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Plays: 20212
Views: 20276 |
Formed: 1998
iSound Site: www.isound.com/rx_bandits
Label Site: www.isound.com/label/
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Matt Embree: Vocals, guitar
Chris Tsagakis: Drums
Steve Choi: Guitar, keyboards
Joe Troy: Bass
Christopher Sheets: Trombone, Vocals, Percussion
Review of the New Album by: Rx Bandits …And the Battle Begun in stores 10/10/06
"Its fake, proce |
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| Artist Backstage : iSOUND.COM
by RX Bandits
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Label: MDB Records
Date: 2006
CD Price: $11.25
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There are no songs associated with this album |
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Matt Embree: Vocals, guitar
Chris Tsagakis: Drums
Steve Choi: Guitar, keyboards
Joe Troy: Bass
Christopher Sheets: Trombone, Vocals, Percussion
Review of the New Album by: Rx Bandits …And the Battle Begun in stores 10/10/06
"Its fake, processed and it's fully unoriginal, music is choking and its time to look around." The Rx Bandits, a post-ska-jam-dub quintet from Seal Beach, California sang those lyrics in 2001, and they seem to still be holding up pretty strong. In days where alternative is the norm, 'indie' bands are on MTV, ska is dead, and "hXc" kids taking over your local mall, its nice to have a band who is willing to defy the main stream. Their previous two releases, Progress and The Resignation pushed the limits of what ska could do if it took itself seriously. Their new album shatters any genre you can find. Recorded partly in front man Matt Embree's garage, and produced and mixed by the band, this album is the purest example of talent giving birth to beautiful, uncorrupted and uncompromised music.
For those who are already fans of southern California's Rx Bandits, this album is simply the next step in their own musical evolution. To those are not yet familiar to any of the sextet's albums, their latest release is like nothing you have ever heard. If you can picture Bob Marley and the Skatalites, mixed in with Refused and Fugazi, you're somewhere near the music heard on this album. ...And the Battle Begun truly sits as the apex of its own genre. The ska and reggae found on Progress and The Resignation aren't as obvious, but still exist. The Bandits have created their own sound, full of complex rhythms and time signatures, with an endless supply of tempo changes and dynamics.
The Bandits left pop-punk mega house Drive Thru Records to release their 5th album on their own label, MDB Records. The band has toned down the politics of their previous works and has, instead, created a beautiful ode to joy and bliss. Each song preaches the love of being alive. Some songs still feature some social commentary, like "A Mouth Full of Hollow Threats" and "In Her Drawer," a song about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The album defiantly stands alongside its older brothers on the Drive-Thru family in terms of originality, and talent in the sounds that can only be made by a band that truly loves to make music.
Matt Embree's guitar parts have become even more complex and beautiful, gentle but heavy. He and secret weapon Steve Choi, a true artist on both guitar and keyboard, are one of the best guitar duos in music (for further reference, check out "Decrescendo" off of The Resignation). Drummer Chris Tsagakis and bassist Joe Troy have truly evolved from the rock-solid rhythm section found on The Resignation. Check out the song "1980," one of the most upbeat and strong songs, and the first song written on the album, "Only for the Night" to hear some of the most original drum and bass work out there. The horns and keyboards are what truly separate Rx Bandits from their peers; check out "A Mouth Full of Hollow Threats" and album ender "Crushing Destroyer" to see what a band with horns can do in the twenty-first century.
Listen to this album loud. In almost every song there is a soft, delicate keyboard melody somewhere in the background. The artists who finish up The Bandits' roster are Steve Borth on Saxophone and keyboards, and Chris Sheets on Trombone. Steve left the band on June 28th, one day after this album was released to fans at their shows (the CD doesn't hit stores until October).
All and all, this album is just as impressive as the Bandits' previous two releases. Each track on this album is flawless. Constantly changing through different rhythms, tempos and keys, this album is sure to dazzle any person looking for something new and original.
I definitely recommend buying this album. I would also recommend seeing these guys live; it's not a show, it is an experience.
Bio written by: Johnny Loftus |
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