A couple of bands of mine just released records and received some good reviews from Downtown Music Gallery. If you are interested please read them, and if you would like to acquire a copy of either recording please visit Downtown Music Gallery or prom night records online (websites below)
http://www.dtmgallery.com/
http://www.promnightrecords.com/
reviews:
F $ F [FIVE DOLLAR FERRARI: BRAD HENKEL/DUSTIN CARLSON] - F $ F [Ltd #d Ed of 100] (Prom Night; USA) Five Dollar Ferrari features Brad Henkel on trumpet & electronics and Dustin Carlson on guitar & electronics. Just about very week some younger Downtown musicians wander into DMG and leave us (me) with a promo of theirs. I never know what I might find, but I am endlessly intrigued by the tidal wave of interesting self-produced discs. Trumpeter Brad Henkel has worked with percussionist Dave Grollman here at DMG while guitarist Dustin Carlson has also played here with Ben Stapp, Brian Drye & Jacob Wick. Brad and Dustin just left us with 2 new discs to check out, a duo (F $ F) and a trio (Sunshine Soldier)
F$F- This two-track CD consists of two pieces, clocking in at about 40 minutes. The first track was composed by Brad and it is hushed, elegant and minimal work. The trumpet breathes slowly in and out like the sound of a radiator from the next room, the guitar strums one chord at a time, lovely and sad. There is a distant wave, the hum of the guitar provides a shimmering drone, the person next to you is snoring quietly for a change. An effective soft spoken vocal section occurs towards the end of the first piece talking about solitude. The duo do a fine job of layering lines of trumpet and guitar lines in a mesmerizing haze with the words at the center. The noisy guitar, trumpet and vocal layer eventually erupt into a dramatic conclusion which I found astonishing. The second piece also starts quietly and minimally and builds from there. Mr. Henkel has a lovely, warm tone on his trumpet which he uses selectively one note at a time. Again we get a short bit of spoken word before the duo move into a rather odd, mechanical yet warped groove and then break down to fractured weirdness. There is something both rude and cool about this piece. Who else would put Beefheartian guitar and loud flatulent trumpet together?!? Another one this week's unexpected delights. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $7
SUNSHINE SOLDIER [BRAD HENKEL/DUSTIN CARLSON/BOOKER STARDRUM] - Sunshine Soldier [Ltd #d Ed of 100] (Prom Night; USA) Brad Henkel on trumpet, Dustin Carlson on baritone guitar and Booker Stardrum on drums & melodica. Both Brad Henkel (with Dave Grollman) and Dustin Carlson (w/ Benn Stapp & Jacob Wick) have played here at DMG during our weekly free Sunday series. I am not so sure about Booker Stardrum, is this his real name? "Liek" was written by Mr. Henkel and it is a tight and twisted piece with marching drums at the beginning, followed by a mysterious sparse section. As the intensity builds, the guitar and trumpet start adding layers of reverberating lines until we enter into a cyclone-like storm. The trio again builds up from a skeletal groove while the trumpet shreds higher and higher until the powerful conclusion. "Aret" by Mr. Stardrum begins with some quaint melodica before the sparse space takes over. Again the trio takes their time to add soft fragments, a few at a time. I dig the way they expand on the post lower-case organic improv by adding melodic fragments at certain points. Booker plays just rubbed cymbals while Brad plays some lovely, soft drums and Dustin plucks a swell, slow melody thus creating a somber dreamworld soundscape. DMG discovers yet another gem from three future Downtown superstars. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery