Totally original concept, off-the-wall but not weird. Combination of little-explored genres, rooted firmly in blues. Twin harmonica up front, mass of obscure instruments cropping up all over the place. Original compositions, good vocals, brand-new ideas. Most unusual thing you’ll have heard for a while, but very accessible and truly memorable. Best ‘totally new thing’ album of the year.

Mark Harrison, Rick Webb

Track Listing

1. Yesterday Morning
2. It Calls Me - Hazmat Modine, Huun-Huur-Tu,
3. Bahamut
4. Fred of Ballaroy
5. Broke My Baby's Heart
6. Almost Gone
7. Steady Roll
8. Everybody Loves You - Hazmat Modine, Huun-Huur-Tu,
9. Lost Fox Train
10. Dry Spell
11. Ugly Rug
12. Who Walks in When I Walk Out?
13. Grade-A Gray Day
14. Man Trouble - Hazmat Modine, Huun-Huur-Tu,

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105473 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

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Customer Reviews

World Music, and yet Oddly American.
I bought this CD after a personal recommendation (Hi reb!) who basically told me "You're weird, try this." Well, she was right. This is both Barking and Wunnerful ! Reading the blurb, this sounds distinctly like a novelty : perhaps a makeshift band put together for a student show. I mean, twin harmonicas, contra-bass saxophone, tuba, Tuvan Throat Singers... It's a joke. Right?

No, it's distinctly odd, but musically it's definitely grounded in the American Blues tradition, although other bits seems more grounded in Tin Pan Alley tradition. By using an eclectic selection of world music instruments, it gives it a whole new perspective. Hmm. I'm risking slipping into pretentious mode, so I'll just recommend it and say its eclectic, eccentric and non-electric.

Oh, just for balance, there's one track I just have to skip ("Lost Fox Train"), but the track "Bahamut" is just so joyous, the CD still deserves 5 stars.

And remember, this CD is best enjoyed on the back of a blood-red ox with fifty eyes, which fits inside one of the Bahamut's tears.

Bahamut
Brace yourselves. This album is a swaggering, gutbucketting, hip swinging, blast. Nothing strange about this change from major to minor - check out the staggering harmonica tour de force in which Wade Shulman leaps from Memphis to Istanbul. If you like harmonica there is some rambunctious blowing here - duelling, pumping,fat and greasy as Walter Horton's "Easy". Above all,these guys love what they are doing and that gusto pours out of every track. Febrile energy, panache, vim, pep and zing shot through with an engaging New York wit and surreality. You will need several copies to feed the need to turn on your friends.