Gotta Groove Records
Author Archive
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes
Cosmic Funk and Astral Traveling – preorder from Real Gone Music now!
His First Two Records for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Label Remain Landmarks in “Post-Fusion” Jazz, and Have Proven Hugely Influential (e.g. Kamasi Washington)
Both Produced by Former John Coltrane and Impulse! Label Producer Thiele (A Love Supreme)
1974’s Cosmic Funk Moved in a Funkier Direction Somewhere Between Soul Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, Fusion, and Post-Bop. Astral Traveling featured a Killer Band of Cecil McBee on Bass, George Barron on Sax, James Mtume and Sonny Morgan on Percussion, David Lee, Jr. on Drums, Badal Roy on Tabla, Geeta Vashi on Tamboura, and Joe Beck on Guitar.
Drab Majesty — Modern Mirror
Since the 2015 release of Drab Majesty’s debut Careless, and the release of the acclaimed sophomore album The Demonstration the following year, artist Deb Demure and collaborator Mona D. have firmly established themselves amongst the pantheon of dark synth-pop greats, establishing a devoted fan base worldwide with their singular hypnotic sound and mysterious, constantly-evolving presence.
Following intense and extensive touring in support of the first two albums, Drab Majesty escaped to the inspirational landscapes of Athens, Greece to channel the songs for their most ambitious album creation yet: Modern Mirror.
Blowing the dust off the antiquarian myth of Ovid’s “Narcissus”, Drab Majesty uses its premise as groundwork for a modern reinterpretation. Each song tells a piece of the story, in which the listener’s own self-identity has become warped and dissociated through rapidly expanding technology, losing touch with the origins of their own personalities. Setting the stage as a romantic saga of antiquity, “A Dialogue” asks the listener if they are truly in love amid a building wash of guitars and reverb. Elements of classic tragedy weigh heavily in the reflection of Modern Mirror in songs like “The Other Side”, possessing a fundamental sound that is energetic, luminous and hopeful. Fusing the sonic aesthetics of predecessors like New Order and The Cure within the cautious instruction of Greek mythology and modern science fiction, Drab Majesty has birthed a hybrid of dreamy malaise, captured for a future moment.
Yarn — This Is The Year
You might expect a band that calls itself Yarn to, naturally, tend to spin a yarn or two. “that’s what we do, we tell stories, live and in the studio, truth and fiction” singer/songwriter Blake Christiana insists. “We don’t always opt for consistency. There’s a different vibe onstage from what comes through in our recordings. There’s a difference in every show as well, you never know what you’re going to get.”
This year, the band reissued its 2016 album This Is The Year on vinyl. Grab it now!
Palmer T. Lee — Winebringer
Palmer T. Lee is a songwriter from Olympia, Washington. He also is one half of the duo The Lowest Pair, with Kendl Winter. His debut album, “Winebringer,” is an intensive look at love and longing that follows the end of a relationship. The title was inspired by a collection of poetry by Hafiz called, “The Book of the Winebringer.”
Available from Shuga Records now!
Mood Area 52 — Find Some Kind of Light
Mood Area 52 started in 1998 as a Piazzola inspired neo-tango and silent film score ensemble. Since then the group has morphed into an ensemble defined more by instrumentation and mood than genre. Mood Area 52 has performed with The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Naim Amor, Chuck Palhnuik, The Damo Suzuki Network, Rasputina, The Tin Hat Trio, Slowpoke, Amy Denio, Devotchka, David Lindley, Marianne Dissard, The Vagabond Opera, Jason Webley’s “Monsters of Accordion,” Mark Growden, Kim Boekbinder and The Vermillion Lies, The Fishtank Ensemble, and many other polite and brilliant musicians.
Find Some Kind of Light features twelve original Americana songs and 2 instrumentals featuring guitars, cello, horns, accordion, drums, voice, and upright bass.