Posts Tagged ‘Incognito pick of the week’

Incognito pick of the week: Here Come the Mummies

Posted: May 15, 2013 in new music
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Cryptic is available now

Cryptic is available now

Loyal reader, I hope you don’t mind that I’m doubling up on the funk this week. Yes, I have the weekly Funk Friday feature, but what am I supposed to do when a new album from Here Come the Mummies is available this week? Besides, can anyone legitimately complain about too much funk?

The album kicks off with “You Know the Drill.” This song begins with some funk that brings Average White Band to mind. It will get your head and your hips moving. Then it breaks into the sort of guitar solo you’d expect from Living Colour. It’s an interesting blend of funk, hard rock, and psychedelia.

Funk is the meat and potatoes of this band, but it does a good job varying the sound from one song to the next. “Chaperone” is a blend of 70s R&B with some hard rock guitar. “Devil Better Run” sounds like it should be the anthem for some underdog movie. It has that sound that would go perfectly with the underdog overcoming all odds to accomplish what seems impossible. “Cruel Old Sun” has a good funk base, but it also has a good reggae groove. So, just to recap, this band covers funk, hard rock, psychedelia, anthemic rock, and reggae. Did I mention that’s all in the first five songs of the album?

If you asked me to pick one favorite song on the album, I’d say “Petting Zoo.”  As you might imagine, it’s not about a place you take the kids. The lyrics in this song are genius. Rather than detail the lyrics for you, I’ll just invite you to listen for yourself.

If you like to get funky, Cryptic from Here Come the Mummies is a must to add to your collection.

 

Incognito pick of the week: Trucker Diablo

Posted: May 8, 2013 in new music
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Songs of Iron will be available 14 May

Songs of Iron will be available 14 May

You know sometimes you hear a band that just about knocks you out of your chair? That is more or less (at least metaphorically) what happened when I received the new Trucker Diablo album from Ripple Music. The album opens with a guitar intro. The intro lasts all of 15 seconds before the drums, and bass join in to create some rock that you’ll feel in your gut. Seriously, this is the kind of guitar-fueled rock n roll that used to fill arenas. You know, before all the arenas were filled by pretty boys who sing about their feelings.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure. Those pretty boys can’t give you a guitar solo like the one you’ll hear in “Year of the Truck.” This song will get  you playing your most wicked air guitar. And let’s face it. What’s more rock n roll than a song about trucks that has an amazing guitar solo? That’s not the only awesome solo either. The very next song “The Rebel” has a guitar solo that is so awesome that you might sprain something if you try to play your air guitar on this one.

Needless to say, I think this band is pretty awesome. There aren’t many bands that blow me away immediately, but this is certainly one of them. I’m not the only one though. Ricky Warwick, vocalist for Thin Lizzy, counts himself among Trucker Diablo’s fan base. Check out his quote about this band

“Big things are starting to happen for that band and they really deserve it, because they’re a really great bunch of guys, hardworking, fantastic musicians and players and I’m a big, big fan of theirs.”

Incognito pick of the week: Dirty Filthy Mugs

Posted: April 3, 2013 in new music
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6 minutes of pure rock from Dirty Filthy Mugs

6 minutes of pure rock from Dirty Filthy Mugs

It’s not common for me to feature a band based on only two recorded songs. Still, this 7″ by southern California band Dirty Filthy Mugs is worthy of being named our pick of the week. Even if it is only six minutes of music.

“Crazy Phil” begins with a banjo intro. Now, don’t let that turn you off, loyal reader. This is a rockin’ song. Sure, the banjo is the first thing you hear, but you also hear some loud guitar, some fast rhythms, and vocals that bring to mind Al Barr of Dropkick Murphys. This song will get you pumping your fist while you sing, “Get a load of crazy Phil.”

And if you think that one rocks, check out “Drinks on Me.” If anything, the tempo of this one is even faster than “Crazy Phil.” This is just a great rock n roll song. This goes beyond loud to raucous. And isn’t that what rock n roll is all about? It’s loud, reckless, and wild. This song is all of those things.

Part of the reason I feel comfortable making this the pick of the week is because I have heard more than just the six minutes on this 7″. I had the chance to check out this band at The Juke Joint in Anaheim last year, and it was an incredible show. The floor was littered with silly string and confetti thrown by the band to the audience. If you ever get the chance to check out Dirty Filthy Mugs live, do it. I guarantee you won’t forget the high-energy performance.

Related:

Dropkick Murphys at 9:30 Club (Washington Times)

Incognito pick of the week: Devil to Pay

Posted: March 27, 2013 in new music
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RAWK

RAWK

I’ve been listening to a lot of heavy rock recently. So when I received a message about a “sludge-soaked and soulful tune,” from Devil to Pay suffice it to say that my curiosity was piqued. Now, I should say that it’s only one song, but it is a good one. I don’t know about sludge (you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong to call it that), but this is some serious RAWK. I mean, you need to get out your air guitar for this one. If this doesn’t get you playing air guitar, at least it will get you pumping your fist. And like Clutch (who I saw again on Sunday), this band isn’t afraid to mix in some cowbell.

So, why only one song? Well, it’s to give you a taste of this band before its new album is released on 9 April. I’ll tell you this much. After hearing this one track, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.

Devil to Pay homepage

Follow Devil to Pay on Twitter

Incognito pick of the week: Turchi

Posted: March 6, 2013 in new music
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Available for sale on 12 March

Available for sale on 12 March

Loyal reader, if you’ve read this blog with any frequency, you know that I have a particular affinity for the slide guitar and for greasy-sounding blues. So imagine my delight when I see an album (and a live album at that) featuring both of those aforementioned things. And I’ll tell you something about Reed Turchi. This guy knows how to play slide guitar. I’m not saying I’d say my soul to be able to play slide guitar like him, but neither am I saying I wouldn’t consider it.

The first comparison that jumps into my mind when I hear Turchi is Hill Country Revue. Both bands have a lowdown blues sound and both bands know how to get you to move your backside. And you get good examples of both in just the first three songs of this album. For lowdown tones, check out the guitar in “Junior’s Boogie.” Tones don’t get much more lowdown than this one. That song is followed by “Do for You” and if this tune doesn’t get you swinging your rear end, I’m not sure what will. Luckily, there are other opportunities on the album to get your boogie on. “Write Me a Few Lines” and “Shake ‘Em on Down” are good tunes to get you moving too.

I’ll make this real simple. If you like slide guitar, you are going to love Turchi. Live in Lafayette is available for pre-order now and will be available for sale on 12 March. Get you some!

Related:

Schwindy’s indie music spotlight: Turchi (Examiner)

Interview with Cody Dickinson of Hill Country Revue (Examiner)

 

Incognito pick of the week: Mothership

Posted: February 20, 2013 in new music
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Rawk!

Rawk!

Yeah, so this is a little heavier than most of the stuff I review. What can I say? I like as much as the next guy to listen to music that gets me pumping my fist.

It doesn’t take long to figure out what Mothership is all about. About three minutes into the album, you hear the shredding guitar and the pounding drums that drive this band. This is definitely influenced by the guitar-driven heavy rock of the 70s. That being said, there is also a psychedelic component to this that brings Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain to mind. Seriously, listen to the end of “Hallucination” and try not to think about the title track of Maggot Brain.

Keep in mind that is about the only similarity it has with Funkadelic. Aside from that, this is music that will get you whipping your hair around as you play some fierce air guitar. If you could ever accurately describe a song as meaty, “Angel of Death” is it. This song has some riffs that make you want to throw on your coyote-pelt loincloth and go out to hunt mammoth. If you’ve worn out all your Sabbath records and you’re looking for something new to bang your head to, check out Mothership.

Related:

Maggot Brain (video – live in 1983)

 

Incognito pick of the week: The Atomic Buddha

Posted: February 13, 2013 in new music
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Loud. Raucous. Rock n roll.

Loud. Raucous. Rock n roll.

I have to say for the record that bands that announce their new stuff on the GaragePunk Hideout have a pretty good track record. The latest band to introduce itself is The Atomic Buddha. So the band scored points by introducing itself. Before even hearing a note of the music, it scored more points with me with the simple phrase “Recorded in the basement.”

And this is just what you’d expect from music recorded in a basement. The songs are raucous and energetic. This is rock n roll after all so that is just as it should be. The recording quality is raw, but that’s never a bad thing in my book. If you want an example of the raw cacophony of this album, check out the end of “You’re Not in Reach.” You call it noise? I call it rock n roll, baby!

This isn’t for everybody. Some folks would no doubt be turned off by the sheer raw quality of this recording. But you know something? If this is too loud and raucous for you, maybe you should listen to Adele. Besides, some bands are suited to playing arenas where some fans have to sit half a mile away from the stage. Other bands, like The Atomic Buddha, are more suited to dark basement bars at volumes that leave ears ringing when fans leave the venue.

Incognito pick of the week: The Grizzled Mighty

Posted: February 6, 2013 in new music
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Thick Hand Grip is available now

Thick Hand Grip is available now

I know I’ve used a similar intro before, but this shows the importance of tagging your music. I was looking for new releases on Bandcamp when I came across this band that uses the tags: awesome, blues, rock, duo, fuzz. As I’ve said before, it seems like some bands were made for Incognito. The Grizzled Mighty is one of them.

This EP begins with “Midnight Sun,” which provides and immediate and healthy dose of fuzzy guitar. This bluesy tune is a bit like if Bob Log III added a drummer to his one-man act. And keep in mind that’s just the opener. “Stuck in My Head” is an uptempo fuzzed-out blazer that quite frankly should make members of The Black Keys hang their heads in shame. This is how people see The Black Keys even though the band hasn’t done anything this gritty and greasy in at least two albums.

On the band’s Twitter page, The Grizzled Mighty is advertised as “Seattle’s loudest rock duo.” I have obviously not heard every rock n roll duo in Seattle, but I have no reason to doubt that claim is true. If you like loud, fuzzy duos, you’ll probably feel like you’re in heaven when you listen to this band. This is real simple. Get Thick Hand Grip, turn up your sound and then just rock out to the ultra-fuzzy goodness of this duo.

Related:

 

 

Incognito pick of the week: Dropkick Murphys

Posted: January 2, 2013 in new music
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Available everywhere on 8 January

Available everywhere on 8 January

I know what you’re thinking, loyal reader. You’re thinking this is too obvious a choice for Incognito. Maybe so, but let me tell you something. I have been reading The Abide Guide: Living like Lebowski by Oliver Benjamin and Dwayne Eutsey. There is a lot of wisdom in this book about how being more Dudelike really ties the universe together and perpetuates the whole durned human comedy. What does that have to do with Dropkick Murphys? I’m glad you asked. You see, part of being more Dudelike is simplifying your life. With that in mind and with a link to the new Dropkick Murphys album in my inbox, I did what any good Dudeist would do. I simplified. Rather than scouring Bandcamp for a recent or upcoming release, I went with the obvious but excellent choice.

You have to give Dropkick Murphys credit for lots of things. First and foremost, these guys always rock. Second, this is a prolific bunch of guys. You never have to wait six or seven years for a new Murphys album. And when they do release a new album, even when you’re hearing it for the first time, you sing along (“Rose Tattoo” and “Out on the Town” are good examples on this album. How many bands can you say that about? I can’t think of a lot of them, that’s for sure. Another rarity about this band is the fact that it can get you pumping your fist and thinking at the same time. Oh, and you know know how I’ve railed about Christmas music? Well, this album contains a song about Christmas that has nothing to do with sleigh bells ringing or wishes for snow. This one tells the story of a real family Christmas, including honest thoughts about a nephew who is a twit, and relief that the occasion only happens once a year. If more Christmas songs were like this one, I’d certainly be more of a fan.

Now, you don’t really need me to break down this album. You know what to expect from a Dropkick Murphys album: songs about family, the passing of loved ones, and above all, pure rock. This album has all of those things. It is loud, raucous, and honest. I’ll stick with the theme of simplicity and wrap this up by saying Signed and Sealed in Blood is a great album that will be out on 8 January. Get this album. You will not be disappointed.

 

Incognito pick of the week: Curbside Hustle

Posted: December 26, 2012 in new music
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Elephant Tree is available now. 1922 will be available on 1 January.

Elephant Tree is available now. 1922 will be available on 1 January.

A glance at the Curbside Hustle page on Bandcamp shows that the music is tagged as rock, funk, soul, and jam. All of those are applicable but somehow don’t provide a complete description of this band. The first song on the Elephant Tree EP “Bottom of the Ocean” is a very interesting tune. It has a funky bass line to accompany the loud and somewhat fuzzy guitar. I don’t compare a lot of bands to Clutch, and I can’t entirely compare this band to Clutch, but the first track has a heavy groove that you can hear in a lot of Clutch songs.

The funk aspect of this band comes mostly from the rhythm section. A good example is at the beginning of “Elephant Tree,” which sounds like it could be the intro in a blaxploitation film. The rhythm section keeps the funk going through the whole song, which is also a good example of the jam component of this band.

So, can I come up with a better description of this band? Frankly, I’m not sure I can. Sure, funky heavy jam rock is a mouthful, but it probably is the most succinct way to describe it to people who have never heard Curbside Hustle. And if you like the Elephant Tree EP, I have good news for you. The band is set to release a new album called 1922 on 1 January.

 

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