Monday, September 3, 2012

You Scream I Scream - Zookeeper

You Scream I Scream have just released their new LP Zookeeper and it's a WEIRD one for sure. If there is one thing I like, it's music that takes me by surprise...

(edited by J Chance)

Starting off with "Cars," a warm electric feedback fades into an upbeat dance rhythm. The tones are extremely hi-fi, for a local release. The synth sounds blend together well and it seems clear the band/engineer spent some time mixing this to perfection. The unsteady vocals also feel right at home in this thick atmosphere. This is weird groove music for sure. Heady and vibrant.

"Anger" stays pretty well in place for most of its duration it still manages to impress, stay fresh, and explore the farthest reaches of the musical space. "Adios Pantalones" is a slick groover full of atmosphere and sass. Floyd Kellogg's vocal stylings are given full freedom to get weird on this track, which brings to mind Talking Heads and their spin-off Tom Tom Club.

"Baby" funks up the room with its synthy bass line and rhythm. It sounds like it could in part be a Fake Babies song. This one must be a crowd pleaser, for sure! I love the whistles! "Taking Up My Planet" is a song title I can already identify with. Despite it's party beat and soft tones this song is especially impressive. Melodically I feel like this should be a single. The chorus is remarkably catchy.

"Oh So Buena" has more attitude, reminiscent of Cake. The pulse pounding chorus sets it apart as having the most amount of sonic energy so far on this album. "Love Is A Gun" starts up with a faster beat after a short intro. This is another large audio environment, full of layers and vocal attitude. This one kicks into high gear toward the end for a fantastic dismount.

Next up, "Fast Girl" has an eerie sound and doesn't scrimp on creepy synth leads. The later songs all seem to turn into something much larger by the end of the record. It's surprising to get to these parts and wonder how you got there. "Tiny Rewards" is over 6 minutes of hot steady beats expertly played by Audrey Sterk who also rocks vocals alongside Floyd Kellogg. This song, like most before it is gloriously weird as hell. This must also be another live gem. Finally "Songs You Sang" drops a jangly percussive loop and Floyd and Audrey remind us "because the songs you sang, your parents thought you did drugs because the songs they sang their parents thought they did drugs, and on and on". What a nice explanation for the zaniness witnessed!

Get this album on Bandcamp and more importantly, get to their record release party in Hartford on 9/8.

LIVE @ Arch Street Tavern
85 Arch Street, Hartford, CT.
YOU SCREAM I SCREAM (CT/Nantucket/NYC)
THE SWEET ONES (NYC)
BECKY KESSLER (Roxbury, CT)
MANDRAKE MECHANISM (Collinsville, CT)
THE SCENICS (Hartford)

9PM/21+/$10
Get advanced tickets here:  http://www.ticketfly.com/event/142379/

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

From the Facebook Event Page:


Presented by Casa de Warrenton Recording Studio & Nectar's Presents:

Five bands from the Casa de Warrenton collective perform together to celebrate the release of You Scream I Scream's second album, Zookeeper, and other new records produced at the Hartford studio run by Floyd Kellogg, Jeff Jahnke and others.

YOU SCREAM I SCREAM (CT/Nantucket/NYC)
You Scream I Scream (Nantucket/NYC/Connecticut) is at its core a three-piece band with distorted bass guitar and vocals (Floyd Kellogg), Rhodes and synth (Jake Vohs), along with floor tom-driven drums and big cymbals (Audrey Sterk). The music’s unique fingerprint is part Talking Heads in its beats and the lyrics’ sometimes dark playfulness, and Floyd’s vocal stylings—baritone singing and yelling contrasted with “bitchy girl” backing vocals—and stripped-down instrumentation can be reminiscent of Morphine or Soul Coughing. Bug in a Light, the band’s debut album, led to opportunities such as performances at Hip Video's CMJ Showcase at Maxwell's in Hoboken and WBRU's annual rock showcase at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, along with several catchy music videos shot by Brendan "Spookie" Daly in Hartford, Conn., and on Nantucket, landing spots on MuchMusic’s "The Wedge,” MTV, New York Noise and Billboard.com. YSIS will soon release their second record, which was recorded in Hartford and mixed in St. Louis by Floyd with fellow producer Carl Nappa. When not busy designing and painting murals everywhere and recording/producing fellow bands (such as NYC's Steel Phantoms and The Sweet Ones) at their studio in Connecticut, You Scream I Scream plays high-energy, loud, electro-grunge shows around New England and New York.


THE SWEET ONES (NYC)
Big Mistakes (2011), co-produced by Floyd Kellogg & The Sweet Ones:
Based in Brooklyn, TSO was formed in 2004. Traveled the roads that go up and down the east coast. Spit out west into ohio... It proved well. We love house shows or what ever you got.. we'll play... enjoy the drink of TSO when ever, where ever.. see ya soon kids!


BECKY KESSLER (Roxbury, CT)


MANDRAKE MECHANISM (Collinsville, CT)
The Lost Leader – Rook – Provides Vox and sometimes angular guitar playing when he feels like getting all rocker chic with his bad self. Most of the band discourages his Andy Kauffman type performance art that seems to grip at his very being. A gifted freestyle rapper Rook can switch a seeming normal show and erupt it into an all out riot. His main influences are Fugazi, Soul Coughing, Aesop Rock, Daft Punk, The Toadies, Kenna, Electric Six, and The B-52’a
The Caged Animal – Mike Macbeth – The Drummer and wolverine of the unit. Macbeth provides an explosion of percussion on ya dome. His famous catch phrases will keep you thinking for days if they actually exist or are just random facts. Macbeth is know for his style of fusing the jazz, electronic, and polyrhythmic patterns of world music together into an amazing buffet of tasty drum licks
Mr. Perfect – Chris Anander – Nobody has ever seen him mess up a part. He knows the bands parts better than the people who actually play the parts. He can outplay all of us. Has Perfect Pitch. Has a better Car. AND LAYS THE LOW END DOWN!! The wizard of the 5 string. He loves animals and will make a mean cup of coffee. Beards and Braun – Anthony Volpe – Plays guitar after previous guitar player Tricky was killed during a Mountain Lion attack. He is mostly know for his awesome beard and making sweet guitar solo faces. He enjoys Burritos and Rollerblading alongside the rails to trails river basin.


THE SCENICS (Hartford)
Features Jeff Jahnke (drums), Dave Shuman (bass) & Katie Scenic (Guitar)!

***Band order and set times to be announced!***




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