ZECHS MARQUISE – Getting Paid

In the Rodriguez-Lopez family, musical talent is a strong and vibrant trait. Zechs Marquise’s Malfred and Marcel Rodriquez-Lopez are the younger brothers of The Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. It appears that the influence of their older brother’s work with Cedric Bixler-Zavala and The Mars Volta have had a large affect on their own musical aspirations and style, especially considering the 12 tracks contained in the group’s latest album Getting Paid.
 
As someone who’s witnessed a live show featuring Zechs Marquise, I can fully attest to the fact that this album is an honest representation of what you will hear if you see them live in concert. The mix of funky baselines and progressive guitar work that fills the opening track “Getting Paid” really sets the stage for an album that will likely please those who dig intricate instrumentation and electronically manipulated sounds. Getting Paid is mainly an instrumental album, as the first vocals appear nearly 15 minutes into the album, during the third track “Static Lovers.” In an almost haunting performance, guest vocalist Sonny Baker lender her vocals to the track “The Heat, The Drougt, The Thirst, and Insanity,” and RX Bandits vocalist Matt Embree lends his vocals to the song “Everlasting Beacon of Light.”

Getting Paid comes across sounding a lot like The Mars Volta, or at least like the instrumentation and far out progressive sounds as featured on albums like Frances The Mute. While the influence of their older brother’s work comes thought from Malfred and Marcel, they’ve managed to put out an album that impresses and remains fresh through all 12 cuts.

(Rodriguez-Lopez Productions, no address provided)

DAN P AND THE BRICKS – Watch Where You Walk

Having gone to many ska shows in northern California from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, I remember seeing MU330’s vocalist and guitarist Dan Potthast randomly show up outside venues and play acoustic sets after the conclusion of the concert. Apparently, Potthast decided that Santa Cruz, located about 70 miles south of San Francisco, was calling him as a musician, and he moved there from his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. With Potthast’s move to California, this left the future of MU330 in the air, and eventually led the band to go on hiatus.


After a few solo albums and heading up the band The Stitch Up, Dan — along with members of defunct Santa Cruz ska act Slow Gherkin — have formed Dan P and The Bricks. Their debut album, Watch Where You Walk, features Potthast’s trademark vocals and songwriting, something that made MU330 stand out from other acts throughout the third-wave ska years of the 1990s.

Although the music with The Bricks sticks to a more toned-down, traditional roots 2-tone ska sound, it’s a definite departure from the sound of MU330’s fast paced punk-ska. Think of the lyrics of MU330 meets sound of The Pietasters. The five-piece horn section has a deep, rich sound — especially with the addition of baritone sax. With the song “One Reason,” Dan is joined by a female vocalist in this throwback tune featuring a doo-wop sound. The band also tackles one of Dan’s solo tunes “Set Sail,” which was featured on his 1999 debut solo album Eyeballs.

Watch Where You Walk is a reminder that while the mainstream hype and attention of ska music is long gone, those who drove that genre to mainstream notoriety are still producing great music.

(Asian Man Records, PO Box 35585 Monte Sereno, CA 95030)