The Donkeys - 'Ride The Black Wave' (Easy Sound Recording Co.)
“I guess the first anecdote I can
think of is just how crazy long ago it was when we recorded this thing. But
despite all the time (about 26 months) that passed, I can still feel all the
gratitude and joy when we were tracking. We were at this beautiful studio
called Singing Serpent in San Diego. The kind of room we could never afford . .
. you know the huge control room with the glass into the live room and the wood
everywhere and ridiculous mic stands that are 25 feet up with ridiculous mics
everywhere . . . total toy shop. And the proprietors gave us a total bro deal.
So we were in heaven. But meanwhile there was all sorts of turmoil and
confusion with our old label -yadda yadda yadda-frustration and just day to day
life bullshit. But at night when we'd get together in that room; I remember
just thinking that we were so lucky to be there, and if we could honor that and
shoot from the heart, we'd make a great record.” - Anthony Lukens (Speaking to
The GTC)
“Sunny Daze, the six-minute opening track of the album,
introduces the musical direction of the album with it’s relaxed, almost lazy,
vibe with the singer’s voice almost a whisper. The song finds the singer
pondering over the possibility to leaving California as he is “stuck in a sunny
daze.” On a couple of tracks, the band makes use of eastern instruments such as
the tabla and the sitar. Nowhere is this more evident than in the instrumental
song “Imperial Beach,” which features the sitar in a supreme fashion. Although
the laid-back vibe of the album is present throughout, it really amplifies
during the second half of the record, especially with songs like “Brown Eyed
Lady” and “Blues in The Afternoon.” With simple and sweet guitar rhythms and
Sam Sprague’s vocals, the songs are perfect for a laid-back sunny afternoon
spent on the beach. No song better brings to life this vibe than the song
“Bahamas,” which is a homage to the beach as you can hear the seagulls and the
waves hit the shore while Sprague sings “Float out to the ocean, let it swallow
me.” With such strong imagery, “Bahamas” perfectly captures the vibe of a
perfect sunny day in San Diego, California for the listeners. The closing track
“Shines” is an optimistic, cheery tune that encircles around the story of a new
romance.” - Mariam Aamir (Northern Transmissions)
Matisyahu - 'AKEDA' (Elm City Music)
“This record and period of my life deal with madness,
listening for and following the inner intuitive voice, a small still sound. The
record deals with love, with feelings of brokenness and humility, with
humanity, struggle and sacrifice.” - Matisyahu
“The generic diversification is, it seems, deliberate. While
reggae, rap and hip hop have been converging for some time, and the Jewish
sounds have always been there, he drops in yowling rock guitar (“Reservoir”)
and beat-boxing, while the juicy, distorted brass chords on “Black Heart” could
have come straight from a Cuban band. “Obstacles” - for me, the pick - matches
a wistful, lilting guitar melody to a voice that’s more Stipe than Snoop. And
elsewhere there’s a touch of jazz, in the rhythm, thanks to the polyrhythmic
virtuosity of drummer Mark Guiliana. It’s all done with a grinning,
kid-in-a-sweet-shop lack of inhibition and, for the most part, it’s bags of
fun. He certainly knows how to craft a climax.” – Mathew Wright (theartsdesk.com)
“If Charmer proves anything other than potential for new
life amid chaos and confusion, it’s that at the heart of youth in a band is
fear and risk. The rather progressive nature of the album is a sign of the
risks that the band was and has been taking amid great change. It leaves Tigers
Jaw as one of the most prominent and consistent bands of its genre that harkens
greatly on its young man’s energy alongside a rather mature introspective
mentality. “ - Jason Stives (Property of Zack)
"The best way to look at the new album is to draw a
contrast between the two. On La Costa Perdida the ocean is calm, benevolent and
feminine; on El Camino Real the sea is
"filled with darkness, secrets and chemicals." – David Lowery
“Spanning 11 tracks, El Camino Real is the band’s third LP
since reuniting in the early 2000s and is described as the “companion” to last
year’s La Costa Perdida. The band self-produced El Camino Real and recorded in
various studios and band members’ living rooms across California…Despite
forming in the heyday of the Southern California punk scene, Camper Van Beethoven
instantly set itself apart by infusing the early ’80s hardcore sound with bits
of pop, ska, blues, Norteño music, and even European folk. With El Camino Real,
they continue their genre-defying ways, making use of every tool in their
musical bag to near-lethal efficiency.” – Chris Coplan (Consequence of Sound)
“Things change – within five years things are changing. So
you’ve got to have your material mastered to that format to the way that you
see it and hear it; otherwise, they’ll do it for you, and they’ll fuck it up.
That’s what happened when Atlantic put out the first set of CDs. They were
horrible! Absolutely appalling. And it was insulting because for Led Zeppelin,
the criteria of it was always – and still is – quality.
“So here we are – we’re remastering the whole catalogue.
Now, I know other people who are always going on about their remastering, but I
don’t think it’s to the same degree that we are on this, all in one go. And
we’re prepared for anything that’s to come, which is even higher resolution." – Jimmy Page (w/ Jeff Slate Music Radar)
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