Fairfax, Virginia: The Ordinary Way is anything but ordinary.
San Francisco, California: Although all three members of the OM Trio hail from New Jersey, they have chosen San Francisco as the base for their divergent and compelling jazz-funk explorations.
Death and Taxes is the band’s first full-length album (it released a six-song disc last year) and it finds the group crossing musical boundaries with a good degree of success. The band is remarkably comfortable flitting from the almost Middle Eastern textures of "In the Eye" to the unadulterated rock-funk of "Daddy," and is strong both vocally and instrumentally. Mixed in with the usual sounds are some exotic percussion instruments and some neat mandolin. In addition to its musical prowess, the group has a solid base of good songs.
The bright and breezy "Apraxia," which centers around repetitive keyboard fills before shifting into a Grateful Dead-meets-Allman Brothers guitar groove and then saunters into some oddball spoken passages, is a standout and gives a hint at what these guys can do when they let loose. Definitely a band to watch. www.theordinaryway.com
San Francisco, California: Although all three members of the OM Trio hail from New Jersey, they have chosen San Francisco as the base for their divergent and compelling jazz-funk explorations. The band operates with a lineup of keyboards (Brian Felix), bass (PeteNovembre) and drums (Ilya Stemkovsky), but expels an expansive sound that conjures up images of a larger ensemble. Musically, these guys are full of spirit and energy and display an incredible amount of musical virtuosity. Their sound comfortably incorporates influences from a wide range of sources—Miles Davis, Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck and even the odd smattering of progressive rock—and is best described as jazz-meets-funk with an exploratory element of fusion thrown in for good measure. Felix’s beefy organ fills are monster, while the rhythm section stretches from pedestrian to outstanding. The trio has garnered a solid reputation in San Francisco and beyond and has released several studio albums and a recent live album, OM Trio Live (Slimtrim Records). Despite some self-indulgent moments, the album boasts many minutes of musical magnificence and is an appropriate place to discover this stellar band. www.omtrio.com
Indianapolis, Indiana: A band that has taken ‘70s electronica (aka Kraut rock) and present-day world beat sounds into the new world music order is Gravity Hill. This five-piece outfit has a sound that’s a lot about ambience and texture; songs are long and build slowly in intensity, but eventually envelope the listener, drawing them into the tones and textures of what often seems like a secret musical destination. Percussion, synthesizers and guitar synths permeate the band’s lush sound. On the downside, this is not immediately appealing music and often that promised destination seems to be a far-off place. First impressions leave one feeling that the moods and textures are too similarly paced. Repeated listening, though, reveals some of the intricacies of the rhythms and the overall degree of sophistication. The result is hypnotic mood music. If you enjoy Mickey Hart’s percussion explorations or the music of Can, Tangerine Dream or just like laid-back improvisational music, there’s probably something of interest for you here. Original—certainly. Accessible—mostly! PO Box 2551, Indianapolis, IN 46206. www.gravityhill.net
Boston, Massachusetts: It’s been just over a decade since Hypnotic Clambake first showcased its talents in street performances in Boston’s trendy Quincy Market. Since then it has released a number of exotic, eccentric and wildly entertaining CDs, as well and played shows in various parts of the country. Hypnotic Clamback seems to be one of those bands that is forever on the verge of something, but never quite gets there. The group has gotten the attention of people like Phish and the Dave Matthews Band, and played such noted festivals as the Montreaux Jazz Festival. Its lack of major success is probably a direct result of its zany output. The current incarnation is a five-piece, but the band utilizes synthesizers, accordion, samples and all manner of percussion as well as electric guitar bass and fiddle. Its music encompasses just about every known musical style—you’re likely to hear klezmer, polka, rock, jazz, bluegrass, blues, folk, funk and reggae at regular intervals throughout a show or on disc, and multiple genres are thrown into the musical blender at will. A good example of this is the bizarre "Redneck with a Time Machine" from the band’s most recent CD, Varicose Brain. Hip-hop, old-time bluegrass and Zappa-like avant-garde ramblings nestle comfortably together. The band members also have a somewhat odd sense of humor but, in their own words, they "capture the spirit of traditional roots music, while utilizing the best technology." www.hypnoticclambake.com
Chicago, Illinois: Jupiter’s Child began back in 1991when multi-instrumentalist Marcus Singletary set out on a quest to "find the antidote to generic pop music." Since then, the band has undergone some changes but it now operates as a trio (Mike Jula, guitar and background vocals; Andy Swindler, drums and background vocals; Singletary, guitar, bass, vocals and keyboards). They also employ some auxiliary musicians, both live and for recording (Sarah Klusak, vocals; Pete Pawinski, piano; Nate Clouter, trumpet; Stefani Foster, bass).
The band’s antidote to generic pop is to present a sound that has lots of improvisation with nods towards jazz, blues and psychedelia, with a dynamic and high-energy rock feel. The end result is a sound that’s exciting and proficient although a little ragged in places. The band’s first full-length album, Chicago Stomp, is a mixture of live and studio cuts and although it’s not as cohesive as it could be, there’s some intoxicating stuff, including a stunning version of "Good Lovin’" with some extraordinary guitar work from Singletary that gives this much-covered song a new flavor.
The band’s strongest asset is that its members have taken their influences (which range from Motown to Iron Butterfly and encompass Buddy Rich, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Satriani along the way) and melded them into a somewhat schizophrenic but invigorating sound. The guitar work of Singletary and Mike Jula has a much more aggressive slant and a broader rock base than one generally finds in current improvisational/jambands. The group jumps from the jagged Velvet Underground-like rock of "Confidant" to the zany psychedelic polka of "The Polish National Anthem aka Polanaise" to the rapturous cornucopia of sound in "Jason’s Song." The latter begins with spiraling lead guitar set to a lively and complex almost Latin rhythm before delicate piano and punctuating trumpet playing are juxtaposed by some eerie-toned guitar work.
This is a band that could create great things given a little more cohesion and some serious studio time. The band is currently writing new material that it will record using state-of-the-art equipment. For more info check out http://hometown.aol.com/jcjrrecords/myhomepage/index.html. If you are interested in purchasing music, send an email to
Columbus, Ohio: Toast is a five-piece band that puts forth an unpretentious blend of rock, jazz and R&B that’s got some good grooves. The band began life in July of 1999, and aims to offer something for everyone. The line-up boasts two guitarists, a sax player, bass and drums. Tonally, it has a similar feel to modern-day Little Feat, although it doesn’t really sound like the Feat. That is, it has a versatile and rock-solid rhythm section; it can rock; it can roll; it can groove and, more than anything, it can deliver sparkling improvisations as well as tight and well-written songs. Melody and strong vocals are intrinsic elements of the band’s music as well as dexterous instrumental embellishments. Toast has released one CD, the solid Codename: Hard-Hat, which contains ten original songs. The meandering rock-funk tones of "Plain as Day" and the more eloquent and sophisticated rock of "Swiss Cheese" show that this is a band with promise. For booking contact Sam Collis at (614) 523-2151 or e-mail
, www.akatoast.net
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Beyond the Pale is a mostly instrumental band that blends traditional klezmer and eastern European folk music with more modern-day influences such as funk, reggae, bluegrass and folk. The group formed in 1998, and has since played throughout Canada as well as parts of New York State and North Dakota. Accordion, clarinet, bass, violin and mandolin are the tools of its trade, and its overall sound is eccentric—and interesting. In addition to tackling traditional Yiddish and Romanian songs, there’s some compelling original material such as the three-part suite that begins with the percussion-led "Bulcharescu," moves through "Grebenyas," and concludes with "Sirbish." This band should find favor with both traditionalists and open-minded modern "folk" fans. www.borealisrecords.com
Albuquerque, New Mexico: The Withdrawals is a hard-hitting four-piece band that has honed its sound considerably during the past few years. The latest album, Good Man, shows a marked improvement over the first album, and has the group delivering a more dynamic sound. One still hears odd nods towards the Spin Doctors, but these guys are mostly content to forge their own sound. There’s often an underlying funk element to these guttural, rock-based, hook-laden songs. Despite the hard-hitting approach, there’s subtlety and plenty of texture, as evidenced by the seven-minute "Sitting in the Sun," with its rich percussion elements, delicate keyboard fills and flickering lead guitar passages. Although the band keeps things within the confines of the three- and four-minute song, this cut shows that it is innovative and powerful. www.withdrawals.com
