Side 1
The double album opens with Why You Know’s “Are We The Weather?,” a rock song with some cool psychedelic sounds and edge to the guitar work, fitting for its title. This song is credited to Justin Burrill (known for his work in The Wild Stares), who plays guitar and sings lead. And I dig that bass line by Pat Hoed, who also plays organ. Mario Lalli is on guitar, and Greg Cameron (of SWA) is on drums. That’s followed by a song titled “BlindSpell” by a group called BlindSpell, which puts the group into that category with They Might Be Giants, I See Hawks In L.A. and Bad Company, who all have songs that share the band names. This is a delicious, solid rock song, with Amber Webber delivering a powerful vocal performance. She wrote the song with Rainer Fraenkel, who plays both guitar and bass on this track. Richard Jones is on guitar, and Ruben Romano (of The Freeks) is on drums and keyboard. This fantastic track had me dancing around my apartment even though it was like ninety degrees in here. It reminds me of the great rock music of the 1970s when I was a kid.
“Job’s Robe,” by El Nopal, comes on at a quicker pace. This is the first of the tracks to feature the drum work of Bob Lee. The song was written by Paul Roessler, who sings lead and plays keyboards on the track. And the backing vocalists? Josie Cotton and Cherish Alexander. Michael F. Glass is on guitar and bass, and Carey Fosse is on guitar. Check out these lines, which open the song: “Hey, what the hell did I ever do to you, God/To make you hate me/To bring your thunder/Down on me?” Yeah, this one has a great punk energy. Then “I’m Gonna Stop” is a totally fun number written by Brandon Jay, who sings on this track and plays piano, guitar, drums and percussion. He delivers a lively vocal performance, and there is a sense of humor to this track, which is about trying to get over someone. “I gave you my heart and you left it on the seat/Windows rolled up in the blazing heat/Locked me up in my car and you dangled the keys.” And I love the backing vocals echoing, “Stop.” Quazar And The Bamboozled is the name of Brandon Jay’s regular band, but on this particular release, the band’s lineup is different. It includes Woody Aplanalp on guitar and vocals, Victor Krummenacher on bass and vocals, Carolyn Soyars on keyboards and vocals, and Weba Garretson on vocals. This is one of my personal favorite tracks.
Side 2
“Astro-Tidal Drift,” by The Blind Insects, has an interesting, darker sound at the start. This track features Probyn Gregory on French horn, trumpet and vocals. This guy plays with everyone, so I don’t know why I’m surprised to find him participating in this project, but as always I am happy to hear his work. Gritane Demone gives a compelling and dramatic vocal performance. “Everything else was shot to bits/In the astro-tidal drift,” she tells us. And great that scream leaves no question. And indeed, there seems to be some uncertain ground. In addition to Probyn Gregory and Gritane Demone, this band includes Jim Mills (of Extra) on drums, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and piano; Steve Gregoropoulos (known for his work in The Wild Stares and Lavender Diamond) on keyboard; and Willie Aron (who is part of Wild Honey Orchestra) on guitar. This song is credited to all five band members. That’s followed by another wild number, “The Suckerboy Lotto,” this one written by Mike Watt, who plays bass and sings on it. Mike Watt is another musician to play on more than one track. Here he is joined by Bill Woodcock on guitar and vocals, Dave Travis on cello and vocals, John Collinson on drums and vocals, and Richard Alan Krieger on trumpet and didgeridoo and vibraphone, collectively known as Suckerboys. “Excuses, excuses/More like a train of cabooses.” I particularly like the work on trumpet on this track.
The Innocent is the second band to feature Bob Lee. This band is a trio made up of Ian Smith (from Biblical Proof Of UFOs) on guitar and vocals, Joe Dean bass, and Bob Lee on drums. It’s a song about self-medication. “Took a little pill/Made me quickly ill.” I love the way this one builds in power. That’s followed by “There Goes The Neighborhood” by Morning Jackhammers, a band made up of Dave Soyars on vocals and acoustic guitar, Eric Potter on vocals and electric guitar, Laura Smith on bass and vocals, and John Montgomery (of The Mudbug Brass Band) on drums and vocals. A great beat is quickly established. “There’s happening in the neighborhood/We’re making something, and it sure feels good/So why don’t I feel like I should?” There is then an unexpected change, and that’s when things get interesting. I love how it slows down, turns darker. Who thought a taco stand could sound so haunting, so sinister? But it does the way this band delivers the line “And when you’re walking to the taco stand.” And suddenly the song kicks back in, takes on that good beat again. “So where were you when the plague hit town?”
Side 3
The third side of this double album opens with “Back From The Abyss” from a band called Strike On Box. Paul Lacques is a member of one of my favorite bands, I See Hawks In L.A., and he wrote this song, and also plays guitar and sings lead on it. “It’s been the strangest year of my life,” he sings at the beginning of this song. Honestly, the last several years have been strange, and I’m not sure we’re out of the strangeness yet. This is a seriously cool song, with a delicious rhythm. “I’m back from the abyss/But I’m heading out soon.” And when I think the track can’t get any cooler, Jonathon Stearns comes in on cornet to deliver some wonderful work. David O. Jones is on bass, Herb Lienau is on keyboard, John Collinson is on drums, and Woody Aplanalp is on backing vocals. This is another highlight of this release. By the way, a video was made for this song that features fellow I See Hawks In L.A. member Victoria Jacobs.
Both Woody Aplanalp and Bob Lee play in the band called Doctors We Trust, an apt band name coming out of the pandemic, though interestingly this band actually formed before that. There was a smaller initial Loteria project in 2019, and this band was created then. The song, “Static Memoir,” comes on like a great punk song, but with an unusual atmosphere. Marc Doten is on bass, Richard Jones is on guitar, and Danny McGough on keyboard. And on this track we get another great vocal performance by Gitane Demone. With that vocal performance, that driving beat, and the cool work on electric guitar, this ends up being another strong track. Then “Kinky Bitch” from Geza X is a delightfully odd and quirky and playful number, with some lyrics that I love, such as “Media addiction is degrading/Flip the switch/Kinky bitch” and “It’s easier if you don’t fight it/Life’s a merry-go-round/Just ride it.” There is a strange carnival sense to this track’s sound. Geza X is on vocals, keyboards and MIDI guitar. Heather Galipo plays both electric guitar and acoustic guitar, Bob Lee is on percussion, and Mike Watt is on bass. “Anxiety is highly overrated/Life is cooler if you don’t hate it.” I love this track more and more each time I listen to it.
Side 4
“Theme From Ladmo” has a nice, a jazzy vibe, and is the album’s only instrumental track. The group, The Legendary Curtains, is made up of Joe Baiza on guitar and slide guitar, Mark Mastopietro on guitar, William Tutton on bass, Joe Berardi (of Double Naught Spy Car) on drums, and Dan Clucas on cornet. This track features some delicious work on guitar and some great stuff on cornet over a really good groove. There is a brief, but wonderful moment when the bass leads. This one welcomes us to a better reality, a better realm, contained somehow right here in the city. Ah, everything feels right. There is a jazz element to “Paradise Is Mine” too. However, the vibe is completely different, more insistent, urgent, even unsettling. “Work all day, work all day, do it again, do it again, do it.” The band, Áfido, is made up of Lyman Chaffee on vocals and rhythm guitar, Marc Doten on bass and Moog, Jon Wahl (of Claw Hammer) on guitar and saxophone, and Andy Sykora on drums. Lyman Chaffee wrote the song, which partway through breaks open to a different plateau, with more light coming in and more space to breathe. “This candy-colored hot house that I call a home is a fine place to be/And everything under the sun casts a shadow except me.” Then we return to the more urgent sense, and that sax work is wild. And suddenly it’s over, and he sings the title line, “Paradise is mine, Paradise is mine.”
The final track, “Toad Liquor” by Whistle Pig, has an interesting opening, like dawn over a windswept city, or radio signals from a crowded space. The song then takes on a strong groove, with prominent bass work by Joe Dean, and Bob Lee again on drums. We are treated to another good vocal performance by Weba Garretson, who co-wrote the song with Joe Dean. Mark Wheaton is on synths and vocoder, and Marc Myler is on tenor saxophone. As it reaches its conclusion, the track becomes a wild city scene, haunted by those who are still busy moving through its streets, skeletons screaming for a cab, as the last bits of skin flake off and melt into the pavement. An exciting finish to a tremendous double album.
Record Track List
Side 1
- Are We The Weather? – Why You Know
- BlindSpell – BlindSpell
- Job’s Robe – El Nopal
- I’m Gonna Stop – Quazar And The Bamboozled
Side 2
- Astro-Tidal Drift – The Blind Insects
- The Suckerboy Lotto – Suckerboys
- Synthetic Love – The Innocent
- There Goes The Neighborhood – Morning Jackhammers
Side 3
- Back From The Abyss – Strike On Box
- Static Memoir – Doctors We Trust
- Kinky Bitch – Geza X
Side 4
- Theme From Ladmo – The Legendary Curtains
- Paradise Is Mine – Áfido
- Toad Liquor – Whistle Pig
Loteria was released on February 18, 2022 through Org Music, and can be purchased on the Org Music website.
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