Critters Buggin

ALARM's 50 Favorite Albums of 2012

ALARM’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2012

Another year, another torrential downpour of albums across our desks. As always, we encountered way too much amazing music, from Meshuggah to The Mars Volta, Converge, Killer Mike, P.O.S, and many more.

Floratone

Q&A: Floratone

Floratone: II

Floratone: II (Savoy Jazz, 3/6/12)

Floratone: “Move”

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Following its 2007 debut, Floratone was established as a highly collaborative and innovative musical force with no lack of original ideas. Comprised of guitarist Bill Frisell, drummer Matt Chamberlain (Critters Buggin), and producers Lee Townsend and Tucker Martine, the collective concerns itself with the art of “spontaneous compositions,” an approach that crosses from improvised jam sessions to cut-up production work and back again.

Floratone II was recorded over a two-year period, molded from a collaborative process of Frisell and Chamberlain laying down improvised musical motifs that were finished by accompaniments and tweaks from Townsend and Martine. For the second go-round, the members seem to have settled into a stronger dynamism, carving out vibrant layers of well-spaced grooves, rhythms, electronic ambience, and synth bursts.

And if the project wasn’t virtuosic enough, guest spots from Ron Miles, Eyvind Kang, Mike Elizondo, and distinguished soundtrack composer and producer Jon Brion make sure that all grounds are covered. We caught up with Martine to talk about the new record, Floratone’s collaborative process, and some of his favorite producers of all time.

The Groove Seeker: The Dead Kenny Gs’ Operation Long Leash

The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

The Dead Kenny Gs: Operation Long Leash (The Royal Potato Family, 3/15/11)

The Dead Kenny Gs: “Black Truman (Harry the Hottentot)”

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Smooth-jazz lovers beware.  As an antidote to the polished alto saxophones and rarely improvised easy-listening jams of adult contemporary music, eccentric jazz trio The Dead Kenny Gs has released its second album, Operation Long Leash.  Given its play-on-words moniker that simultaneously drives a sock down the mouth of smooth-jazz king Kenny G and recalls the early ’80s hardcore-punk band The Dead Kennedys, the powerhouse trio taps into a sound that fuses jazz and punk.  It’s a crazy mix that works surprisingly well, played intensely by a group that has the skill and knowledge to pull it off.

Composed of three of the members of legendary Seattle-based Critters Buggin — bassist Brad Houser, drummer and vibraphonist Mike Dillon, and saxophonist Skerik — the band uses its genre-mashing experience to anchor it all down.  The trio has played in countless projects together, including all three in The Black Frames, and Dillon and Skerik comprise half of Garage a Trois.  Needless to say, the three have run in the same circles for more than two decades, playing hybrid styles that are everything but conservative.

Garage a Trois

The Groove Seeker: Garage a Trois’ Power Patriot

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Garage a Trois: Power Patriot

Garage a Trois: Power Patriot (The Royal Potato Family, 10/26/09)

Garage a Trois: “Rescue Spreaders”
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Garage a Trois is the improvised groove child of saxophonist Skerik, drummer Stanton Moore, and 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter.  The trio made a grand debut in 1999 with Mysteryfunk, a raw EP of completely improvised recordings, foregoing interest in post-production effects and multi-tracking.  In 2002, percussionist and vibraphonist Mike Dillon was added to the mix, giving the group a new tonal texture, and the band began rooting its music in powerful repetitions à la Critters Buggin, Skerik and Dillon’s former band. The departure of Hunter in 2007 led to a temporary void that was filled by rotating musicians, most notably John Medeski.  Soon after, jam keyboardist Marco Benevento was chosen to permanently fill Hunter’s place.

Garage a Trois

Concert Photos: Garage a Trois @ Double Door

Groove/jam-rock quartet Garage a Trois is an all-star cast of players, featuring saxophonist Skerik and vibraphonist Mike Dillon (each of Critters Buggin and Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade), drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic, Corrosion of Conformity), and keyboardist Marco Benevento (Benevento/Russo Duo).

The group can rip off wailing solos when warranted, but it brings some seriously hard-hitting riffs that translate to major live energy.  Photographer Jon Shaft captured some shots from the group’s recent stop in Chicago, track suits and all.

Garage a Trois: “Rescue Spreaders”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Garage_a_Trois_Rescue_Spreaders.mp3|titles=Garage a Trois: “Rescue Spreaders”]

Garage a Trois

Garage a Trois

Garage a Trois

Weekly Music News Roundup

Serengeti and Polyphonic sign to Anticon; Isis, Tera Melos, and The Dead Kenny Gs announce tour dates; a release date is announced for the Bygones album; Ben Folds goes a cappella; Bastard Noise releases a five-disc CD set.  This and more in the roundup…

Marco Benevento’s New Album Covers Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin, Deerhoof

Jam keyboardist Marco Benevento (Benevento/Russo Duo) is releasing another solo album on February 3, only this time, covers outnumber original material. Benevento’s solo debut, Invisible Baby, was a passionate release from his post-jazz trio, but it certainly didn’t include any renditions of Deerhoof songs.

Weekly Music News Roundup

The London Sinfonietta celebrates its 40th anniversary with a series of miniature compositions; electro-acoustic madman Dan Deacon unveils a 15-piece live ensemble this week; prog/doom rockers Giant Squid announce details for their upcoming album; Fantômas has been added to Australia’s Big Day Out festival, and much more.

Weekly Music News Roundup

Ben Weinman
Ben Weinman

Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman posts footage of his solo performance; Black Moth Super Rainbow won’t be playing for a while; MTV Iggy posts a clip of Yo-Yo Ma and Andrew Bird jamming. This and much more…