Luke_Wilbur Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Here is a blast from the past September 1999 Washington D.C. Music Scene Report Sept. 4 Labor Day Music Bash - Frederick, Maryland Stereo Pharaohs opened for DC's excellent Zappa cover band, "The Other People", which were absolutely killer! Heard hits such as Dinamoh Hum and they dressed up in funny costumes sort of like "We're only in it for the Money". "The Next Step" and other great Dead and original bands played. Rained, but we played inside a 100 year old milking barn with concrete floor. Really cool time! Stereo Pharaohs is finalizing arrangements for touring in Southwestern Virginia in October and November. Sept. 1 was a fantastic night! Stereo Pharaohs played a gig with Ghost of Tom, Outer Body LLama, and a bunch of other bands at Phantasmagoria, in Wheaton, Maryland. The highlight of the evening was a massive jam with 2 drummers, 3 bassists, 2 guitarists, and 1 keyboard all going at one time. Sounded like a freaked out version of the Dead. Speaking of the Dead, if you are into the Dead, Phish, and similar bands, Ghost of Tom has an original sound that draws from these influences to peform great original compositions and they rock out without giving you an earache! They kind of remind me of some of the early acoustic Dead stuff. They are a very tight band and are attracting a growing number of fans, so check them out. Outer Body Llama is the best psychedelic band I have heard in a very long time. I particular like their jams, which are quite complex for a 3 piece band. They do some bizarre stuff, going from Monkeys harmonies to 60s psychedelic riffs. Definitely go to one of their gigs. All 3 are great musicians and their drummer is killer. Check out another cool band, Signs Point to Yes. They remind me of Alice Cooper and do cool original material. My buddies, Rupert and Art, performed a magnificent Theremin-frenetic jam with SPTY and you can check out both bands at these links: Signs Point To Yes Rupert and Art This web site has lots of information about the DC Music Scene. MusicDC If you are into psychedelic 60s/70s sounds, you might like my band from the Washington D.C. area: Stereo Pharaohs The Kosovo Benefit gig on Sat., May 15, 1999 at Crossroads, in Fairfax, Virginia, was great! Our loyal fans came out and rocked with us and we met several new humans and I gotta say that Lesbian Boy rocked after our set! They kicked ass and were funnier than hell! I think they should be rock stars with a big hit with a bullet on MTV and bring some MUCH NEEDED humour to the music world. You MUST check them out! Stereo Pharaohs is playing a dive near YOU! Keep checking this web page for updates on our gig Stereo Pharaohs Rocks Wheaton, Maryland Stereo Pharaohs opened for Xyra and Verborgen and Phantasmagoria is the coolest bar in the D.C. area to perform in! No smoke to make you choke, people actually watch the bands, good brew, incredible sound system and great vibes. The March 18th gig was lots of fun and Stereo Pharaohs was inspired and the audience really enjoyed the psychedelic freakout funk experience that the band gave. Xyra and Verborgen combined cool Jethro-Tull like compositions with super vocals and musicianship, including an excellent Celloist. They are attracting attention in the Washington D.C. area with their unique sounds. I saw a video tape of one of their performances at a special Nico tribute and it kicked! Cabaret Rock Nouveau! - Xyra & Verborgen! News Briefs - Danielson Family played with Question Mark and Mysterians and the Makeups at gig in Washington D.C. at Blackcat. All bands were excellent, though my favorite is Danielson Family. The gig was March 13 and Danielson Family really was cool with their alternative psychedelic Christian music. The band was huge with haunting organ and screeching falsettos by Daniel. They were very tight and are going to go places, I believe. JEFF AUG - From the Washington D.C. Suburb of Laurel, Maryland, home of Tasty Diner (Yum!), Irish Pub (Yum! Yum!), and Laurel Raceway. This guy is a fantastic guitarist! He was on tour in Europe and is back in the U.S. on a tour. Jeff Aug "before then after" From the docile energy of before then after's Dolphinwave to the hard-edge of Train To Gunzburg, Jeff Aug's relentless fingering on acoustic guitar articulates a one man wall of sound. At times his impressive delicacy suddenly whips into a pulsing syncopation then to spread out into virtuosic explorations. Mr. Aug's compositions are more than the mere music offered to us in other contemporary scenes, they are shared experiences of a visceral intensity. He relies on the melding of disparate styles rendered compatible through his deft rhythms. Aug's powerful reinterpretation of his instrument will set the standard upon which future guitarists are judged. Jeff Aug's music truly represents a rare talent. Pat Loughran, NY What can I tell you... I just love "before than after" for its contribution to psychedelic trends and an amazing high quality of precision and a wonderful sense of space. The "Funky accoustic Groove Thang Part 1", the "Train to Gunzburg" and the "Rocket" lead the way. What guitar playing! Way to go, ...brother... Ryszard M. Lagodka Click here to hear a part of may favorite song "Funky Accoustic Groove Thang Part 1 For more about Jeff's wonderful music and how to order his albums click here The Ubangis - "Drop Another Coin" DeCeased Records The Ubangis c/o Trash Palace P.O. box 2565 Silver Spring, Maryland 20915 Phone: (301)681-4625 email: trashpal@erols.com Recorded at Beware of Dog Studios in Silver Spring, Maryland Mixed by Brian Horrowitz & Carl Merson Produced by The Ubangis Take some Dick Dale, Link Wray, and Tex Rubinowitz mixed with lots of bizarre zaniness, and you got the Ubangis! This Wheaton, Maryland based combo consists of: Brian D. Horrorwitz - drums & vocals "Saucy" Randy Manos "The Hands of Death" - guitar, backup vocals Eric "U.M.F." Tavela - bass guitar, backup vocals And they kick Rockabilly butt! Their CD is a good representation of their live act, though it is a studio recording. I don't want to give away too much, since not only do you get to hear some cool music, the CD is a show in itself. Brian's lead vocals, tribal drumming along with Randy's Dick Dale/Link Wray Reverberated guitar runs go sleazily on top of Eric's bass. The rhythm section does a credible job of backup vocals to accompany Brian's stark/raving lunacy. The whole CD rocks and is good to hear really cranked up. Particular favorites on this recording are "15 Minutes to Live", the Tex Rubinowitz cover, "No Club (Lone Wolf)", which I used to hear back in the 70s when Brian was a young whippersnapper just getting out of diapers. Speaking of diapers, Brian doesn't wear much more than that when he plays live. He plays his drumset standing up, which I have not seen done since I saw the Stray Cats play many years ago. If you are a fan of old Fender amps and reverb, check out Randy, since this guy has THE style down pat! Also, the Scarlets instrumental, "Stampede" really cooks. Lots of other good ***brown trout*** on this CD, including a funny cover of "5 Minutes to Live" by Johnny Cash. If you are in the D.C. area, check these guys out and buy the CD! Inglis - "Buffalo" Peloponnesian Music P.O. Box 2743 Columbia, Maryland 21045 www.inglismusic.com Excellent Mellow Rock with outstanding acoustic and guitar work by Jeff Aug. Inglis seems to have many influences, but their sound is definitely unique. I hear some Todd Rundgen, a lot of Jeff Aug's acoustic and electric guitar originality, and some songs that should definitely be played on the radio. All songs are written by William Morris Inglis and William has an interesting voice that is recognizable - believe it or not, he sounds a little like Weird Al Yankovic doing folk rock! :-) I like Weird Al, so I hope William considers this a complement. He has many other musicians on this CD, such as Robbie Limon on the fourth track, "Orpheus Rex", playing Sitar. William plays fine acoustic guitar on this track, with nice bass work by him, too. Jeff hits some burning electric guitar leads on that song. The 7th track, "Spending Paradise" starts out with Jeff's trademark acoustic guitar appregios and some Pete Townsend-like vocals of William in nice harmony with Kim Brown. Bill Pratt's piano work makes this track sound a little "Todd Rundgren-like". My favorite track, is the rocking song, "I'd Be Loving You", with a cool beat and burning Jeff Aug chords and leads. The lyrics, "Now how many men, Between a man and his Maker?, Nature was our temple and shrine, Every morning I faced what was holy, every night I held what was mine", are ok with me. It would be great to hear this band play in the D.C. area some time. I hope they do some local gigs. Past Reviews: Jeff Aug - "In the Breezeway" Compact Disk Reviews of Jeff's latest album "before then after" Cool Stuff about Jeff Aug www.jeffaug.com Jeff Aug's Web Site P.O. Box 685 New Paltz, NY 12561 Copyright 1997 Protozoa Music/BMI Picture of Jeff Aug Jeff Aug - a guitar virtuoso in the Washington D.C. area. Jeff resides in Wheaton, Maryland and tours with an acoustic guitar. Talk about minimalism! This guy doesn't NEED anyone else! I would love to hear him cranking out riffs on an electric with a five piece band, but you would NOT BELIEVE the sounds out of this CD. Although Jeff is still a youngin' compared to this reviewer, he has toured extensively in the U.S. and especially in Europe. He has been in a number of bands and decided to perform live with an acoustic guitar and an effects box which he DOES NOT overuse. He plays acoustic and electric on this CD with solo performances and songs with other musicians - he sounds equally fantastic playing alone or rocking with other instruments. If you are into David Gilmour, John Mclaughlin, Jimmy Page, and the band Rush, you will love this recording! I thought the 60s and 70s were dying, but I was wrong. The song, "Introduction to Shazam" has a cool "Doors - The End" type sound and the next song, "Shazam" sounds like Ian Anderson on steroids! Jeff finger picks incredibly fast and keeps his tone very clean. Excellent D.C. area musicians accompany Jeff on some of the tracks including the very talented Doug Empie on Violin on three of the songs, including "Shazam". Doug has played around the D.C. area in various acoustic and electric incarnations, such as "Goat" and is currently in the psychedelic space-rock band, SGBC (Stolen Government Binder Clip). The song, "Got a Mutt Named Spike" features Steve Levine on harmonica playing along with Jeff's bluesy riffs. Aaron Wertlieb rounds out this song on bass. "7-11 Slurpee" not only has a cool name for a song, it has a very Asian sound. The last song, "Paces" is in the ozone with volume-swelled electric guitar pulsing like an old Pink Floyd album mixed with some Jimi Hendrix spaciness. If you are bored with all the Techno and think the guitar is smashed and buried, check out Jeff Aug's "In the Breezeway". (Check out Jeff's Web Page at http://www.dumbluck.com) The Shiny Brites Cassette email: rt@clark.net Good Records Production Shiny Brites P.O. Box 10254 Rockville, Md. 20850 The Shiny Brites have created a new genre of music, in my opinion. I would call their music punk/industrial/psychedelic lounge. If you are into the Cows, Captain Beefheart and appreciate innovative guitar and bass sounds, then this band is for you! It was luck that I met the guitar player, Clay Harris, at a gig of a friend of mine. He was in the audience and we got to talking during one of my friend's breaks and I jumped at the chance to review something that isn't MAINSTREAM! As soon as I put this tape on for a buddy of mine and myself, we smiled and knew that we have found a gem of a band. The first cut, "Begrudged" sounds has some of the most bizarre guitar sounds I have heard in quite some time. The vocalist, Diane Hernandez has a nice seductive voice which hypnotically chants "Don't begrudge me....". The guitar goes off and does some banjo type licks with all sorts of atonal chord progressions which goes over the Bossa Nova bass line. The fourth song, "Don't ***brown trout*** On Me" really rocks out with a D to E bass line by bassist, Rob Thornton, with feedback squealing on top of angry lyrics of Diane. The next song, "HeyHeyRomeo" is pure trash lounge music - Tom Waits move over! "Hey Romeo - move over and get a grip" is one of the lines of this song. "Hey, Hey Romeo, how about it - If only I knew..." The guitar splurts out crazed Jazz riffs on top of a jazz bass riff. The next song, "Purple Heart" finally has some drumming and this song really kicks ass! I have no idea what chords the guitar player is playing - some kind of diminshed progression and the bass playing is superb on top of the pounding cymbal-ladden drums". "YeloCeloBassGuitar" really rocks too with some cool loungebilly echoed-out guitar riffs on top of a thick, creamy bass line with driving drums. Diane sings some incomprehensible lyrics during part of this song. Black Tears is a drippy 50s song and would make a great song as part of the soundtrack of a John Water's movie. I can go on and on about this band, but go right out and buy this tape! There are a total of 16 songs on this tape and every one is super. I hope they put out a CD soon. Contact these guys via email and tell them you want to buy up a bunch of tapes for your friends. I hope to see them play real soon and I am happy at last I have heard some really cool, outrageous music to review! Open Defiance - "Open Defiance" Compact Disk email: Openlydefy@aol.com Open Defiance Web Site My Own Eyes Records 2852 Bowes Lane Dale City, Va 22193 703-492-8267 moerec@aol.com Band Info and Show Dates: (703)612-9033 Recorded and Mixed from Feb. '96 to June '96 at Neptune Studios This CD cooks with hard corp, punked-out speed Metal grinded up into Black Sabbath/Prong riffs. This is heavy ***brown trout***! These guys can write cool lyrics and their opening song, "Showtime" kicks: "Showtime, me and the boys are hyped. Not time, the pit is feeling right. My fists are flying and you start your crying. you think I'm too rough. Well, that's tough." Their guitar and bass sounds tuned down a half-step or so to get that dark, depressing metalized sound. Their vocals are the total opposite of that shitty power-pop drek that is plastered all over the radio waves. Their voices are deep and full of Metal! The drummer pounds the hell out of his drum set. Total Metal!! Other stand-outs include "Can't U C" with a cool bass riff in unison with a driving guitar and drums. "Guess What" is a song that talks about a friend who is driving you crazy with complaining and whining: "Just leave me alone, I'll work it out myself, It's just another thing to deal, With when you run your mouth, Crying about this, Crying about that, I don't have time, For All of this CRAP....". Reservationation is a Cherokee Indian Prayer that tells it like it is - about how America screwed over the Indians". Cracked is a funky song about the disease of smoking crack. These guys can boogie on their respective instruments - Chris B., vocals, Jennifer J. Arroyo on Bass, Vocals, Danny Quirk on Guitar, and Randy Steinbeck on Drums. They have one of the better CD Cover and liner notes for a local CD that I have ever seen. They have pictures of the band members, lyrics, and some creativity in this CD cover and liner notes. If you are sick of wimpy Metal bands that play for 10 year olds, you got to check out Open Defiance. Their CD cover says it all with a baby giving you the finger in "Open Defiance"! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For questions: Back to Soy Goodness Page © 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Creative Business Advisers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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