Oct 8th-11th, 2015
Greetings, Party People! It’s that time of year again! Time for music lovers of all sorts to set off on a bohemian pilgrimage towards the high desert for the purpose of gathering at the coolest little festival in the South-West. I can say with all sincerity that I love the Joshua Tree Music and Arts Festival. The good folks at JT Fest consistently host an eclectic lineup of artists that span genres including everything from reggae, folk, and bluegrass to hip hop, EDM, and Latin rhythms. It truly is an event that has something for everyone. As is typical of smaller scale festivals, they feature many acts that are not necessarily household names to the average Joe, which is precisely why every time I leave JT Fest I am stoked to have discovered fantastically talented and unique artists whom I would never have heard of if it wasn’t for the fact that I attended this absolute jewel of an event.
That said, if you are planning on attending the Fall festival this week, it’s a great idea to spend some time researching the acts featured in the lineup in order to avoid missing something awesome. Many of you want to attend the festival but lack the time or motivation needed for pre-fest homework. Have no fear, my bewildered little music enthusiasts! I, your trusty music columnist, have been tirelessly combing through the lineup and picked a few acts that I personally think no attendee should miss.
Turkuaz
Friday 10:00 PM, Indian Cove Stage
Turkuaz is a Brooklyn, NY based, 9-piece ensemble that have been described as, “A funk army of multi-instrumentals and singers that is part freight train and part tyrannosaurus rex, who—even on an off night—can blow away a room on the basis of sheer physics alone.” Assembled by guitar player/vocalist, Dave Brandwein and bassist, Taylor Shell, Turkuaz predominantly consists of a group of classmates who met while attending Boston’s Berklee School of Music. With a list of influences including Sly and the Family Stone and Rick James, there is no surprise that Turkuaz is definitely serving up plenty of funk and soul in their sound. There is a rich, fullness that is displayed in the vocals that reminds me of a gospel choir in the best way possible and the showmanship and energy supplied in each performance is contagious.
Dave Brandwein: “The Talking Heads have a concert film from the 80s called, ‘Stop Making Sense,’ and it was a really big influence on what we wanted to create regarding the energy and the vibe of our live show.” Brandwein continues: “Although the funk is clearly there, I think a lot of us growing up were originally rock musicians and I think that is apparent as well. We like to add in some effects and distortions here and there that set us apart from your typical funk music.”
Turkuaz has just released a new album, Digitonium, available on iTunes.
www.turkuazband.com
Candelaria
Sunday 1:30 PM, Indian Cove Stage
In 2009, a group of musicians who had formerly been involved with various Latin/dance-style bands throughout the Bay Area got together to create Candelaria who’s sound has been described as, “…… infectious, soulful Colombian cumbia rhythms with vibrant accordion, incendiary country guitar, powerful female-fronted vocals, and a heavy dose of Jamaican dub technique which harkens back to a period when electronic sound was made not with computers, but in real-time using live effects.” A fusion project, skillfully executed with fire and spice, Candelaria’s enticing grooves are a fantastic reflection of the melting-pot that is the west coast and if said grooves don’t inspire you to dance until you drop, I suggest you immediately seek out a medical professional to check your vital-signs.
Although they have been through some changes over the years including a recent change in vocalist, Candelaria has performed throughout the US Mexico and was featured on NPR’s Alt. Latino as a 2013 emerging band to watch. Bassist, Daniel Yockey was a founding member of the band and one of the main architects of the concept behind their sound. Yockey: “I was always a fan of cumbia music and also of the Jamaican dub sound (which involves electronic elements), and I always felt that the two genres went together perfectly. What we wanted to do was accomplish that sound without any computers, programs or loops. We wanted everything to be played by an actual person playing an instrument. It took a lot of experimentation but I think we got there.”
Moon Hooch
Saturday 10:00 PM, Indian Cove Stage
It’s not every day that I can say that I’ve seen or heard something that is completely unique and original. It is a rare moment to be able to watch a musical performance and think, “I have never seen or heard anything like this before.” This group has gifted us with one of those rarities. Moon Hooch created a style that is obviously inspired by EDM but there is so much more to it than that. The trio includes 2 saxophonists and a drummer who were roommates in Brooklyn, NY when they decided to take their instruments down to a subway platform to make some cash. Little did they know at the time that, as their sound developed, their now infamous performances on subway platforms began drawing larger crowds that routinely broke into spontaneous dance parties that were sort of like impromptu raves.
Wenzl McGowen, saxophonist: “It just turned into this thing, you know? We would set up and start playing and people above us would hear from the street and start coming down the stairs to check us out and people would get off the trains to hear us and everyone would just stay to dance. After a few weeks the gathering crowds became a problem when the cops informed us that we were not in a dance club and if we kept performing there we would be arrested.” Intrigued? You should be.
Bang Data
Saturday 4:45 PM, Copper Mt. Stage
Honestly folks, this group is one of my faves this time around. Bang Data is an Oakland, CA based duo consisting of MC Deuce Eclipse and musician/producer, Juan Manuel Caipo. Caipo has created their signature sound by uniquely infusing various Latin and afro inspired grooves with hip-hop beats making it highly dance-worthy. The clever and often bilingual lyrics spit by Deuce are rebelliously top-notch. In fact, when interviewing Daniel Yockey from Candelaria who happens to be friends with Bang Data, he described Deuce as, “….one of the best MCs around, period.”
Touring and performing together since 2013, Bang Data reached a new level of recognition when their self-titled single “Bang Data” from their debut album La Sopa was featured on AMC’s Emmy® Award winning television drama, Breaking Bad and George Lopez’ new film, Spare Parts….which is pretty freaking cool. There is a lot I could say about Bang Data. As a fan, I could gush on about them for pages but instead I will implore you to not take my word for it. Check them out for yourselves along with all of the other bands listed and you can thank me later.
Cactus Wine Experience
Saturday 11:30 PM, Cafe Stage
I am particularly excited to share with you this group of artists. From the imagination of Triple-threat status performer, Gabriella Evaro, Cactus Wine Experience is, “A Dirty Blues & Dusty Boots rollickin’ roadhouse revue.” For those of you who have yet to hear, Ms. Evaro comes from a family that seems to possess (whether fairly or not) more talent and creativity within their gene-pool than the rest of the High Desert combined. The genetic blessings extend into their looks as well. Seriously, people! The level of sheer, physical beauty manifesting itself within this one family seems like a fluke of nature. An anomaly of pretty if you will. Are the Evaros evidence that small pockets of humans are continuing to evolve into a mega-talented, ridiculously attractive super-species? Perhaps! (Incidentally, they are also some of the genuinely nicest people you will ever meet.)
I digress……..Ms. Evaro is the mastermind behind this, “Wild-West Burlesque Show” featuring dancers, singers, live musicians, fantastic dialogue, and a smidge of audience participation that will no doubt leave the crowd howling for more. If you are attending the festival, The Cactus Wine Experience is an absolute must. For those of you will sadly miss out. Check out their facebook page and stay tuned to CV Weekly for more on this fantastic show in the very near future. I am relatively confident telling you that, from what I have seen, CWE is going to be around for a while.
facebook.com/CactusWineExperience
