Seabrook Power Plant - II

SKU Loyal Label 009
I've seen this wild, great and extraordinary power trio of electrified banjo, bass and drums twice and the second time was signficantly better than the 'already great' 1st time. Their mixture of the banjo's unique sounds combined with skronk/punk-jazz makes for a unique take on the 2011 version of 'the downtown sound' (now relocated to Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Take 10% no-wave, 50% punk jazz ala Zevious/Massacre and 40% something completely original and that's what these guys present. A fine release and a just slaying live outfit! Highly recommended!

"Frank Zappa got it right when he referred to Steve Vai’s style as “stunt guitar,” and up to a point, Brandon Seabrook champions that strain of metalloid virtuosity (e.g., “Black Sheep Squadron” above). But on 2010’s Seabrook Power Plant and the new Seabrook Power Plant II, the guitarist fucks with our heads by playing much of his crazy-impossible music on banjo (e.g., “Lamborghini Helicopter,” “I’m Too Good for You,” “Sacchetto Mal D’Aria,” “Forcep Protection”). The extraordinary sonic color, rhythmic daredevilry and sheer filth coming from Seabrook’s instruments can be downright alarming—if someone can explain what is happening at 1:15 on “Kush Lamps Ablaze,” please do. Drummer/brother Jared Seabrook and bassist Tom Blancarte help keep it fun. Catch ’em live and you’re surely in for it."-David R. Adler

"Seabrook Powerplant II, the follow-up to their incendiary debut release, with tenor banjo/guitarist Brandon Seabrook focusing on composition and in-studio production to pursue the trio's destruction of the walls separating punk, folk and jazz. Following their critically acclaimed self-titled debut, which stunned NPR’s A Blog Supreme by terrifyingly sustaining a “crazed state of improvisation,” and numerous live dates, one of which alarmed the New York Times with its “grimly combative clamor,” the group returns with a fresh book of 8 electrifying, category-demolishing compositions on vinyl and CD. Seabrook Power Plant started, says Brandon Seabrook, “as an outlet for my writing and a chance to experiment with sound approach and improvisation on tenor banjo.” Jared Seabrook on drums and bassist Tom Blancarte, the trio was designed to articulate the unique and underexplored percussive capacities of the tenor banjo, an instrument Brandon first engaged while a student at New England Conservatory. Initially inspired by drummer Bob Moses, with whom he studied closely in Boston, Brandon’s diverse influences are evident in his unrivaled approach to the instrument. “Slayer’s Dave Lombardo and Zeppelin’s John Bonham,” he claims, “inspire me equally, as does Thelonious Monk.” While the group’s debut leaned heavily on improvisations built around Brandon’s wild banjo explorations, on Seabrook Power Plant II they emphasize constructing a vigorous band dialogue grounded on a remarkable set of original compositions. After a year and a half of concentrated rehearsals and feverish gigs, this muscular document shows them unleashing the full force of their musical arsenal... From the Minutemen’s jazz-centric econo-punk to the bristling twang-rock of the Meat Puppets, Seabrook Power Plant joins a wide array of musical references without ever slipping into the grips of replication. In part due to their unique instrumentation, the band’s unyielding vision and superb ability as a musical unit sets them apart from their contemporaries. Alongside Sun City Girls, Frank Zappa, and Henry Flynt, Seabrook Power Plant is crafting a sonic universe of its own through daringly unusual and adventurous music."



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