Eclectic Vibes

by Andrew Frey

Reviews From: Year 2013
Tomahawk - Oddfellows

Tomahawk - Oddfellows

Tomahawk
Oddfellows
Label: Ipecac

After a 6 year hiatus, I was pleasantly surprised to find out their fourth LP briefly hit the Billboard charts. Not sure if that’s due to it being produced by Black Keys producer Collin Dupuis or from the lineup being more stellar than ever with Trevor Dunn (Fantomas/Melvins) on bass and John Stanier (Helmet/Battles) on drums joining Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard) on guitar and the ever phenomenal Mike Patton (too many bands to list) on vocals. The stripped down heavy rock veers to and fro, venturing down dark alleys and introverted assessments, blessed with Patton’s ever morphing and changing vocals while rubbing up against delirious guitar flows and their weirdly urgent thematic repartee. 

Tomahawk WebsiteTomahawk FacebookTomahawk Wiki

Zozobra - Savage Masters

Zozobra - Savage Masters

Zozobra
Savage Masters
Label: Brutal Panda Records

Boldly embracing their doom-metal roots while finding friction in harsh downtuned sludge-metal quandaries, this Boston trio has scorched a new, dark-magical path of angst and intrigue for all to find solace in or scurry from. 

Zozobra FacebookZozobra Wiki

John Brown's Body - Kings and Queens

John Brown's Body - Kings and Queens

John Brown's Body
Kings and Queens
Label: Easy Star Records

Trailblazing in the US reggae scene since their formation in the mid 1990s, this highly-acclaimed and highly-polished group continues to push the scene to new levels. This release features 12 songs by lead singer Elliot Martin that are sure to get the masses grooving from sea to shining sea. 

John Brown's Body WebsiteJohn Brown's Body FacebookJohn Brown's Body Wiki

Clutch - Earth Rocker

Clutch - Earth Rocker

Clutch
Earth Rocker
Label: Weathermaker Music

Ten albums in, and they are still hot as fuck! Self-admittedly wrought with more forethought, focus, and polish than some of their prior releases, Earth Rocker will knock your socks off. Their hard-rockin’ antics and usual sardonic lyrics have never sounded better.

Clutch WebsiteClutch FacebookClutch Wiki

Suicidal Tendencies - Thirteen (13)

Suicidal Tendencies - Thirteen (13)

Suicidal Tendencies
Thirteen (13)
Label: Suicidal Records

Wow! Mike Muir is still making music! After a 13 year haitus, ST comes back with a heavy-hitting album filled with what they are known for: blistering. thrashing punk with some great funky interludes filled with the irascible wit and wisdom of Mike Muir. 

Suicidal Tendencies WebsiteSuicidal Tendencies FacebookSuicidal Tendencies Wiki

Beefus - The Itching Below

Beefus - The Itching Below

Beefus
The Itching Below
Label: Ys Records

Madison’s musical mad scientists are back with more fractured, nonlinear globular grooves fitted with fantastic farcical lyrics and warbled vocals. Disturbed, depraved, and outrageous musical experiments of the most uncouth kind. And at all times, watch out for that itch.. 

Beefus WebsiteBeefus Facebook

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine - White People and the Damage Done

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine - White People and the Damage Done

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine
White People and the Damage Done
Label: Alternative Tentacles

Seeing Iggy Pop perform with the Stooges for his 60th birthday inspired the legendary Jello Biafra to start a new band, and hence, this project was born. Overall, it sounds a LOT like Dead Kennedys, more so than any of his other side projects, but still offers a few surprises. Acerbic wit, trademark caterwauling vocals, raucous riffage and provocative topics are yours for the taking. 

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine FacebookJello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine Wiki

Kobo Town - Jumbie in the Jungle

Kobo Town - Jumbie in the Jungle

Kobo Town
Jumbie in the Jungle
Label: Cumbancha Records

Breathing new fire into the vintage, yet relevant sound of Calypso, Trinidad emigre Drew Gonsalves has become recognized as one of the renowned artistic voices of the Caribbean diaspora. And thanks to his efforts this reggae related genre has found multitudes of listeners ready to soak up the good vibrations and great grooves offered here.

Kobo Town WebsiteKobo Town Facebook

Kaminanda - Gateways of Consciousness

Kaminanda - Gateways of Consciousness

Kaminanda
Gateways of Consciousness
Label: self-released

As our collective consciousness evolves, we seek new and noteworthy landscapes of reflection. Kaminanda provides a playground for this with their confluence of trip hop, dub, downtempo, tribal and chillout atmospheres in a structure that is invigorating and inviting to all seekers. (10)  [kaminanda.bandcamp.com]

Kaminanda WebsiteKaminanda Facebook

Carmen Souza - Kachupada

Carmen Souza - Kachupada

Carmen Souza
Kachupada
Label: Galileo

Smoothly sauntering through the world jazz market of musical manifestation, Carmen Souza has honed a unique approach by taking her Cape Verdean Creole roots and infuses them with infectious traditional African music, Brazillian rhythms, and a plethora of minute nuances that make this release shine and sparkle. 

Carmen Souza WebsiteCarmen Souza Facebook

Cas Haley - La Si Dah

Cas Haley - La Si Dah

Cas Haley
La Si Dah
Label: Easy Star Records

Successfully funded through the crowd-sourcing website Pledge Music, La Si Dah jumps into your eardrums and consciousness via gently woven reggae beats and vocal-heavy melodies. Cas is a fun entertainer and although he didn’t win America’s Got Talent, it set the stage for his career to achieve new heights and depth.

Cas Haley WebsiteCas Haley FacebookCas Haley Wiki

Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective - Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me

Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective - Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me

Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective
Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me
Label: Cumbancha

A curious combination project between popular indie rocker Danny Michel (compared to Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel) and Central America’s Garifuna Collective. But this curiosity has impressive vision and vitality along with infectious beats and tasty lyrics so what’s not to love? Having already earned a Juno Award nomination in Canada (similar to a Grammy), this release has a lot going for it.

Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective WebsiteDanny Michel with the Garifuna Collective Facebook

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