Skip to main content

The Congress Releases New EP – The Loft Tapes


Words & Photo By Nicholas Stock

A cover is a frame of reference a music fan shares with the band. As odd as it seems it is a starting point for critical comparison and a place to juxtapose the band against what has come before. Many bands including The Grateful Dead, Phish and even Pearl Jam understand the power of a cover as a tool to connect with their audiences. The Congress takes all this into account with their latest EP The Loft Tapes, which is their take on some very recognizable soul classics.

Since landing in Denver just a few short years ago The Congress has truly made a name for themselves. On the heels of their first full-length album Whatever You Want, just last year The Congress is again on the cusp of yet another release. This recording, which was done over the course of a week last January in Berthoud, Colorado at an old Masonic Temple, shows a level of maturity and elegance that is simply arresting. The vocals of Jonathan Meadows are front and center in the heartfelt delivery of each song. Everything just sounds right in this recording. From the simple and clean processing reminiscent of Motown style sound to the dynamic instrumentation focusing on not overplaying, The Loft Tapes are spot on. “Killing Me Softly” in particular is both fresh and nostalgic as singer Meadows has a more nuanced delivery than some of his previous studio work. Scott Lane adds fire to this track by way of his extraordinary guitar work. Their version of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” contains some amazing organ from newcomer Chris Speasmaker as well. The cover of Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic” was the icing on the cake as far as I’m concerned.

There seems to be a renaissance of rock and soul happening now. With bands like The Fitz and the Tantrums, The Monophonics, and JC Brooks and The Uptown Band popping up across the country, it is evident there is a trend. The Congress seems to be in touch with their soulful side as well, and I look forward to seeing them work this more delicate approach into their live show. The Loft Tapes drops locally this weekend at The Congress’s first headlining show at The Bluebird Theater. The album will hit shelves nationally on April 16th, just prior to Record Store Day. Get a copy and get ready to set it on repeat.

Track Listing:

Killing Me Softly
People Get Ready
Que Sera, sera
You’ve Got A Friend
What’s Going On
Fool For You
Into The Mystic

www.thecongressmusic.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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. <--- Direct Archive Link www.octopus

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

The Origin of MusicMarauders

Words By J-man "What should I name this fucking thing?" I asked myself in the midst of a joint in my Upstate, NY apartment. "It's got to be something with just 'Music'in the title. Nothing more specific than that, as we'll be covering a wide variety of genres." One more drag on the joint yielded the memory of driving down Woodward Ave. in Detroit, listening to Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. "MusicMarauders! That's it... It completely encompasses what we do in the sense the we are 'maraudering' or 'pillaging' for music," I thought as I stared out of the window at about three and a half feet of fresh Upstate snow. First things first, the domain had to be registered. "Do I have ten dollars in my account?" I thought to myself from a position of just scraping by. Pulling out my shiny, rarely used debit card, I put it to the test and was able to secure MusicMarauders.com. "What's next?" I