We trust Yule appreciate this Christmas Day missive, designed to introduce you to a criminally undersung band of today.
This will feature the commentary of my guests Klaus -- he introduced me to these guys -- and his son Julian, as well as myself.
Julian: This is one of the only bands that is one, yet also many genres with their songs. You have hard rock, some Persian flute, and gypsy shit with some rock, etc. But at its core, it's Rock, and a good band. It's honestly kind of mesmerizing.
Klaus: Don't let the overwhelming complexity short out your system before you've given the first three listens. Off the hook, next level shit.... these guys are sick pups indeed.
Josh: If there are musicians more fluid and adept at merging multiple styles and cross-cultural inflections with such a supreme level of virtuosity and expressiveness, I know they aren't gigging anywhere on this planet. Maybe elsewhere, but not on Earth.
Julian: It's the kind of music you can just put on and just listen. No need for anything else, just the music.
Klaus: Many genres. One source.
Josh: The craziest array of sounds, and the highest notes-per-dollar ratio, on a double-necked guitar since The Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Julian: It's very over the top, yet mellow somehow.
Josh: Almost like the music of Return to Forever, as played by the band of Erkin Koray.
Julian: I enjoyed it so much, I put You Are Obsolete in my phone.
Josh: In case you haven't figured it out, they are called Consider the Source, they're from New York City, and they blaze like a billion fireplaces, so here comes a highly representative taste of their alchemic magic from 2014 to toss upon your Yule Log fire.
Consider the Source
The Stone Church
Newmarket, NH
5.1.2014
01 Alap intro/You Go Squish Now
02 Closer to Home
03 Abdiel
04 Absence of a Prominent Tooth
05 Tihai for the Straight Guy
06 I'll Fight for the Imp
07 The Great Circuiting
08 (Good Point) Wandering Bear
09 talk
10 Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong
11 applause
12 bass solo
13 Ol' Chomper
Total time: 1:35:55
disc break goes after Track 06
Gabriel Marin - fretless double-neck guitar
John Ferrara - bass
Jeff Mann - drums & percussion
digitally captured matrix of on-stage mics and the soundboard feed;
There's a tremendously depraved Internet Archive page that contains delicious reams of additional performances by CTS, which can be found right here.
You can find a whole motherlode of shows in lossless mode there, so dive right in! And of course you must visit their site and buy sixteen copies of each of their albums. They have a new platter they are planning and your crowdfunded dollar can help.
I'll be back New Year's Eve to break multiple copyright laws and kick the ass of a grifting profiteer with no artistic credibility of their own to speak of. Happy Holidays and stay tuned for the emphatic, decade-closing beatdown!--J.
