snoe.down / 2011 Lineup
photo by Jay Blakesberg
moe.
Keller Williams - "Breathe"
Since he first appeared on the scene in the early ’90s, Keller Williams has defined the independent artist. Most of his career has been spent performing as a one-man band—his stage shows are built around Keller singing his compositions and choice covers while accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar connected to a Gibson Echoplex delay system that allows him to simulate a full band. That approach, Williams explains, was derived from “hours of playing solo with just a guitar and a microphone, and then wanting to go down different avenues musically. I couldn’t afford humans and didn’t want to step into the cheesy world of automated sequencers where you hit a button and the whole band starts to play, then you’ve got to solo along or sing on top of it. I wanted something more organic yet with a dance groove that I could create myself.”
Williams’ solo live shows—and his ability to improvise to his determinedly quirky tunes despite the absence of an actual band—quickly became the stuff of legend, and his audience grew exponentially once word spread about this exciting, unpredictable performer. Keller’s albums, meanwhile, beginning with 1994’s Freek, were embraced by a wide community of music fans. Unlike his live gigs, Williams has nearly always invited fellow musicians to contribute to his albums, and an alliance with String Cheese Incident led not only to Williams signing with the band’s label SCI Fidelity, but a collaborative effort on 1999’s Breathe album.
Among his other albums—Thief is his 15th—Williams singles out 2003’s Dance, consisting of remixes from the earlier Laugh record, as a personal favorite. He’s also fond of his twelfth album, appropriately titled 12, the 2007 compilation for which he chose one track from each of his preceding 11 albums. “That’s kind of interesting to hear my history one song at a time,” Williams says.
Lotus - "Grayrigg"
The swelling beats of a non-stop dance party and the soaring guitar and melodic triumphs of a cathartic rock experience - equal elements to the live instrumental dance rock of LOTUS. Sending huge crowds into a sweat-drenched euphoria at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Ultra, Rothbury, Nocturnal, All Good and Nateva, the band has become a sought after late-night act. And word has spread as Lotus has packed the country's finest clubs and theaters during their busy touring schedule.
The album Hammerstrike and the two follow-up EPs, Oil on Glass/Feather on Wood, show the multiple sides of Lotus. Slow-building guitar driven compositions complimented by music leaning toward harder beats and electronic textures working together to form a cohesive whole. Always pushing forward, the band has been writing, performing and recording new music throughout the year developing new sounds and expanding their unique musical voice.
The epic light show and pounding beats may be club inspired, but the band's ability to connect with the audience through emotive composition and dynamic improvisation pushes performances past the elusive barrier dividing concert and experience.
photo by Ryan Laurey
“Time hangs heavy on the vine/Let’s make wine,” Ryan Montbleau sings in the lulling, sensual verse that gives his group’s new album its title. Ryan Montbleau Band has been tending its own musical vineyard for a few years, on the patient cusp of a breakthrough. Their distinctive, long-fermenting blend of neo-folk, classic soul, and kick-out-the-jams Americana finally comes to full fruition in Heavy on the Vine. It’s an album that represents the product of — and further promise of — a very good year.
Don’t worry if the classic sounds they’ve bottled up remain a little hard to put a label on. “I’m not one of these people who say ‘Oh, we can’t be pigeonholed.’ I honestly wish we could, just so I could describe it quickly to people,” says Montbleau. “This record has folk songs, funk songs, country tunes, a reggae tune . . . and the end is almost like prog-rock. It’s all over the map, but it’s all us, and we do it all wholeheartedly. We’ve sort of come up in the jam scene, and that’s where our hearts have been in a lot of ways, but we don’t go off on 15-minute epics. We’re actually trying to make the songs shorter as we go. So I would lean much more toward the Ameri- cana thing than the jam thing. But, more than anything, we’re definitely about the song.”
To that song-centric end, the sextet hooked up with one of Montbleau’s personal heroes, acclaimed singer/songwriter Martin Sexton. “I used to dream about getting to meet Martin Sexton,” says Ryan, “and now we’re getting hired as his backing band and he’s producing our record.” They started and finished recording it in two weeks, right before going out on Sexton’s tour.
Though he’s long since embraced the full-band ethos, Montbleau spent a number of years as an acoustic solo artist at the beginning of his career, so it’s no wonder that he’s making up for lost time by so fully embracing the range of stylistic possibilities fuller arrangements offer. Growing up in Peabody, Massachusetts, he got his first guitar at age nine, but didn’t get the bug to become a serious player or writer till he was attending Villanova University, and then there was no looking back. His first album (the out-of-print Begin.) was released in 2002, followed by the live Stages — precursors to the first Montbleau Band recording, One Fine Color, in 2006.
The unusual makeup of the band was somewhat accidental, as he tells it; he never had it in mind, for instance, that he needed a full-time viola player. “It just evolved over the years, because I really didn’t have a sound that I was going for,” he says, before qualifying that claim. “Well, I knew I wanted an upright bass, I guess. And I knew I wanted the drummer in some ways to be more of a jazz drummer than a straight-ahead rock drummer. But that was all I knew. I’ve personally always loved the B3 organ, but the keyboard approach really comes from Jason (Cohen), who’s a vintage gear nut and tone junkie who loves old Rhodes, organs, Wurlitzers, Moogs, etc.”
Having a reputation as a quintessential live band — and surviving off that constant demand — is 90 percent blessing, 10 percent curse. “I used to try so hard just to get gigs, and now it’s like I’ve gotta beat ’em away with a stick. We always have these opportunities to play, but we want to continue to buckle down and make the art better and keep making the tunes better.” And the shows do stand to get bigger, if the new project reaches its natural audiences: For all its eclecticism, Heavy on the Vine is the kind of album that screams “potential mainstream smash” more than obvious cult record — should the stars and mercurial market forces align.
Massachusetts-based quartet The Brew cook up a musical meltingpot ontheir brand-new, self-released album, BacktotheWoods, that combines their roots in classic rock, adding ingredients of prog, jazz, reggae, worldbeat, indie, funk and orchestral pop, sometimes in the course of a single song. The band has been busy building a fanbase by touring the northeast, playing events like the Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut and the Up North Festival in Maine and headlining Boston’s famed Paradise Rock Club. They opened for Bruce Hornsby in 2006, and again in 2008, and were voted Best Opening Act by his fansite. This year, the band was nominated for the“Best New Groove” (Best New Artist) award at the Jammy’s in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
The Brew has that indefinable "it" that is the distillation of talent, execution and unconditional commitment to the dream of living up to their abilities. That commitment explains why folks drive hundreds of miles to shows and female fans are sporting Brew tattoos. The band's commitment to their music is total, and in aflavor-of-the-month world of commercialism, they are a walk-the-talk example of succeeding on your own terms.
Caravan of Thieves create fun yet elegant compositions that embody the spirit and swing of early gypsy jazz but with plenty of witty, inventive lyrics and vocal harmonies to serenade the listener. Fiery violin arrangements, thumping upright bass and rhythmic acoustic guitar spanking counteract the sweet, melodic, harmonious male/female vocals of Fuzz and Carrie.
Within their first year together, Caravan of Thieves managed to win immediate praise for their new and unique brand of alt gypsy acoustic music and their theatrical high intensity show. During that time the quartet found themselves performing in premiere venues around the country with world renowned artists such as Dan Hicks, Tony Trischka, Tom Tom Club, Menudo, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Trout Fishing in America and Ryan Montbleau Band. Caravan successfully connected with audiences on each of these diverse and at times, odd fitting bills proving the music to be a hit with folk, pop, rock and jazz appreciators alike as well as all age groups. This became evident when in only ten months they went from support act to selling out their first headline show.
Also in that first year and in a fit of creativity, the group wrote, recorded and released their debut full length album, “Bouquet” featuring 12 original compositions. To accompany this collection of dramatic and comical short stories, they built an interactive stage set of percussive junk which delivers the audiences directly into the wild, imaginative minds of Fuzz and Carrie and the Caravan of Thieves.
Comprised of Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, the singers and acoustic guitar players, Ben Dean the violinist and Brian Anderson the double bassist, this ragtag cast of characters converge from vastly different backgrounds in folk, pop, classical, jazz and rock. Fuzz (who has spent the past thirteen years touring the world with funk and dance groups such as Tom Tom Club and Deep Banana Blackout) teamed up with Carrie in 2004 to create an acoustic duo and their full band Rolla together. In those early years they developed their songwriting and vocal harmonizing skills together, released two records and played hundreds of shows around the country. As their vision developed, the couple knew they needed to expand their palette and in early 2008 recruited Brian, who had toured previously in his experimental jazz trio Raisin Hill as well as Ben who had studied jazz and classical violin since an early age and performed in a variety of ensembles, bands and orchestras around Connecticut.
Photo by C. Taylor Crothers
“I feel like my brain is vibrating all day long,” says Reid Genauer, the singer/songwriter behind Assembly of Dust, discussing the band’s new album. “It’s hard to sleep, I’m so excited. I feel like Lex Luthor, or that Mike Myers character, Dr. Evil. I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs, dreaming up this demonic scheme, getting ready to release this germ on to the world.”
While “demonic schemes” may not come to mind when you think of Assembly of Dust, Genauer’s post-Strangefolk crew since 2002, his band’s latest album does have the feeling of something remarkable being unleashed. The record, recorded over two years, showcases Genauer’s maturation as a songwriter, as evidenced both by the material and the all-star collaborations that dot all 13 tracks. It’s rare to hear something so massive in scope and ambition, and yet so intricate in the tiny details.
“I wrote the songs, and a couple with [co-producer] Nate Wilson, and then had the idea to get guests,” says Genauer. “I had to think about who would make sense, who I aspired to play with, and who had similar musical aesthetics.” To that end, the band was able to rope in a who’s who of classic and contemporary artists, including Richie Havens, Phish’s Mike Gordon, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Martin Sexton, and Grace Potter, among others. Adds Genauer: “It ended up being a lot of time and energy and dealing with managers and explaining my vision and in a few cases even who I was. But it was worth it.”
Despite the number of guest musicians, AOD’s second studio record is incredibly focused, and one that deservedly earns comparisons to The Band, Neil Young, recent Wilco and even The Beatles (the latter two cited by Genauer as strong inspirations on the group’s new material). And it’s a daring album, showing off both their singer’s lyrical acumen and the band’s ever-expanding musical palette. The easy-going country rocker “Arc of the Sun,” a track that’s popped up in the group’s live set for a few years, features a searing psychedelic guitar solo from Phish bassist Mike Gordon that Genauer accurately describes as “weighty and dark, two things we’re not known for.” Meanwhile, “Edges” and “Light Blue Lover” float by on gorgeous melodies, contrasting nicely with the bluesier, almost grimy feel of “Pedal Down” and “Borrowed Feat.”
Lyrically, Genauer’s moved beyond his self-described “1920’s Dust Bowl kind of blue-collar Americana” vibe of the band’s previous record, Recollection, and into a more contemporary voice, albeit one that stretches in several directions. “In the scene I’ve been associated with for so long, lyrics are not necessarily the focus,” he says. “That’s fine. It’s usually the guitar. But I’ve always been lyrically driven. And this time out, I tried on some different characters and moods.”
To that end, the singer touches on both the personal (the birth of his son), the abstract (“All That I Am Now,” inspired by Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”) and the pointed, as in “Straight," featuring Theresa Andersson. “I was going to call it ‘Lech’…it’s inspired by a lot of musicians I know who chased empty dreams,” he says. “It’s a pretty dark tune. And I get where it’s coming from. Artists, successful or not, seem to be really troubled in a lot of ways. Their art is their by-product. It works that way for me – I have a lot of pretty intense thoughts. And this is a way of vetting them, or releasing the demons.”
Although he acts as the band’s primary songwriter, Genauer credits his AOD bandmates for shaping the record. “It’s not like we went from bluegrass to heavy metal, but we all took a bit of a turn,” he says of his peers (who were once mockingly described as “[not] the worst batch of musicians you'll ever hear”…you can find that on their MySpace bio). “The songs were loose to start with -- we banged out some rough recordings on a digital recorder. They were skeletons – the band delivered the flesh and muscle to the songs. Andy and John did some stuff they had never done before, and Adam, he really stretched his musical vocabulary on this one. He and I spent hours listening to records together, coming up with an overall vision.”
It’s a vision the group plans to bring on the road for much of the next year. Much like Strangefolk—the groundbreaking folk rock group Genauer helped start in 1991 and stayed with until 2000—Assembly of Dust has earned its greatest accolades in concert, having captivated fans everywhere from Bonnaroo to Carnegie Hall. (Want proof? Type the bands into YouTube and spend a few days going through the hundreds of fan-shot live videos). Seeing that early versions of several of the new songs were tested out live over the past few years, the band is eager to debut the finished product.
“I want to play new stuff,” says Genauer. “It’s like wanting a new sweater for the fall -- a new piece of clothing renews the wardrobe. That’s what new songs do for performance”
In the end, AOD’s new “germ,” as their singer puts it, isn’t some diabolical plot for world dominance. It’s simply the creative culmination of nearly two decades playing music and being one of the music world’s most respected (if slightly under-the-radar) musicians and songwriters. “I’m excited by this record because my friends and heroes are on it,” he says. “Being embraced by my peers...that’s a really rewarding experience. It’s a milestone in my life, like graduating high school, college, or getting laid for the first time. It’s a momentous event for me.”
Dangermuffin is an eclectic trio, providing a much-needed fresh perspective on American roots music. Seamlessly melding the feel of a back porch blues band with dance-floor grooves, their original yet familiar sound pleases crowds of all ages.
What sets them ahead of the pack is the refreshingly magnetic songwriting of Dan Lotti, winner of the 2005 “New Writers Showcase” held by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His strong, articulate vocals frame each song perfectly, creating a stout foundation for the tasteful poly-groove jams and improvisational passages. Regional radio favorites like WNCW, WDVX, WEZL have been spinning “Beermuda” in their regular rotation for over a year.
Anchored by the creative beats of Steven Sandifer (Drew Emmitt Band, Adrienne Young, The Biscuit Boys) and embellished by the thrilling, twangy guitar stylings of Mike Sivilli, Dangermuffin is a complete work of art. The music has an inventive and fresh quality, while still retaining that organic Americana truthfulness.
The band was recently celebrated by the 360,000 international readers of Relix Magazine as the April 2009 “Jam Off” competition winner. Their fanbase is skyrocketing, with a strong regional presence in the Southeast plus explosive tours out West, including an appearance at the revered Jazz Aspen Festival opening for Widespread Panic and Xavier Rudd.
With two strong records already under their belt, the ‘muffins’ released an all new flagship record titled “Moonscapes” in April 2010.
The London Souls are rock’n'roll, straight up with the slightest twist of soul and a little dash of the blues. They play loud, they play raucous and they play with every bit of their bodies, as any good rock musician should; but perhaps the even better news is that unlike a lot of what passes for rock these days, they haven’t lost sight of what good music sounds like, no matter how loud it is. (Derek Evers, thetripwire.com) Their debut full-length record was recorded with producer Ethan Johns at London’s Abbey Road Studios, and is slated for an early 2011 release.
Twiddle, a Vermont-based quartet, spins tall-tales over an intricate soundscape of Hi-def shred. Twiddle has started a frenzy on both coasts with complexities that conjure up Coltrane, Ranglin, and Zappa, yet still embracing the roots of jam-band traditions. Finally, a group of musicians who not only understand climactic build and release, but deliver their intricate compositions night after night to jazz purists and screaming fans, all at the same time. Twiddle is a sound that defiantly weaves and dodges through genres. It's three-dimensional music. You can see it from all sides, and even serve it to your guests. It's Twiddle. Tasty.
Formed in 2007, Timbre Coup is Albany, NY’s premiere progressive jamband. Some have called the sound “improg.” Few disagree, saying the sound converges into various realms, easily crossing over to electronica and trance. Many fans have already joined in on the band’s insurrection of sound and are pleased with the music’s progressional evolution.
Armed with a sizable catalog and considerable chops, the band has shared bills with the Disco Biscuits, LCD Soundsystem, RAQ, Pretty Lights, Pnuma Trio, Girl Talk and Method Man, opened for the New Deal, Project/Object (featuring Frank Zappa collaborators), U-Melt and Kung Fu, played afterparties for Phish and moe., entertained thousands at Camp Bisco, the Big Up Festival, Wormtown, and Strange Creek, and earned “On the Rise” status in Relix Magazine. Check Out This! is the band’s stunning debut.
All this while some band members are barely old enough to enter a bar.
“Our ideal audience is dancing and paying attention to the intricacies of the music,” says Matt Pickering, a self-taught drummer who’s committed his life to the pursuit of live music, first studying heroes like Umphrey’s McGee, King Crimson and the Police, and then scouring the Albany area for musicians to complete his dream ensemble. “I feel like I’ve finally found the musicians I’ve been looking for for so long.”
Barreling out of the northern woods like a grizzly bear on speed, Lucid, the hardest working band in the North Country (Upstate NY, VT and beyond), careens across the musical spectrum as a V8 blend of genres emerge- from jazz to rock, honky-tonk blues to reggae.
“Our music has a little something for everybody.” Says Keyboardist Andy Dellar. “Audiences all over are very appreciative. We get applause, we get hooting and hollering, and sometimes nakedness. They’re always dancing.”
Formed in 2003, the rock bandits joyously roam the nation on their graffiti-doused, Neal Cassady-esque psychedelic bus, "Lucy", taking no prisoners and always having fun in a sometimes-unforgiving industry.
2010 was an exciting year. Lucid performed walk in music for moe.’s fans at their "secret show" at the Waterhole Then rocked them again with a blazing after show set in the downstairs bar with fans dancing and falling between band members. Lucid collaborated onstage with Charli 2na (Jurassic 5), and rocked Saratoga Springs along with Melvin Seals & the Jerry Garcia Band.
Since its inception in 2007, Lucid has hosted Backwoods Pondfest, a two-day music festival nestled in the Adirondack Mountains. Not only does the band close the event both nights, but they've played alongside such renowned acts as Assembly of Dust, Ryan Montbleau Band, Chali 2na (of Jurasic 5) The Breakfast, U-Melt, RAQ, Twiddle, Spiritual Rez, Roots of Creation, and Hot Day at the Zoo. “We just want people to go away thinking ‘that was a good time’.”
Frank Viele & the Manhattan Project
"If Dave Matthews decided to lend his merry band of musicians to Chris Daughtry and the group limited their appearances to strictly 1950s-style underground jazz clubs, the product might sound something like Neon Lights, the first official full-length album from Frank Viele & the Manhattan Project" (Relix Magazine)
Enter FV&TMP…a 6-piece group of underground musicians from across the Metropolitan area that have exploded on the NYC club scene.On stage, all six members unleash an energy unsurpassed by any other emerging band today and explode into one powerful combustion of gyrating rock and funk music that have drawn diverse comparisons from The Dave Matthews Band & Huey Lewis & The News, to Tower of Power. Growing up in Connecticut, Frank Viele began his music career at a young age inspired by classic soul artists from Otis Redding to The Temptations.Touring as an acoustic singer songwriter, he eventually attracted a group of exceptionally gifted like-minded individuals…The Manhattan Project.
The other five members consist of Mario Capodiferro, New York based drummer known for his unique combination of rock and hip-hop infused percussion, Rob Liptrot, Tobias endorsed bassist/background vocalist who electrifies the stage as both one third of The Manhattan Project's superb rhythm section and a rare and formidable force as a lead bassist.Eddie Arjun Peters, lead guitarist and founder of the NYC based experimental jam trio Arjun, now adds the perfect hint of spirit and fire to The Manhattan Project. Then there is “The Manhattan Project Horns” consisting of Pasquale T. Iannelli (Saxophone) and Andrew Mericle (Trumpet) known for their performances with such noteworthy bands as As Tall as Lions and The Deer Hunter.
With over 120 performances in 2010 w/ artists ranging from The Wailers to Eric Krasno & Chapter 2, music lovers across the country have been flocking towards this band's infectious blend of classic funk and modern rock.Assuredly, 2011 is...THE YEAR OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT!!