Raunchy, horny, raw and unfiltered. No, this isn’t an organic cocktail description from a Williamsburg bar, it’s Evolfo’s debut LP, Last of the Acid Cowboys. This Brooklyn-based 7-piece has been filling up clubs and basement dance parties since their infestation into the music scene in 2011. A mix of intelligent lyrical grittiness, swampy horns out of the deep South and cleverly executed compositions have granted them access into the underground indie culture. If you are lucky enough to catch this tornado of sound live, expect to hear a smorgasbord of musical influences crammed into their short sets as tightly packed as the band members on stage. NYS Music covered an Evolfo gig at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn last summer and the sweaty night reminded me of a Wodka Vodka advertisement: “Escort quality, hooker prices.”
When asked about the methodology behind their newest album, lead singer and song writer, Matt Gibbs said, “I think generally bands have one of two experiences in regards to studio time. Some bands write an album first and then spend a while figuring out how to bring that stuff to their live show. In the case of Evolfo, we had to buckle down and figure out how to capture the live energy onto an album.”
The opening track, “Vision of Sin,” has an all-encompassing psych soul rhythm which seems like it traveled through time to capture sounds from each of the past six decades. About a minute and half into the chaos, there is a funky breakdown where the horn section reminds listeners that you gotta have that funk. The seeds of the first track begin germinating into the second as “Moon Eclipsed the Sun” slowly crawls its way from a slow and melodic beginning to a fiery and powerful chorus. Think Black Keys featuring the Nitty Gritty Brass Band. Mesmerizing lyrics with punchy guitar riffs and backing vocals keep this satellite of a song hovering around the planet and clocks in as the longest track of the album at a whopping 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
“Bloody Bloody Knife” has a 60’s punk feel that makes you feel guilty for listening. The paranoia felt from this track is one example of how these talented writers create horror-movie terror when they feel like it. “Why am I hiding if I have done nothing wrong?” I ask myself as Rafferty Swink finger bangs the keyboard during this zombie apocalypse national anthem. The decision making on track placement is as ambitious as the tracks themselves. The blood thirsty “Bloody Bloody Knife” gives way to “Don’t Give Up Your Mind” which sounds like it belongs on Side B of a classic 70’s soul album. The eclectic variety of music changes so much from song to song that the mish mash arrangement of musicians seems to shift form. Do not be mistaken, this album is in no way a compilation album of different artists, but instead, it is a Megazord where each member is displaying a different source of inspiration and power. “Rat City” is the mod-punk sound that frat maniacs across the country will embrace as they nose dive head first into the shallow end of a pool. Serving up a slice of pie that any pizza rat would enjoy, Evolfo cooks up “Rat City” with a simple and aggressive recipe that paralyzes the taste buds and ear drums on any garage rock connoisseur.
“Last of the Acid Cowboys” reminds me of something a resurrected Jim Morrison would bring into the studio with The Doors. The added brass section in the title track makes for a layered, yet comfortable journey; not your average psychedelic rock piece. The sweet sounding “Peachy” has the loungiest feel of the record. Subtle percussion accompanied by haunting horns in the far distance create a dreamy landscape for listeners to embrace during this final track. After a true genre-blending 10-song adventure, my only complaint is that the incredible album clocks out at 28 minutes, much shorter than your average cowboy’s acid trip.
Buy Last of the Acid Cowboys now and see them on tour ASAP!
Key Tracks: Rat City, Don’t Give Up Your Mind, Last of the Acid Cowboys
Born and raised in the greater New York City area, John Warren Geils, Jr. formed the band in 1967, then known as the J. Geils Blues Band, while a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Along with vocalist Peter Wolf, harmonica player Richard “Magic Dick” Salwitz, drummer Stephen Bladd, keyboardist Seth Justman and bassist Danny Klein, the band gigged around the Boston area for several years before landing a record deal with Atlantic in 1970. J. Geils Band rose to prominence once it transitioned from a strictly blues-based band to a rock band with a blues foundation, behind such hits as “Love Stinks,” “Musta Got Lost,” “Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold.”
Geils was born February 20, 1946 in New York and grew up in Morris Plains, NJ. He cut his musical teeth listening to his father’s jazz records and the blues of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. A renaissance man, Geils dipped his toes in many waters. He played trumpet in the marching band while attending Northeastern University and studied mechanical engineering at Worcester. Following the breakup of the band, he focused on auto restoration and music production.
Steel Panther is a tongue-in-cheek parody of all the 80’s hair bands that we know and love, but witty banter and explicit lyrics aside, they are a skilled group of musicians as well that possess a deep love for the music of their youth. With the exception of the guitar solo tribute to some of the greats, including “The Sound of Music,” Steel Panther’s set is strictly original music. You might hear shreds of Van Halen, melodies of Ratt, big guitars a la Iron Maiden, bass lines of Guns and Roses, throw in some Amy Schumer raunch and lyrics that would make Dr. Dre’s mother collapse, finally sprinkle the glam glitter of Poison and Motley Crue and you have Steel Panther.
After 5 studio albums since 2003, they seem to be gaining more and more momentum with each year that passes. Missed them in NYC? In support of their newest release, “Lower The Bar,” they are traversing the country with dates until mid-May. Click 
Moe. brought out the heavy hitters early with a transition into an epic “Brent Black” in just the second slot. Al Schnier and Rob Derhak chiseled the signature song into form while Chuck Garvey used his guitar pick to work on the intricacies. Garvey celebrated his birthday on Thursday night in New Jersey, and on stage he has been having his cake and eating it too during the entire 3-show run. “Lost Along The Way” gave the already sweaty crowd a much needed breather which was followed by “Blue Jeans Pizza” off the decade old album, The Conch. One of the more lovey-dovey moe. originals, “Pizza” found Schnier switching from guitar to minimoog allowing Garvey to take full leadership of the solo to the delight of the crowd. The only annoying aspect of this part of the set was the crowd chatter being at an all-time high. While I felt that the energy from “Brent Black” never went away throughout the entire set, there are times to talk and times to STFU.
The April Fools’ prank ensued as soon as the 5-piece reentered the stage for the second set. Over the 28-year career of moe., many different rumors have been spread describing the origin of the band’s name. One rumor was that moe. is a simple acronym for “monkeys on ecstasy” and on April 1
After the shenanigans ensued, “Rainshine> Understand” got the show back on track. As the light two-song combo fizzled out, a reggae-influenced intro to “Time Ed” got the room swaying back and forth. The band had a few laughs during the line, “Born a monkey from the sky (monkey, monkey)” before Loughlin returned to business as usual during his flying trapeze percussion section. Throughout the song, he switched back and forth from bongos to MalletKat to xylophone in harmonious fashion. The final segue of the set occurred during a strung-out “Haze” into one of their more euphoric songs off Dither, “So Long.” Every jam band has their own repertoire of songs that cuts to the core of their loyal fan base and mellows out the room. “So Long” is a chameleon of sorts because while it can act as the fluffy cloud to space out the heavier songs, it can also get pretty intense on its own, which is exactly what happened on Saturday night.
The boys will play four sold-out shows at The Sinclair before departing for the South to cover some ground in warmer territories. The recently added set entitled “phil.moe.” at Lock’n was the latest news from the band, and from now until the special dead-inspired set, they will headline Summer Camp and the return of Moe.Down. The bright future and booked calendar gives the moe.rons hope that while the band may be up for a good time and a few pranks, they are in no way ready to cool it down.
Written in their ‘sonic dojo’ The Werkspace, the album features eight inspiring tunes which traverse several different genres of rock. Right out of the gate with the first two tracks, the delightfully upbeat “Wide Awake,” followed by the title track, the listener realizes that this isn’t going to be another pentatonic wank session that seems much too common in today’s rock landscape. The Werks have an eclectic sound, reminiscent of 70’s rock gods yet avoids coming off as a cheap imitation. “Slab” really hits the spot, with a gut buster of a riff that offers a pleasantly abrasive counterpoint to the smooth lyrical caress of the first few tracks.
Gordon St. features either original tracks including two singles on their album – “Right as Rain,” a song that seemingly begins as an acoustic number right before the electric sound kicks in with an ear-pleasing groove. “King of Hearts” has the listener following the infectious sounds of the drummer throughout the piece. Another featured song, “Until We Meet Again,” had me hooked from the beginning as it starts with a stripped down vocal accompanied by the organic sounds of snapping fingers.
Emperor of Sand (released via Reprise records) is a follow up from the band’s 2014 hit Once Around The Sun (released via Reprise). This album has started an uproar since it was teased with such singles like “Sultan’s Curse” and “Show Yourself.” As the clock hit midnight and my phone notified me it was ready to be viewed on Google Play Music, damn skippy I played it as soon it was ready for my puny mortal ears to binge on. The album continues the progression the band has been going with for sometime with more audible vocals approach and a more lean guitar sound. It has created a great energy of soothing jams like “Show Yourself” and “Steambreather” taking center stage for this formula in perfect harmony. The combination of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s vocals really shows the band’s strong suit making catchy song structures while keeping the skilled technical foundation strong. This album is perfect for those who enjoy bands like Red Fang and Baronness. American sludge progressive metal bands like these are slowly taking over the metal scene once again.