Tag: Funk

Mission Possible — Amanda Chaudhary Explores Experimental Sounds and Styles on Meow Meow Band’s “January Suborbital Denomination” Album

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Amanda Chaudhary explores a diversity of sounds and styles on her latest Meow Meow Band album.

As a sonic explorer, Amanda Chaudhary ventures into uncharted musical territory.

The San Francisco keyboardist-composer embarks on a genre-bending adventure through experimental sounds and styles on January Suborbital Denomination.

“There are a lot of different styles on this album, and I always want to try new things,” said Chaudhary about her latest Meow Meow Band album.

“I wanted to try the psychedelic ones and the older jazz forms in addition to the funk and experimental electronics that I traditionally do.”

Filled with avant-garde instrumentation and snappy, curious, and playful lyrics, January Suborbital Denomination encompasses big band, jingle, soul, jazz, funk, electronic, experimental, and psychedelic music across nine imaginative tracks.

The album also invites listeners to experience the album’s subject matter—ranging from radio broadcasts to chocolate oak milk to bridges to cats.

“There is a symmetry in the way they are arranged on there. The bygone era ones are at the two ends of [the album] and then it’s big, small, big, small in between there,” said Chaudhary, who also runs CatSynth TV, a YouTube channel that focuses on electronic instruments.

“It became clear once I knew what was going to be on the album and what wasn’t. A sonic adventure is a good way of putting it, and it’s a sonic adventure for me making these songs. I like the fact that it is that way for other people who are listening to it. It’s filled with puzzles.”

I recently spoke with Chaudhary to decode and digest her second Meow Meow Band album.

Continue reading “Mission Possible — Amanda Chaudhary Explores Experimental Sounds and Styles on Meow Meow Band’s “January Suborbital Denomination” Album” →

Another World – Nick Behnan Explores the Line Between Fantasy and Reality on ‘What You Got’ Single

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Nick Behnan reconciles his expectations of fantasy with reality on “What You Got.”

As a longtime musician, Nick Behnan searches for the right balance between fantasy and reality.

The Detroit singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer straddles those two worlds on his latest pop-soul single, “What You Got.”

“I think the nature of what I do for a living creates pretty drastic swings of highs and lows,” Behnan said. “I feel fortunate to not have to have a 9-5, but the ups and downs and expectations can sometimes be difficult to navigate. It’s the nature of the beast though.”

Surrounded by hypnotic electric guitar, bass, electric piano, and drums, he sings, “It’s a whole new paradigm / Livin’ what I had in mind / So I keep it movin’ all the time / Until I find / Just what I’m tryin’ to do.”

“The new thing everyone in my business is freaking out about is AI, which could threaten the music business as a whole and especially sync licensing for TV, film, and commercials,” Behnan said.

“Hopefully, the right regulations get put in place before it goes bonkers, but it’s like the Wild West right now. I find it’s the most important to stay creative and productive—it’s also a mindset thing.”

To learn more, I spoke to Behnan about his past releases, latest singles, creative process, summer plans, and sync licensing opportunities.

Continue reading “Another World – Nick Behnan Explores the Line Between Fantasy and Reality on ‘What You Got’ Single” →

Virtual Airwaves – Brian Maloney Features Michigan Artists and Music on The Sonic Coast

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Brian Maloney runs The Sonic Coast, an online radio station that plays Americana, roots and rock music by national and local artists. Photo courtesy of Brian Maloney

In 2014, Brian Maloney instantly reconnected with his hometown and its musical legacy.

The Sonic Coast founder and chief music curator visited the Motor City to attend a Crain’s Detroit Homecoming and started pondering his next life chapter.

“I was in downtown Detroit for a couple of days with the event, and everywhere I looked, I was reminded of what a remarkable place this city and state are in the music industry,” said Maloney, who spent 40 years working in radio and now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“The following ‘revelation’ about what to do in retirement happened in February of 2020 when I brought The Gasoline Gypsies down to North Carolina for a couple of shows and a media tour.”

The band sold out two shows 700 miles from Port Huron, Michigan and reminded Maloney about the draw of Michigan-made music.

“It became clear I was going to focus everything I had learned over the past 40 years on my two favorite things: Michigan and local music,” Maloney said. “So when I retired, The Sonic Coast was born.”

Today, Maloney oversees the burgeoning online radio station, which plays Americana, rock, folk, country, roots, soul and funk from national and Michigan artists.

“I saw a tremendous opportunity in the state to play local artists (abundant!) on a meaningful platform to give them exposure next to national acts that were getting limited exposure in Michigan. Unfortunately, traditional commercial radio doesn’t invest in/support local artists much anymore,” he said.

“It’s honestly more important than ever for a band to get played and promoted on a platform. Spotify, Pandora and others are simply a database of music for consumers. Sonic Coast plays, promotes and interacts with the artists.”

To learn more about The Sonic Coast, I chatted with Maloney about becoming a DJ, working in radio, taking leadership roles with several stations, growing his new online radio platform, celebrating Michigan artists and music, adding curators and supporting live music.

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Sense of Adventure – Instrumental Duo Mindful Dynasty Experiments With Different Genres on ‘The Barn Waltz’ Album

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Mindful Dynasty’s Toshana Grim and Jason Wiseley at Zerbo’s Market and Bistro in Commerce Township, Michigan. Photo courtesy of Mindful Dynasty

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

When it comes to creating music, Mindful Dynasty embraces a choose-your-own-adventure approach on The Barn Waltz.

The South Lyon, Michigan instrumental duo of Jason Wiseley (guitar, percussion, strings) and Toshana Grim (bass, strings) experiments and improvises with several genres—ranging from psych rock to EDM to flamenco—on its latest double album.

“It’s like going through an adventure, and there are highs and lows; there are also fast parts and slow parts. There are parts that are a little funky and maybe ones that make you laugh a little because there’s a wonky note,” Grim said.

“There are also parts where you might think, ‘This is so beautiful.’ That’s just life—in my opinion—because it is an adventure. The more you can just relax and go with the flow, the more fun you have.”

That carefree attitude and creative mindset flow throughout The Barn Waltz’s 17 tracks, which also feature elements of metal, classical, and funk interspersed with film samples.

“I write for everybody, but in my mind’s eye, it’s [especially] for somebody who plays an instrument. … I just want people to feel inspired. I want people to [hear] our music and think, ‘Oh Jason’s goofy, I can do that, too,’” said Wiseley, who workshopped the album’s tracks live with Grim during a past residency at Zerbo’s Market & Bistro in Commerce Township.

“Part of the reason why The Barn Waltz is dark and has all the movie samples is because I wanted to juxtapose the pretentiousness of the guitar playing. I wanted to put in this silly stuff and put in all of the dance music to pull back the idea that to have that level of fun playing music requires you to actually not have any fun at all.”

I recently spoke with Wiseley and Grim about their backgrounds, the origin of Mindful Dynasty, the evolution of their sound, select tracks from The Barn Waltz, the creative process for the album, and upcoming plans.

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The Soundcheck – Adam Liles, Bourgeoisie Paper Jam, Lilly MacPhee, Jeff Socia, Nicholas Arthur Powers

This month’s edition of “The Soundcheck” deciphers a range of relationships, whether they’re fleeting or everlasting. Some pull the “Ripcord” to break a scary free fall while others cherish “Every Heartbeat” and say a belated “Thank You for Breaking My Heart.” It also reveals the wisdom that comes with age and experience—I Know a Thing and Ronronner—and the potential for future growth.

Adam Liles, “Ripcord”

The Indigo Curve guitarist shares an instant headrush of emotion and energy on his debut solo single “Ripcord.” Produced by Anton Pastoria, the track’s swirling, indie-rock array of pounding drums, glistening electric guitar and humming bass propel Detroit’s Adam Liles into a brief infatuation until the “ripcord” of reality takes over. In raspy, reverb-filled vocals, he sings, “And I’m feeling it all / As far as feeling it goes / She came in like a star / Oh, but she left like a ghost.”

Liles also released a new video for “Ripcord,” which features him strumming a cream Fender Stratocaster on a pedestrian bridge at sunset over an interstate. He teamed up with Love Streams Films’ director Andrew Brumfield and Craigen Z Oster to film the introspective take on his single. Liles and Brumfield also collaborated on The Indigo Curve’s kaleidoscopic video for “But I Wanna Write Love Songs” last summer.

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The New Avant-Garde – Nubdug Ensemble and Amanda Chaudhary Share Cerebral Prog-Jazz-Funk Fusion

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Two avant-garde San Francisco musicians boldly push the sonic boundaries of prog, jazz and funk.

Nubdug Ensemble’s Jason Berry and Amanda Chaudhary seamlessly fuse esoteric lyrics with experimental synths and cerebral instrumentation on their latest ingenious albums, Volume 2: Blame and Meow Meow Band, respectively.

“These albums have both really been connecting with a lot of people. They really inspire both of us to keep going … and things have been improving the past couple of months. Hopefully, we’ll be moving in a more positive place,” Berry said.

“With my music, I’m not looking for acclaim or huge financial sales. These things would be wonderful, but I just want to connect with people. If it makes somebody happy … then it’s like, ‘Mission accomplished.’”

Both Nubdug Ensemble and Chaudhary whisk listeners along genre-bending adventures filled with precious metals, mechanical wonders, white wine and public transportation. Each Volume 2: Blame and Meow Meow Band track instantly brings a welcome element of surprise and enthrallment and repeatedly plays inside appreciative minds.

“I wanted to try these individual sounds, and if you listen back to something like The Residents, I thought, ‘How did they make those sounds and what could I do with that?’ It’s very late ‘70s things with different kinds of technology to get that sort of raw thing, and they use different instruments here … or use this process or that process,” said Chaudhary, who also collaborates with Berry in Nubdug Ensemble.

“I thought, ‘What if I work with this drummer and this synthesizer player and see what happens?’ It turned out to be great, and that’s the genesis of some of the things like ‘North Berkeley BART’ and ‘White Wine.’ Once I started working with Calvin Weston in 2020, it was like this perfect vehicle for recording some of this music.”

Continue reading “The New Avant-Garde – Nubdug Ensemble and Amanda Chaudhary Share Cerebral Prog-Jazz-Funk Fusion” →

Sticky Sounds – Nick Behnan Shares Delectable Funk on ‘Bad Sugar’ Instrumental Album

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Nick Behnan brings a funky authenticity to his latest instrumental album, “Bad Sugar.” Photo – Dan Plucinksi & Artwork – Sonoton Music

Nick Behnan knows how to funk things up.

The Detroit singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer concocts delectable doses of funk and soul on his latest “groovacious” instrumental album, Bad Sugar.

“Actually, a music publishing partner of mine in Germany called Sonoton Music had heard and liked a few of the funkier tracks on the Magic Trip album,” said Behnan, who regularly writes and records music for sync licensing opportunities.

“They asked how I felt about making a full album of pure funk, more like the songs, ‘Magic Trip’ and ‘Inner City Funk,’ and trying to keep it authentic as possible in tone and feel.”

Behnan brings a funky authenticity across 11 addictive Bad Sugar tracks, which feature soulful basslines, silky electric guitars, euphoric beats, intrepid drums and confident horns. Collectively, they provide the essential sonic swagger for a bad-ass hero in a gritty action flick.

Also a sticky successor to 2020’s Magic Trip, Bad Sugar’s tracks slowly emerged in Behnan’s home studio during the early days of the pandemic lockdown.

“I’d spend days just sitting alone with my guitar coming up with riffs and progressions and stuff. Then, I’d start recording a few … usually with a scratch guitar track just so I can really start working and focusing on the drum tones/grooves and bass,” he said.

“It’s currently being pitched for lots of film and TV placements, but that’s something that will take a bit of time before I start actually hearing the songs on shows. Music licensing is a really long, slow process. I always have to push myself to stay creative and move on to the next thing once I finish an album.”

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At Home – Ann Arbor’s Pajamas Hosts Headlining Show Friday at The Blind Pig

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Pajamas opens for Karina Rykman at The Parliament Room at Otus Supply in Ferndale. Photo – Austin R. Grinnell

Filled with gratitude and anticipation, Pajamas wants to show their hometown some love.

The Ann Arbor rock-funk jam quartet of Graham Low (drums, vocals), Nick Orr (guitars, vocals), Dan Schuler (bass, vocals) and Owen Kellenberger (keys, vocals) eagerly awaits their first headlining show Friday at The Blind Pig in nearly two years.

“Since we do perform in Ann Arbor pretty regularly, this one is going to be a love letter to our friends and fans, something unique and special. We’ve put a lot of work into making this happen. It’s a chance to celebrate our town, our community and where we are now as a band,” Orr said.

“I think people have a lot to look forward to with this show. We’ve hired a professional lighting engineer to accompany the music with an incredible light show. The Blind Pig is an Ann Arbor institution, and we’ve all been attending and playing shows there for years.”

As part of their show, Pajamas will share The Blind Pig stage with Toledo’s Cactus Jack, a quintet of talented friends quickly gaining traction with live Michigan audiences.

“We met Cactus Jack by putting a show together with them at the Tip Top Deluxe in Grand Rapids. It was our first time playing together, but I think we fit together really well musically,” Orr said.

“They’re really talented players with very good original songs. We got along really well and are happy that they were available to play with us again for this upcoming show. This show will be their Blind Pig debut, so it’s extra cool for that reason.”

Another extra “cool” reason to celebrate Pajamas’ Blind Pig return – new material to preview and experience from their forthcoming second studio album as well as some improvised covers.

“I’m really proud of the music that we’ve written for it, and I think it showcases how far we’ve come and where we’re currently at as a band,” said Orr, who previously released Onesie with the band in 2018. “It feels like we are hitting our songwriting stride, and more importantly, finding our own sound and voice. I think with this second full-length album we just know who we are and what we are about musically.”

Continue reading “At Home – Ann Arbor’s Pajamas Hosts Headlining Show Friday at The Blind Pig” →

Creative Conscience – Chirp Follows Funky Musical Instincts on ‘Solo’

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Chirp pauses during a recording session at Willis Sound. Photo – Joe Sleep

Chirp proudly follows their funky musical instincts.

The Ann Arbor prog-funk-jazz jam quartet of Jay Frydenlund (guitar, vocals), Brian Long (bass, vocals), Sam Naples (guitar, vocals) and Gastón Reggio (drums) listens to their collective creative conscience on their fervent new single, “Solo.”

“Vulfpeck and Cory Wong were a massive influence on the approach to this tune and the rest of the upcoming record. The old school, funky vibe they bring to their songwriting and playing has been a big influence on all of us,” Frydenlund said. “I’m not sure this song would have happened without a steady amount of Vulf in my listening diet. Or at least it would have come out through a very different lens.”

By peering through that groovy “Solo” lens, Chirp fans will encounter a group of lively musicians entrenched in jubilant electric guitars, shimmering keys and synths, pulsating bass, confident drums and ticking cymbals.

In tandem, Frydenlund soulfully sings, “And we all know you can shred the 32nds/But I wanna hear something from your soul/So take your time to find the truth inside you/And let it go.”

“Sam’s melodic lead guitar through the song adds a lot of texture and warms up the tune quite a bit, and he also complements Kevin (Gastonguay’s) solo toward the end of the song really nicely. Brian’s self-written bassline is really catchy throughout, to the point of being singable.” Frydenlund said.

“Both of them killed it on the smooth backup vocals. The different feels Gastón moves throughout are seamless, which is easier said than done on a tune like ‘Solo,’ where we’ve got a lot of dramatic change from section to section feel-wise and tempo-wise.”

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Imagine That – Becky Crosby Trades Reality for Fantasy on ‘Can We Pretend?’

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Becky Crosby’s “Can We Pretend?” addresses her frustration and forlornness during the pandemic. Artwork – Joey Affatato

For Becky Crosby, quarantine life provides the ultimate escape from reality.

The Purchase, New York pop-rock singer-songwriter openly shares her personal struggles with pandemic lockdown and emotional isolation on her latest jazz-funk ballad, “Can We Pretend?”

“I wrote it in quarantine right after we got evacuated from school … when I think everyone was feeling especially lonely and confused at what was going on in the world,” said Crosby, who’s a jazz senior at State University of New York (SUNY) in Purchase. “I had a crush on a friend of mine at the time, and I think the feelings about quarantine just heightened everything about it.”

A lush “Can We Pretend?” ensemble of thumping drums, tingly cymbals, pensive bass, gleaming electric guitar, delicate piano, melancholic trumpet and earnest baritone sax echo Crosby’s growing frustration and forlornness.

She thoughtfully sings, “How did this happen to me?/I was oh so happy living life lonely/But when you come near/I smile ear to ear/Cause you made me different/Than the girl who used to share my mirror.”

“I wrote ‘Can We Pretend?’ as a way to not only work out my feelings, but to get out some of the anger that I had about my life changing so much overnight,” Crosby said. “I do think that it’s always a good idea to go with your gut. So if your gut says to tell them you like them, then do it. Life is short!”

Crosby brought “Can We Pretend?” to life with several collaborators, including Simon Ribas (drums), Sameer Shankar (bass), Ethan Johnson (guitar), Harry Graser (piano), Noah Mattison (trumpet) and Lee Altsher-Wood (baritone sax).

“This song automatically just had a funky feel to it. Being a jazz major, I am surrounded by horn players, and I was so happy to be able to feature them on this track,” she said. “Sameer Shankar shaped this horn arrangement, and Lee Altsher-Wood and Noah Mattison did a great job bringing it to life.”

Continue reading “Imagine That – Becky Crosby Trades Reality for Fantasy on ‘Can We Pretend?’” →