Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

Name: God Made Me Funky
Album: Enter the Beat
Released: 2008
Members:
Kaybe - Sangin’
Lynzie Kent - More Sangin’
PHATT al - MC
Cam Dougall - Bass
Rich Grossman - Guitar
Arthur Kerekes - Sax
Benji Perosin - Trumpet
Al Witz - Drums
Danny Argyle - Keys

Website: www.godmademefunky.com
Favourite Song: We All Fall Down

This band is huge. Seriously. God Made Me Funky is huge. Not only in a musical sense, but in a general… physical sense. Not each individual, but the sheer amount of individuals. Causes for an interesting sound because there’s such a blend of different things going on that could be pulled off in studio as well as on stage. If I am to use the album art as an indication, there’s eight different people in the band. Possibly nine, I’m not sure if the sillouette of a person is supposed to represent a band member. After writing that last line I thought it’d be a great idea and check the “members” bit I just wrote, which states there’s nine people in this band. NINE!

Juding soley from the NAME of the band, I’m going to say… Funk. Myspace fills in the Hip-Hop and R&B tags. I can’t disagree. The bass reminds me of “funk” like no other. I forget now where I heard it from, but someone somewhere at some point (…) says the bass line is what makes funk funk. So… yes. And you don’t hear brass instruments a lot in my “line of work” seeing as not a lot of people I can think of really play them outside of the school marching band.

I like that the songs have enough of the same elements, in that you know it’s the same band. The diversity of the band is what makes each individual song great, because there is so much you can add and take away with this amount of members, that isn’t possible when it’s a three piece band. I don’t hear a lot of vocals that are shared by a male/female lead. Also makes for interesting music, since it’s not just someone singing background vocals, or being used as just an extra filler, but a big part of each song.

Get out on the dance floor. Whether through someone’s mp3 player or live on stage, I can’t imagine any club playing God Made Me Funky is going to have an empty dance floor. It’s impossible. Sitting in my seat, and extremely rhythmically challenged, even I’m trying to dance.

Name: Random Order Album: dimples and Anti depressants. Released: 2004 Members: Morgan Doctor Drums & Percussion John Jowlett Trombone & Gong S. Lynn Phillips Lead/Backup Vox & Guitar Leyla Tshongo - Bass Guitar Violin - Julia “can’t eat” Wedman Violin - Aisslinn “ace” Nosky Violoncello Felix “the cat” Deak Website: www.randomorder.ca Favourite Song: Double Standard Girls (track 2)

I saw this grouping of people at my first Senor Kasio show. They were having inter-instrument sex on stage. Disturbing in a donky-show type of fashion where you’re slightly disgusted, but you can’t look away. And me with my newly acquired super-camera taking picture like mad was the only reason the lead singer came up to me I think. It’s nice to be able to say “Not only am I a horrible photographer, I also review music!” is the reason you, my public, are reading this now.

My iTunes says Random order is Alternative (my internet connection is down whilst I write this, so no myspace cheats for this review!) and it’s definitely an alternate to what I normally listen to. I think calling it Funk would be a safe bet since it swings pretty nicely, Ska too. It’s a happy type of music. Is “Happy” a genre? It should be, considering “Emo” is a genre of music by now.

I think my first comment is going to be due to growing up in the bubblegum pop generation. I keep thinking these songs are endless. My iTunes confirms many of Random Order’s songs are closer to the 5 minute mark, rather than the 3 minute 10 second maximum of radio airplay. Not that I know where one would be able to successfully make any of their songs shorter, but there we have it. I love the fact Random Order has instruments other than the very standard guitar, bass and drums. I think it’s because I love saying “Trombone”

My opinion in where I would listen to Random Order? Live on stage. Their stage show is so awesome it’s definitely a must-see. If you’re confined to listening to CD’s and/or legally procured mp3’s, then I would say at a party. While I’m not entirely convinced a band enjoys hearing they make great background music, Random Order is a band you can easily groove to with a group of people, and is non-offensive enough that it’s safe no matter who walks into your humble abode. After the last comment, is it to risque to say Random Order makes good make-out music? I might have to try that some time soon.

Latté D. Kyd plus her live backing band Sweet Bitch played all the way out in Etobicoke on a lovely Thursday night. April 19th, 2007 to be exact. While the venue was easy enough to get to, and thankfully for all of us who work early in the morning, on time… to an extent. I will admit first and foremost that it was still frustrating to have a show that late on a weeknight that I needed to get to, when I had work the next morning.

Thankfully they were on time, and were only the second act up. Unthankfully I found out as I arrived in between sets, that my friend Mandippal Jandu was first on the docket and I missed his set. Ah well, I saw him the next week afterwards anyways. (And will be writing about that soon enough)

Anyways. The show. Latté’s (Yes that’s her full and legal name from the rumours I’ve heard) has songs that are both pop in nature, funk in nature, and always have a bit of a female-rap in nature. Her self-admitted not being able to dance on stage like Beyoncee is a welcome change to those who think they can but really can’t.

I can really say I like Latté’s songs because from what I have been able to figure out, they’re about the good, and the bad things in life, but always spun to have a positive outlook. The world needs more positive outlooks. We’re just too jaded as a society.

While I’d say I can’t wait for her second album in her 3 part series to come out, it looks like I’ll have to. It’s a good thing I’m a patient person!