Spuyten Duyvil’S Social Music Hour Vol. 1,Album Of
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Album Of The Week: Yoko & The Oh No’s The Chicago garage rock scene just got a jolt of soul and bravado. The heart of rock ‘n’ roll has always kept it cool, but it just skipped a beat with Yoko & The Oh No’s and their stellar self-titled debut. Due out on October 30 off of Los Angeles label Autumn Tone, there’s something really special about this killer trio from The Windy City. Trashy glam that struts with each track, beauty in simplicity is all over this one. Once this bad boy is released, I guarantee every DJ will be spinnin’ Yoko & The Oh No’s at their next gig. A bunch of kids who are fresh out of high school tap into a vibe rarely duplicated. Vocalist Max Goldstein really lets it all hang out with sly and sexy lyrics, and Max Loebman’s thrilling skills on guitars and Stef Roti holding it all down on drums make for some show stoppin’ tracks. For bass, well, who needs bass when you know how to rock? Few things are as refreshing as teenagers down to unleash their fury. Harnessing the power of rock ‘n’ roll gives all the old fogies hope for the future while spitting in the face of anyone who refers to the genre as dead. Let’s bring it back to life, shall we? Resurrect your music taste with my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week. You know an album is good when the first track immediately grabs you. “She Knows It” is a shout-out to all those ladies who know they got it going on and ain’t afraid to show it. Goldstein wails like a beast on this one. The igniter on the dance floor for sure is “She Ain’t Mine.” Loebman and Roti got the rhythms on point with the chorus tingling your spine. Roti kicks things off gracefully on “In Pieces,” another track that shows Goldstein’s impeccable voice that absolutely slays. This trio’s next show is happening at Martyrs’ in Chicago with King Washington from Los Angeles and fellow locals The Ivory’s on October 29. All the peeps in the know better go because it sounds like Yoko & The Oh No’s live are a pretty damn good time. The day after the show, go and get these kids’ debut album. The rock ‘n’ roll generation is alive and well, and Yoko & The Oh No’s are unbridled proof. Stream “She Ain’t Mine”: soundcloud.com/autumn-tone-records/02-yoko-the-oh-no-s-yoko-the Like Yoko & The Oh No’s on Facebook: facebook.com/yokoandtheohnos CD Review: Spuyten Duyvil’s Social Music Hour Vol. 1 Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my memory, I was vaguely aware that Spuyten Duyvil was an area in New York City, specifically in the Bronx, apparently named after a particularly unruly body of water. Since its literal Dutch translation is “spouting devil” I’d guess it’s not a sleepy little watering hole. So it’s only appropriate that this heavy Americana roots band shares its name, because there is truly nothing sleepy about New York-based Spuyten Duyvil. Led by the singer-songwriting power-couple Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller, the sextet Spuyten Duyvil (pronounced “SPITE-en DIE+vul” for those playing along at home) are hard to describe in a few words. Their musical stew contains elements of traditional folk, Celtic, electric blues, rootsy Americana and spirituals, all done with an energetic modern sensibility that catapults their uniquely authentic vibe straight into the 21st century. Espousing the teachings of their musical pedagogues Mississippi John Hurt, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and others who they credit in the liner notes of their latest CD, Social Music Hour Vol.1, Spuyten Duyvil takes what was old and makes it new again. The album begins with the slithering “Keep Your Skillet Good and Greasy.” Ten seconds into the bluesy, churning track and you can almost smell what Spuyten Duyvil are cooking, and man is it good. Though lyrically based on a old Woody Guthrie song, the band’s strongest assets are on full display and shine throughout, courtesy of gin-soaked vocals, droning slide guitar and a dark punctuating blues harp. “Hot Time In The Old Town” sharply veers off the devil’s road and spontaneously sets up an old time revival meeting, complete with a knee-slapping double-time rhythm that would make Bill Maher a believer! Their spiritual reworking of this turn-of-the-century ragtime number spotlights the duel vocals of Kaufman and Miller, the latter employing a slight Louis Armstrong affectation, which unarguably works for this track. On “Oh, Babe, It Ain’t No Lie,” Spuyten Duyvil takes the Elizabeth Cotton folk-blues number, famously covered by The Grateful Dead, and incorporates an updated electric and quite plugged-in approach, somewhat reminiscent of how The Band might have tackled it under the tutelage of Robbie Robertson. Demonstrating yet another facet of Spuyten Duyvil is the whimsical old-timey “Fishing Blues.” First recorded in 1928 by blues guitarist Henry Thomas, Spuyten stay faithful to the original while injecting a playfulness that the original most certainly lacked. Social Music Hour Vol.1 ends with the uncharacteristically funky groove-laden “Stewball.” Though not to be confused with the Peter Paul & Mary song of the same name, both are based on the famed award- winning racehorse. The band once again proves that they are not merely one trick ponies (pun intended), but rather can seamlessly switch musical styles with much ease and dexterity. Luckily for fans of music that defines the American experience, Spuyten Duyvil have been garnering ample airplay across the globe, on satellite and terrestrial radio alike. Their backbreaking tour schedule finds them traversing the country, performing everywhere from small clubs, to Citi Field (a.k.a., Shea Stadium), and all points in between. Their live show has been described as “throwing a cherry bomb into a lake…it wakes you up!” But based solely on what I heard on The Social Music Hour Vol.1, Spuyten Duyvil are that rare breed of band that can cover songs written long before their grandparents were born, and reinterpret them so that an audience will swear on a stack of Rolling Stones that they are new. And in essence, isn’t that really what the folk music tradition has always been about? Album Of The Week: Coke Weed’s Mary Weaver Psychedelic music can be amazingly groovy in many ways. It can also have a laid back tone with a clash of sounds to keep things interesting. An excellent example of this is Bar Harbor, Maine, act Coke Weed and their upcoming album Mary Weaver that’s due out on October 9. It’s mellow and funky, but it’s also pretty grounded, walking an interesting line where the quintet keeps on bringing creativity to the forefront without being pretentious. New England is a spoiled region when it comes to kickass music, and Coke Weed shows they’re one of the many reasons why with their upcoming release. You got these surf vibes, a Bowie-esque weirdness and echoing guitars that give Coke Weed a unique coolness that sets them apart from a lot of their contemporaries. A righteous amount of feedback and reverb with each strum along with subtle rhythmic beats gives a dose of relaxation. Even if you like it fast and loud, you’ll come to appreciate the soothing sounds that Mary Weaver has with each track. Think of the album as a musical body of water, it’s just waiting for you to take a dive and bask in everything it offers. When’s the last time you heard of any music coming out of a place like Bar Harbor? It’s known more as a popular tourist destination than a birthplace of bands. It’s kind of what makes a band like Coke Weed that much more refreshing. Speaking of refreshing, here are my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week: With a bit of fuzz and drone, “Honky Tonk Man” is the darkest track on the album with borderline shoegaze distortion that’s bound to put you in a trance. Reminiscent of The Velvet Underground, “Street Secrets” has little hints of groovy funk and ’60s pop to make for a wonderful song that you have to plug into. It’s rare when a track lives up to it’s title, but “The Chill” is laid back as hell with the lyrics talking about being fooled and alienated. Coke Weed’s next show will be at the Elvis Guesthouse in New York City on October 1h as part of the Beyond Beyond is Beyond Official CMJ Showcase with fellow label mates Heaters, Ancient Ocean, Annique Monet and Sam Kogon. If you happen to be reading this and you’re heading to CMJ as part of your college radio station, grab a copy of Mary Weaver at the show and play it on your radio show. It’ll give the airwaves that certain je ne sais quoi. Album Of The Week: Heaters’ Holy Water Pool Michigan is known musically for bringing the fuzz, being incredibly innovative and always unleashing badass rock ‘n’ roll. You have an extensive history of bands like The Stooges, The MC5, The White Stripes & The Suicide Machines giving substance to Michigan’s reputation of being a bastion for highly amplified tunes. A band on the rise from Grand Rapids that can put you in a psychedelic trance, Heaters has a new album coming out on September 25, Holy Water Pool, that’s going to enlighten your soul.