The DOMi & JD Beck album was really cool. Lots of fun features. Random, but parts of it remind me of the soundtrack to the Sonic Dreamcast games lol
Just finished my first listen. Extremely good! @edisnfg your description of this band as “power-pop” makes sense though I dislike that genre label, and mentioning they’re songwriters of a few cartoon theme songs is probably doing this album a disservice. The lavish, complex arrangements and myriad of 60s-70s psych-pop influences through a 90s alt-rock filter is masterful. I hear the Beach Boys, Queen, Supertramp—but also Weezer and Teenage Fanclub. Such a fun palette of sounds with truly excellent production, that places them a step above other “power-pop” acts. It’s very good stuff. I think fans of the Blind Melon album would probably enjoy this.
Sorry I haven't contributed nearly as much in the past couple months. Domi & JD Beck album is awesome. Just incredible players. Excited for Jellyfish. I only really know them because The Format covered "Glutton of Sympathy" and Roger Manning played on and did some arrangements for Dog Problems.
Just a week after the Domi & JD Beck album was talked about, we may be getting some new stuff from them…
that is so awesome also related to a previous pick in here, but some sad news... RIP James Blood Ulmer James Blood Ulmer, avant-garde electric guitarist and singer, has died at 86
I’m glad you enjoyed this album and yes your description is much better than mine. Yeah I’m Not a fan of the power pop label myself, that’s just what the metal dudes I worked with back in the day called it so it’s just kind of stuck with me for this album. It’s just a really great album that I think everyone can enjoy and find something that sticks with them.
This happened the day after I saw Wendy Eisenberg, whose band is in the classic Ulmer format of Guitar-Violin-Drums. Sad he’s gone but what a career and his influence is certainly enduring
one of my favorites so far. she’s got another out with some collaborators who’s names i don’t remember that’s much more weird and free that’s also great
I forgot Snoop and Busta Rhymes were on this Domi & JD record. The Rosenwinkel solo is so incredible too, maybe my favorite moment on the record. What a statement from those kids, I'm so excited for their new one. It's crazy to think that they were 22 & 19 when this came out. I feel like in the next decade we will see a lot more of their influence in new music, I haven't heard it much yet. But JD's style of drumming will become huge, it's dnb/hiphop/jazz fusion in a way that will partly define this decade of nu jazz, I think it will be a pole opposite SML. They write great pop melodies and are obviously incredible musicians who shred in a way that thousands of working full grown jazz musicians would be jealous of. I think if theres anything they lack its still composition - the melodies are there and they dabble with odd time signatures but I feel like there is a prog aspect to be unlocked on future record, give me varying tempos and dynamics and some extra harmonic movement. But who knows if that's at all what they're thinking. There's another path for them where they go even more pop which would probably be just as great but I'd be a little disappointed. I'm surprised we haven't seen any hip hop production credits for them either too. Regardless the decades-long struggle for true jazz/hip hop fusion continues.
I dug some songs on the Jellyfish record, mainly the 90s alt ones. Couldn't really get into the Queen sounding songs (sorry Queen just isn't for me lol)
I'm not really a Queen fan either but those moments mostly worked for me. feels like it gets theatrical without becoming cloying
I agree, some of the Queen-y moments were kind of hard for me but there were others that I really liked. New Mistake, Glutton of Sympathy, All is Forgiven were my favs. Basically agree with Ooty that the way they combined the Queen and 60s/70s psych-pop with 90s alt rock was perfectly done, even if the Queen-y parts weren't for me they did it perfectly. A few great guitar solos too. And the production was also great, which I think is absolutely necessary for what they were going for. I definitely see why someone would hear this and immediately gravitate towards it as a favorite in a 90s context
Didn’t get on with that Jellyfish album I’m afraid. Their influences is a who’s who of acts I have never liked haha
question for everyone as we near the end of this rotation: are we burnt-out and need a break? or keep it rolling?