Bay Area Bands: Three Genre-Melding Mysteries

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Devil Makes 3
This East Coast raised, Santa Cruz baked three-piece drags a rockabilly country-folk sound through the mud and grit of a punk rock puddle. "It's hard," says banjo player Cooper McBean, "everything you can say to describe it sounds cliche and stupid." "When we're forced to," adds frontman Pete Bernhard, "we call ourselves a country band, which is totally untrue." Over the last seven years, the drummer-less group has garnered a solid West Coast following through word of mouth and their single "Old Number 7" is a barroom classic, frequently turning on the box at Zeitgeist. Their acoustic synergy, best with a sip of whiskey, is known to set an audience to stomping and even stirring up the old country-rose mosh-pit. Keep an eye out for their third full-length "Do Wrong Right" out April 21st.

Devil Makes Three Website
Devil Makes Three Myspace

"Old Number 7 official video, officially filmed at the Independent"








 


Audiopharmacy (live ensemble)
SF-based reggae-hop rhymists have taken their constantly-evolving instrumentation to international levels, visiting Japan and Germany among other destinations. Led by producer Teao, the crew interchanges a variety of musicians from Bucketman (often seen downtown, slamming his single bucket with a selection of Audiopharmacy CDs laid out nearby) to MC Ras K' Dee, who's cool and quick lyricism adds the music's literal message of consciousness. Originally founded as II Sense in 1994 by Teao and guitarist Zygoat, the group added drummer Laxman (now of Panthelion) and vocalist Defiance to form Kaotic Souls. As the group expanded, eventually to more than 30 members, they formed a label, Audiopharmacy Prescriptions, recording and promoting a variety of up-and-coming Bay Area acts and performing as the Audiopharmacy live ensemble.

Audiopharmacy Website
Audiopharmacy Myspace

"Audiopharmacy Intro Video"

Audiopharmacy Promo from KaliShakti on Vimeo.










Panthelion
The San Jose trio trip around classical instruments, unwinding obliviously to their own music. Their triumphant cacophony, poured mainly through cajons, standup bass, trumpet and piano drives through genre after genre, jazz, classical, electronica and urban groove. While too many bands hold fast to too few styles, these three have ventured off into their own, bringing together elements not often combined by musicians their age. It's easily seen in their performances. This is nu class (short for new urban classical), their own unique territory, composed by standup bassist Andrew "Endika" Currier. Nu class pools refined intonations with 21st century speed and ambition - just look at those heads bang.

btw - Nu class is also the name of a Star Wars shuttle used both by the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars and the new Galactic Empire as of 137 ABY. Google it, discover Wookiepedia.



Panthelion Website
Panthelion Myspace

Rightfully titled, "Psycho Spiritual"

psycho spiritual from Panthelion on Vimeo.









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