On Tues May 29 we got a chance to play on Joe Belock's Three Chord Monte show on WFMU radio. Thanks to Joe and Ernie for inviting us and recording the set and letting us horde your PBRs, Tostitos and free shirts! Good dudes.
listen / download on the Free Music Archive:
THE ENTHUSIASTS - LIVE ON WFMU 5/29
record review
7 INCHES on SINKIN/RISIN 7"
Got this single from The Enthusiasts way too long ago, I think this came out in FEB! I really slept on this one and of course am regretting it big time. These guys are so perfectly capturing this thick classic rock sound, with the balls and brag of the guys from Natural Child or Liquor Store, but 30 years earlier and in the blacklight basement instead of the garage.
A-Side's "Sinkin/Risin" has this big, live room sound and ringing distortion right into the huge cavernous chords...really a classic, metal rock, the individual melody is steeped in that Sabbath, Iron Maiden distortions. There's a little psych sound with the big muffled delivery and cranking out a big melody in between the verses. Awesome harmony with crisp vocals. If dead meadow was anti-drone and all gutteral psych, this is a pitch perfect homage, slightly muffled, analog sound here. Not expecting such a throwback sound from the Lichtenstein cover... the drums are mic'd from one spot, honestly this isn't something you can pick apart, they're getting this sound showever they are... keep it, don't ever change. Unbelievably unique and specific. The way all of a sudden the guitar and bass come together for big runs down the fret board is just plain great, it's just so audacious to do something like that and get it right...all of it.
"Joanne" on the B-Side is again in this huge reverb room, crazy vocals on this side getting way slower, but still rooted in big time open rock fields. Just a trio of dudes with one letter names, DH and G, and Joey Ghostly on vocals...they all recorded, engineered and mixed this masterpiece and it's fantastic,
The chorus harmony of "Joanne! Joanne!" borders on the head bobbing best parts of classic rock, sweet harmony and all balls. They capture that raw individual sound... and bass solos! Damn. Gritty guitar work, plus they had a 5 track, don't ask how but they had that specially manufactured 4-track with an extra track, like Spinal Tap. Really great bluesy, sweaty sound, a little bit dark, but the harmonies keep this chipper and classy. Somehow this one gets really going big and showcases bad ass guitar and bass work for the fret gazers out there. I need some prog! Some complex fingering dammit! These guys have it all.
Wouldn't you know it the color pics on the reverse of the insert have a Don Pedro banner in the background, gotta get out and catch these guys.
This is a Magic Sleeve stapled on two sides, on black vinyl, get this from the band, or the label...only 150, get on it pretty quick. Love the handmade touch.
http://7inches.blogspot.com/2012/05/enthusiasts-on-magic-sleeve-records.html
Got this single from The Enthusiasts way too long ago, I think this came out in FEB! I really slept on this one and of course am regretting it big time. These guys are so perfectly capturing this thick classic rock sound, with the balls and brag of the guys from Natural Child or Liquor Store, but 30 years earlier and in the blacklight basement instead of the garage.
A-Side's "Sinkin/Risin" has this big, live room sound and ringing distortion right into the huge cavernous chords...really a classic, metal rock, the individual melody is steeped in that Sabbath, Iron Maiden distortions. There's a little psych sound with the big muffled delivery and cranking out a big melody in between the verses. Awesome harmony with crisp vocals. If dead meadow was anti-drone and all gutteral psych, this is a pitch perfect homage, slightly muffled, analog sound here. Not expecting such a throwback sound from the Lichtenstein cover... the drums are mic'd from one spot, honestly this isn't something you can pick apart, they're getting this sound showever they are... keep it, don't ever change. Unbelievably unique and specific. The way all of a sudden the guitar and bass come together for big runs down the fret board is just plain great, it's just so audacious to do something like that and get it right...all of it.
"Joanne" on the B-Side is again in this huge reverb room, crazy vocals on this side getting way slower, but still rooted in big time open rock fields. Just a trio of dudes with one letter names, DH and G, and Joey Ghostly on vocals...they all recorded, engineered and mixed this masterpiece and it's fantastic,
The chorus harmony of "Joanne! Joanne!" borders on the head bobbing best parts of classic rock, sweet harmony and all balls. They capture that raw individual sound... and bass solos! Damn. Gritty guitar work, plus they had a 5 track, don't ask how but they had that specially manufactured 4-track with an extra track, like Spinal Tap. Really great bluesy, sweaty sound, a little bit dark, but the harmonies keep this chipper and classy. Somehow this one gets really going big and showcases bad ass guitar and bass work for the fret gazers out there. I need some prog! Some complex fingering dammit! These guys have it all.
Wouldn't you know it the color pics on the reverse of the insert have a Don Pedro banner in the background, gotta get out and catch these guys.
This is a Magic Sleeve stapled on two sides, on black vinyl, get this from the band, or the label...only 150, get on it pretty quick. Love the handmade touch.
http://7inches.blogspot.com/2012/05/enthusiasts-on-magic-sleeve-records.html
record review
SMASHIN' TRANSISTORS on the SINKIN/RISIN 7":
"You ever hear one of those bad ass hard rockin' classic rock songs that makes you want to roll down the windows to the car, crank up the radio loud and peel rubber on the pavement? Then when the song is over you wish they would play it again and wonder "How come there aren't any bands out there doing it like THIS any more?"
It may lead you on a search for tips that bands that are. Or at least trying because most of the time those tips seem a little off the point and the bands sound like clowns trying to hard to sound like a bar band Foghat with a half a produce section stuffed down their pants with a dude who cites Glenn Danzig's solo albums and the dork from the Cult as his "lead vocalist" influences. Boogie with with out the sway. ROCK music without the ROLL. It sounds contrived and not like they are paying tribute to they're dad's record collection but actually mocking it.
Then there's tunes like "Sinkin'/Risin'" by the Enthusiasts. Though first impressions from the sleeve cover and and the band name it seems the hailing an hour north from NYC's Enthusiasts have one foot planted ankle deep in lo-fi garage punk singles of the late 90's/early 00's-it's also sounds as though they have been buried neck deep in Blue Cheer and James Gang records.
And instead of sounding like they are mining the biker bar and back water burn-out rocker sound as some backlash to whatever "war on hipster" sound they are pissed off at-they sound sincere in simply celebrating guitar solo abounds meat and potatoes (and cans of tallboys beer) rock-n-roll.
Kicking off with a huge splat of guitar feedback the tunes gives to a big power trio pummel where 60's boogie rock gave way to something a bit more sick and spilled seeds that would lead to the roots of Heavy Metal. The guitar slingin' singer knows he'll never be some golden god so never bothered practicing trying to sing high notes so instead spent lots of time smoking brown weed and wondering what Joe Walsh would do if he was born 40 years later...
Flip it over for "Joanne" and the pace is a little slower chug starting off as it 60's psych-blues ballad before gaining momentum into some kinda '74 pre-punk blaster."
It may lead you on a search for tips that bands that are. Or at least trying because most of the time those tips seem a little off the point and the bands sound like clowns trying to hard to sound like a bar band Foghat with a half a produce section stuffed down their pants with a dude who cites Glenn Danzig's solo albums and the dork from the Cult as his "lead vocalist" influences. Boogie with with out the sway. ROCK music without the ROLL. It sounds contrived and not like they are paying tribute to they're dad's record collection but actually mocking it.
Then there's tunes like "Sinkin'/Risin'" by the Enthusiasts. Though first impressions from the sleeve cover and and the band name it seems the hailing an hour north from NYC's Enthusiasts have one foot planted ankle deep in lo-fi garage punk singles of the late 90's/early 00's-it's also sounds as though they have been buried neck deep in Blue Cheer and James Gang records.
And instead of sounding like they are mining the biker bar and back water burn-out rocker sound as some backlash to whatever "war on hipster" sound they are pissed off at-they sound sincere in simply celebrating guitar solo abounds meat and potatoes (and cans of tallboys beer) rock-n-roll.
Kicking off with a huge splat of guitar feedback the tunes gives to a big power trio pummel where 60's boogie rock gave way to something a bit more sick and spilled seeds that would lead to the roots of Heavy Metal. The guitar slingin' singer knows he'll never be some golden god so never bothered practicing trying to sing high notes so instead spent lots of time smoking brown weed and wondering what Joe Walsh would do if he was born 40 years later...
Flip it over for "Joanne" and the pace is a little slower chug starting off as it 60's psych-blues ballad before gaining momentum into some kinda '74 pre-punk blaster."
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