Welcome to "Not Jazz," a semi-frequently updated portion of SearchAndRestore.com where we tell you about some music that may not be considered "jazz", but that we think is awesome nonetheless. We could get into a whole debate about the definition of "jazz" in general, but it would be a waste of everyone's time, which could be better spent checking out more mind-blowing music. There are a lot of parallels and crossovers between contemporary jazz and rock and roll, new classical, and music from all over the world, so why not open your brain to some new gems. If you have any suggestions for the "Not Jazz" blog, please send an email to SearchAndRestore@gmail.com.
FEATURE 4: DOSH
When multi-instrumentalist phenom Martin Dosh isn’t touring the world on drum/keyboard/loop pedal duties for Andrew Bird, he’s honing his own craft as “Dosh.” His onstage setup is a sight to behold; an environment of acoustic and electronic instruments that he navigates with freakish precision, control and elegance (check out the list below if you want to geek out). His drum rig runs through his own mixer and loop set up, allowing the constant ability to play and sample his own beats. Dosh’s command of his one-man-band setup allows him to control every ebb and flow of the music with more detail than most bands five times his size can handle; one second, you’re mesmerized by layers upon layers of grid-locked melodies and rhythms, the next, you could be swept into a wall of seemingly incidental sounds and textures. With this control, he wields a power that allows him to make his instruments sound like a single voice and a whole orchestra at the same time. Another key element in his music is the simple and static nature of its parts. Because his melodies are so minimal, he still has space in his live shows to make off-the-cuff decisions, which gives his meticulous sound a breath of experimentation that is surprising yet refreshing.
Although Dosh started out as a solo affair, He now usually plays with a fellow Minneapolis native, the mighty Mike Lewis, (Happy Apple, Andrew Bird) who has mastered his very own station of instruments (tenor sax, bass, percussion and yamaha portasound). Dosh and Lewis have been making music together in one form or another for a long time now, and it shows when they play. Their uncanny ability to play their respective set ups without stepping on each others toes at all gives the music and the live show more detail, depth and power, as well as an exciting aspect of interaction that was absent from the one man show.
So next time Andrew Bird is not on tour (which isn’t until mid November as of now), I’m hoping that Dosh and Lewis are feeling restless, and you should too.
Read about Dosh’s gear set-up in the May 26, 2006 entry HERE!
Video of Dosh playing “Steve The Cat” in his home town:
-by Ian Chang
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FEATURE 3: EXTRA LIFE
Extra Life is the brain-project of Charlie Looker, multi-instrumental fiend who wields a guitar and holds sole vocal responsibilities in this outfit. When they perform, Looker sits in a chair, facing the audience, and sings with his eyes closed. The vocal sweeps more than once hint at a Gregorian influence and other early music's, something that strongly contributes to the unsettling nature of Extra Life's output. Unsettling in this case is a good thing. As a listener, you're never given the chance to get used to what you're hearing, the chance for your brain to say, "Ok...got it, keep it up." The vocals are steady once they enter, jumping to notes you don't expect, in phrases you don't recognize, which has an energizing and confusing effect. These are not melodies that you'll be walking away humming, but they will effect you, dragging you through the registers, the sweeps and swells. And when it's all over, you know you've felt something strong, like eating something you've never had before, or hitting your head on a cement overhang.
The band is a band of beasts, numbering at five including Looker, with Travis Laplante manning keyboards, tenor sax, and EWI, Caley Monahon-Ward on the violin, Tony Gedrich on bass, and Nick Podgurski pummeling the drums. Before founding Extra Life, Looker was a member of the chamber brutes Z's, and much of the meticulous rhythmic dissection and destruction Z's are known for has been preserved and transferred into Extra Life's precise brand of aggressive folk music. The versatility of the group is astonishing, being the heaviest of heavy and then the lightest of light. A common occurrence within the music is for the full band's manic rhythmic group assaults to cease abrubtly allowing Looker to sing accompanied only by violin, which slips between unison and harmony with the unpredictable vocals.
It is truly difficult to put a finger on just what makes Extra Life's music so effective, and it presents the contradiction that pop sensibility is almost entirely vacant from the music, but the desire to hear more and more is felt after just a few listens. I believe the answer lies with the band's history with improvised music. Looker has another improvisational project called Period with drummer Mike Pride, and saxophinst Travis Laplante plays in the band Little Women, which can knock you down with some punk free jazz in just on punch. What makes Extra Life special is that they've taken the unpredictable excitement of improvised music and infused that energy into extremely calculated song forms. It's engaging to listen to, and live it's a sight to behold. Definitely check out their most recent LP for the louder stuff, and a split EP they did with Nat Baldwin (upright bassist extraordinaire and frequent Dirty Projector) for a quieter, but just as exciting song set.
The Dirty Projectors have been at it for quite some time, and have a vast catalog of recorded evidence to prove it.
freebie: click HERE to download some great Dirty Projectors recordings over at Daytrotter
Guitar pioneer Dave Longstreth makes magic in ways that only he can. His vocal melodies, vibratos, and guitar motions slide beyond convention and around expectation. Other have tried this, but few have made it listenable and engaging. His band, The Dirty Projectors have accomplished this. They have gone through line-up changes like butter, but the current band is the strongest, which will be expanding to include two new members for a coming tour, promoting a coming album 'Bitte Orca', which I highly recommend you buy, upon its release on Domino Records on June 9th.
To watch the band perform is to be struck from all sides. You are swept away by the guitar wizardry, only to be knocked down from behind by pitch perfect harmonies, courtesy of bassist Angel Deradoorian and guitarist Amber Coffman, only to be picked back up by drummer Brian Mcomber’s rhythmic attacks, which are able to lift and startle at the same time. And then, at any moment, everything could change. Live, the Dirty Projectors display a near impossible tightness, and the new album will be the first release since heavily touring the current band, so my hope is that this energy will be preserved on record.
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FIRST FEATURE: DEERHOOF
Our first feature is the unique sounds of Deerhoof, the San Francisco group, who have just released an amazing record "Offend Maggie" on the Kill Rock Stars label. The Deerhoof magic is truly a sum of its parts, and to see them live is a true pleasure. Singer and bassist Satomi Matsuzaki sings words that are often hard to understand, sometimes because her voice is so high, and sometimes because the lyrics are in Japanese. The partial ambiguity of the words allows her voice to become taken seriously as another instrument. One of the best parts of Deerhoof's sound is that they can come off sounding minimal and incredibly energetic simultaneously. Greg Saunier's drum spasms are always the perfect duration, and the revelation that his drum kit consists only of a kick drum, snare drum, and a giant hi-hat made out of two ride cymbals presents the question "how does he do that??" often when listening to a Deerhoof album. Guitarrists Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich have the ability to sound like one guitar, or five guitars at the drop of a hat. This polarity creates a constant excitement and energy, and is part of makes Deerhoof one of the most original bands out there today.
Here is the music video for Buck and Judy, one of the standout tracks off "Offend Maggie." For some premiere live footage, head over to Pitchfork.TV and check out their performance on Juan's Basement.
