through his mind’s eye. Fine examples of Chu’s work are heard on “Loose Change” and “Patient Patient.” “Loose Change” finds our lovestruck hero working long and hard to get his baby to hit him with the truth of what’s on her mind. “Be my mirror/ Show me what I can change…Don’t let me down softly…Why can’t you just say what you mean” and the wonderful “Working too many hours only for your loose change.”

Chu’s is in top form on “Patient Patient,” with “Doctor,doctor…I’m just another book on your shelf/ all it takes is a little commitment/ I’m a patient patient” and “I’ve taken everything you gave me but its not enough/ and I’m running out of love.” It’s easy to hear what is really being said and who the doctor really is but done in a creatively and fun manner, helping the subject mater remain fresh.

“Waiting For A War” is the band’s first single and rightfully so as it spotlights them at their best; it’s playful piano rollicks as drums crash and the bass quietly plucks it’s way along while the guitar scratches chords to make you bop. On the other hand “Waiting For A War” can be taken as a dig on the current state of politics or more love gone wrong and love misunderstood. Chu sings of being tired of living his life like nothings happening and everybody talking and not doing a thing, tired of living like he’s dying and pointing out that talk is cheap but lies are cheaper. Politics or love? Chu leaves the interpretation to you and that’s the way it should be.

The entire time the band, Joe Ferrell, (guitars, pianos, organs) Julian Harmon, (drums, percussion) and David Perales, (bass) stay tight, displaying their skill by the timing they possess. They know when to back off and let the lyrics shine just as well as they know when to push forward and highlight a verse. They come together well showing that their time in the California clubs was well spent. Even as Chu slows up on songs like “Heavy Hearts” and “When We’re Apart,” they come in perfectly following his vocals. These kats can do it all from the funk grooves on “Boarded Doors” to the rockabilly/dark country/ rocking blues beat of “Wasted Time” and the heavy thrash and slash on “Chasing A Ghost,” those latter two tunes are the meanest tracks on the album ringing loud with influences from Johnny Cash to the Cure.

The Morning Benders pulled it all together and gave us Talking Through Tin Cans, a CD that plays well from track one to eleven. Simple themes made interesting by creative music and lyrics is what Fantasma digs the most and these guys deliver. After a good listen you’ll realize how the title binds the album and assists in presenting a complete package and one hell of a debut release.

Moby: Last Night

Written by Fumo Verde

I’ve heard some jams from Moby on KCRW over the years and thought I would take a stab at reviewing his latest CD Last Night. I was never into the rave scene or into clubbing all night long (although believe me, I love the drugs), but that thumping bass line vibrating the floor along with masses of hot sweaty people does nothing for me. Though I never attended any of these types of parties I do have to say the music, at an audible level and with a fat bowl burning, always gave me great ideas for surf videos.

I’m not going to lie and tell you that I know each lick or track Moby sampled from, but they all had a late ‘80s/early ‘90s feel. “Every Day is 1989” says it all right there with a Gloria Gaynor-type of howl singing “Every Day I Got To ….” This hook, of which the last part I can’t make out, is mixed over a quick-tempo, high-pitched electric snare drum sound pushing the beat. I can just see it now, glow sticks waving around the blacklight-lit dance hall, someone puking over in the corner from some bad X. I’m glad I listen at home. Did this track bring me any vision for a great surf video? No, and neither did the very next one “Live for Tomorrow,” just another Flashdance flashback with too many of the same lines repeated over and over and over. But the jam after that, I did like.

On “Alice,” the first sound begins with the slow entrance of a singular voice, “My head keeps turning/ Turning like Russian Roulette / Thoughts are like bullets/ I can not do this/ Do this/ Do this.” It caught me, and the next thing I know I was dropping into a sick barrel somewhere tropical. With a hypnotic hook being broken by quick fire rapping, jumping back to the hook, it breaks again with a more climatic tempo that peaks then drops you back into that hook once again, which drifts into an even slower rap to finish off the jam. As the music closes, all I’m dreaming of is the soft shoulder of the wave and making my exit. I also enjoyed “Sweet Apocalypse,” an all-synthesized instrumental. What gives this jam its outer orbital funk is the sound of a single keyboard repeating the signal given to the mothership in the movie Close Encounters, just as “Mothers of the Night” feels like it’s all the break-up music from those John Hughes’ films I grew up watching.

The only other track I liked was the “hidden” track, which sounded like an after-hours jazz club. From what I gathered this album was a night out on the town and if you are the type of person who parties from ten p.m. to eight a.m., then you could see this whole night unfold before you. For someone like me, who if I do stay awake late it’s because of the History Channel or CSPAN, it just sounds like a bunch of re-mixes I already heard. I checked around to see what other critics thought, and they are bashing the shit out of it. I didn’t think it was that bad of an album; as for background music, it’s great to screw to.

The Kooks: Konk

Written by Fantasma el Rey

The Kooks are back with their sophomore release Konk, delivering more of the same rocking brit-pop that helped them sell millions of copies of their debut album throughout the world. The lads deliver twelve new tracks that swing and sway from the opening vocals to the closing guitar strum. The Kooks (Luke Pritchard vocals, Hugh Harris guitar, Max Rafferty bass, Paul Garred drums) continue to write their own songs and perform them with a flair all their own.

Fueled by catchy guitars hooks, a solid, funky rhythm section and Pritchard’s unique vocals, The Kooks never stop driving the pace of their songs straight to your memory. Their songs are short and to the pop point, making them easy to store, even though some of the new tunes tap the four-minute mark! The music gets you moving and the simple lyrics force you to sing while the vocals make you feel the tune as you take it all in. The songcraft skills of these young men are awesome. As I’ve said before, these kats at masters of the pop song while remaining true to their rock roots.

The sound of Konk, recorded at Ray Davies’ Konk studios, keeps to the path taken on The Kooks debut album Inside In / Inside Out. Blending perfectly the Beatles/ Kinks 60’s vibe with the Smiths/ Morrissey 80’s dance-floor feel. “Always Where I Need To Be” hints at Moz’s “First Of the Gang To Die” in its guitar runs while “Gap” and “Love It All” bring images of Smith’s guitar-slinger Johnny Marr to mind. Keeping the groove alive are “Do You Wanna” and “Stormy Weather,” both are drum filled and bass thick, begging you to hit the local dance hall, especially the mean bass intro on “Stormy Weather,” which has nothing to do with the street-corner, vocal group staple song.

“Mr. Maker,” “Tick Of Time,” and the bonus hidden track “All Over Town” bring in a rockin’ country/folk-sounding acoustic guitar and loses absolutely nothing as far as push and drive are concerned. The Kooks never really slow the pace of Konk even though “Tick Of Time” and “All Over Town” are quiet ballads.

Rounding out the CD are “See The Sun,” “Sway,” “Shine On,” “Down To The Market,” and “One Last Time.” From start to finish The Kooks second CD doesn’t let up, holding your interest with each song. There is also a bonus disc, Rak, that is available as a companion to Konk and is only offered in physical format and in limited quantities. It looks to be a cool collection of songs recorded that did not make the album and alternate/ demo versions of a few of the Konk tracks.

Konk is one of those albums that I can play over and over again, never skipping tracks and often pressing the repeat button to hear one of my favorite tunes just one more time before I shut the stereo off. I’m glad I took a chance on these Brits over a year ago on their first outing and look forward to what they have in store for their next album. Could it be, seeing that it will be the third album that The Kooks will follow other great rock bands of the past and put out what we like to call the “departure record?” Who can say? All I know is that it will find its way into my collection no matter what.