thePULSE
Paper Zoo
By Seth Moskovitz
From the moment you hear the first notes of their EP, you won’t know what to make of Paper Zoo. Self titled Track 1 invites us into the “Paper Zoo” ~ and with no previous knowledge of what a paper zoo is, I wasn’t quite sure what I was in store for. A few bars into the track, however, and it became quite clear that it’s a psychedelic montage flashback into the future of these 4 young LA-based musicians who are currently opening for Roger Daltrey on tour (if you caught them at the Boston House of Blues on November 8, you may already be a fan).
After pressing play, I was treated to influences eclectic and endless. Paper Zoo (Allister Izen, William Thomas Wesley II, Monte Dyaami Najera, and Martin Lopez) is progressive yet classic, channeling influences that include The Beatles, Queen, Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Sabbath…and the list goes on… Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t to say you’re going to pick up a copy of the EP and hear all those influences and nothing original; this band is nothing but an original.
I can only describe this EP as musical chaos (add to those legendary musicians above bands like ELP, Pink Floyd, and Frank Zappa) and a trip you won’t soon forget. Starting with Track 1, “Paper Zoo,” which is reminiscent of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, the band invites us in and then leads us right to “Hollywood Recluse,” which feels like Aerosmith’s rendition of “Come Together” meets Lenny Kravitz. Classic rock guitars, heavy drumming and the psychedelic riffs of “Laughing Legba” take us on another journey into various musical realms. A blues/jazz/swing scene is what comes to mind with “Black Cat,” and “The Sun” wraps things up with more Beatlesque harmonies. Each of the five tracks sounds similar ~ yet completely different. It’s an enigma wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a…well, you get the idea.
Paper Zoo are youthful musicians with what seem to be classic musical souls. You won’t be able to easily categorize them, but if you’re up for the ride, join them in the Paper Zoo.
Rammstein’s Liebe Ist Fur Alle
By Jillian Locke
“Rammstein!” There is no doubt whose album this is, as the name is unabashedly chorused in the opening track of Berlin, Germany’s industrial metal conglomerate, the one and only Rammstein. Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da, translated into “Love Is There For Everyone,” proves a fine specimen of Neue Deutsche Härte, a style of music that combines clear vocals with synthesizers, distorted guitars, occasional drum machines, keyboards and samples that literally translates into “New German Hardness.”
There is a serious pulse running through the six-man circus’s sixth studio album; Rammstein uphold a style and feel all their own, but this album really succeeds in bringing their experience and their…we’ll call it “unique”…take on music and lyrical matter to a stunning climax. The change in ambiance and rhythm from one song to the next is attention grabbing in itself, but the fact that ~ although there is so much variety throughout the collection ~ it all flows together so magnificently is what really stands out. The radiating pulse is seamless. Eerily, poundingly seamless.
“Haifisch” breaks into a “London Calling” beat, no joke. Rammstein’s adaptation of The Clash’s most infamous beat was an unexpected, albeit pleasant, surprise. Then there’s the first single, aptly entitiled “P*ssy,” which opens up with a beat reminiscent of the most single beat selection on an old school Sony keyboard. “Too big, too small. Size does matter after all,” opens the whimsical track, setting the stage for the inevitable chorus, in which vocalist Till Lindemann croons about certain appendages the band possesses, and what they would like to do with the certain orifices that women possess. And apparently, he “…can’t get laid in Germany.” Pity.
But the track that was the most surprising was the gentle, swooning “Fruhling In Paris.” The song is just beautiful. Breathtaking, even. It belongs on an epic soundtrack ~ maybe the love song providing the backdrop to Armaggedon.
The 11 tracks that comprise Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da are a satisfying dose of some smooth, clean “New German Hardness.” The most amazing aspect of this album? The thick German culture and mindset that gush through the canyons of Rammstein’s psyche ~ blatant, blunt, and welcoming, on display for all who dare to reach out and grab it.
www.myspace.com.rammstein, www.rammstein.com
Mongrel’s Revenge
By Rebecca Carter
With several full length albums and EPs to date, Mongrel has proven to be quite prolific. Their latest offering is Revenge, a five track EP that echoes the dark tones of Sabbath, the trash of early Metallica ,and the fury of British hardcore punk.
“All of [the songs] are inspired by anger and frustration,” explained Mongrel guitarist Adam Savage. “’Scum’ is somewhat of a revenge fantasy about an unfortunately true story of a sexual assault of someone I know. ‘Catharsis’ is a song our singer Drew Barker wrote the lyrics for and again is about letting out some frustrations and anger. ‘Beyond Repair’ is more depression-driven and is about being frustrated and angry at yourself for things going wrong. ‘Butterknife Suicide’ is about a mix of people whom we all encounter who always seem to want to throw themselves a pity party and think that the world is just out to get them. ‘Point a Finger’ is based on some people I’ve dealt with who seem all too eager to point out flaws in others and to start drama but are unwilling to acknowledge that they’re not so perfect either.”
Revenge also features an appearance by Scarecrow Hill’s Tylor Monroe. “We’ve been playing shows pretty regularly [with them],” shared Adam. “Over the last few years, they’ve become part of our extended family. The vocals for ‘Point a Finger’ just seemed like a perfect fit for Tylor’s vocal style so we asked him to come do a guest appearance with us.”
Mongrel has recently left their former label, Screaming Ferret, in preparation for a new direction and their next full length release, This Means War, due out in 2010.
For more info, music and tour dates, check out www.mongrelband.com.
Soulico’s “Exotic on the Speaker”
By Alex Kantarelis
The world is being taken storm by the Israeli DJ collective Soulico, whose debut CD Exotic on the Speaker is getting them lots of attention in the hip-hop community.
The group, made up of four DJs /producers ~ Sabbo, Rob, Shimmy Sonic, and Wido ~ first started spinning together at parties in the early 2000s. Their unique approach fused hip-hop, dancehall, and reggae with Middle Eastern and Israeli folk music. The beats blend with the Middle Eastern samples to create a totally new sound. Their reason for using the local sounds is simple: it’s just what they know. “While some people in the US may sample James Brown, we bring our Mediterranean influence because it’s what’s available to us,” Sabbo said from Israel over Skype. “On top of it, we tried to make it our own. We don’t want to come into the US and produce hip-hop because you guys invented hip-hop,” Rob added.
After becoming stars in Israel, and releasing a few songs on various mix tapes, the guys from Tel Aviv hooked up with American label JDub Records to put out their debut album. For the first time they could creatively go where they had never gone before. “The biggest challenge was to wrap it up, make the entire thing one album,” Rob said. But being signed to an American label did not change the way they approached their songs. “We wanted to do an album that was way more Tel Aviv than New York,” Sabbo said.
Exotic on the Speaker is brimming with big guests, including appearances by Ghostface Killah (Wu Tang), Del the Funkee Homosapien, Rye Rye, and MC Zulu ~ to name but a few. “We just came up with a wish list for guests, and luckily for us, JDub put it all together,” Sabbo said. But don’t let their modesty fool you. They admit that working with such big names was a dream come true. “For us to work with Ghostface was something we really couldn’t believe. He’s one of my favorite ever MCs. When he recorded on our album we were really psyched,” Rob said.
The future holds in store many big things for Soulico. They finished 2009 by doing their first headlining tour in support of the album. This year they’ll be hitting the road again, and will be making their second appearance at the South by Southwest Festival in Texas. With their mix of sound and mastery of hip-hop, I’m sure they’ll rock the house.
