Juno What: Shameless

Words By J-man

Live music fans seek energy, a vibe and a scene. "Shameless" provides all of those things. Studio albums create challenges for bands seeking to appeal to that live demand. Without the roar of the crowd as well as the energy and scene created by the venue, live music fans are often turned off to studio albums. However, this group of live music veterans have hit the nail on the head with this album. "Shameless" is a must have album and one of the best albums of 2011 thus far.

The Album opens with really horn-heavy synth grooves that grab the listener right from the get go. The challenge immediately is to sit still. Once the listener realizes it's impossible, it's essential to let one's self go to enjoy the full experience. Joey Porter and Steve Watkins' synth playing and talkbox work creates a vibe/scene like Studio 54 in the late 70's early 80's. Wailing keys, clavinet chops and disgustingly grimy groves litter (in a good way) this masterful album. Steve's bass work and low end are heavy and an essential part of the sensual sound.

Dave Watts' drumming is the icing on the cake. As if it were possible to sit still, Watts comes through, exponentially decreasing the possibility of not moving. Tracks like "Take Control of Your Body", "Feelin' This", "Shameless" and "Ain't Affraid to Work" are all very fitting song titles for an album that contains this much funk. Guest saxophonist Dominic Lalli is a fitting addition, elevating the band to an almost unimaginable level.

After hearing an album of the caliber of "Shameless" with it's energy and live potential, who wouldn't want to experience Juno What live? Be sure to download their newest album for free on their website. What do you have to lose? ITS FUCKING FREE!

www.junowhat.net

Comments

Livetronica Sampler 3.22.11

Words by Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Ozric Tentacles This British group has proven innovative throughout the years offering a space-rock meets psytrance sound that remains alive to this day. Though never having a major record label, Ozric Tentacles has produced 28 albums of diverse psychedelia throughout its career. The band met at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1983 and truly fathered livetronica music with its use of sequencers and synthesizers. Simply put, there would be no livetronica without Ozric Tentacles. www.ozrics.com Octopus Nebula Colorado’s Octopus Nebula has certainly hit its stride as of late with its constant touring and increased festival interest. The group expands on the deep sounds of highly regarded acts such as STS9 and Shpongle but also carves a path of its own with its fresh takes on synthesizer tones and sampling in the live setting. Octopus Nebula Live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on March 26, 2010. www.octopusnebula.com Big Gigantic Big...

Buckethead: Gimmick or Guitar God?

Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) At what point does the gimmick overshadow the performance? The obvious answer is Buckethead. The man is an amazing guitarist but something is not right in this world. The idea a performer who dons a KFC chicken bucket on his head for a concert has always intrigued me, and some of his side projects such as Colonel Claypool’s Bernie Bucket of Brains have been huge successes. However his performance last weekend in Fort Collins simply left me perplexed. From his robotic dancing, to his nunchuck display, to the fact the he performed with an iPod rather than a band all added to my confusion. Going into the show I was ready to be blown away, despite rumblings of disgruntled fans from the previous night’s show at The Gothic. Buckethead had had some sound issues and some missed cues in Denver but I was still trying to be positive for the show in Fort Collins. It did go off without a hitch technically but that was the least ...

Billy Strings 4.18.19

Salvage Station Asheville, NC Words by Jason Mebane Photos by J. Scott Shrader Photography When asked to write a review of last week's Billy Strings show at Asheville, North Carolina's Salvage Station I almost passed on it. I just wrote a review of his last Asheville show a few months ago and I thought it may be hard to come up with another set of words to describe to the readers exactly what a Billy Strings show is all about. I am sure there are a plethora of other reviews that other people have written focusing on how well he has mastered his instrument. I suppose I could recycle those thoughts and just sit here typing out a few adjectives describing each note Billy and his superb backing band played this past Thursday night, but that wouldn't be fun for me. Additionally I'd imagine a review like that wouldn't keep your attention either. Instead I have decided to focus on a few random parts of the Billy Strings show that seemed interesting to me. One: B...

MUSICMARAUDERS

Search This Blog