EXTRA-DELUXE-SUPREME (vinyl)

Description

Four years after Cicada, the New York combo led by the breathtaking guitarist and harmonica player Wade Schuman is back in France to distill music from the American heartland, blending genres and eras from 1920s-30s blues to Klezmer, from swing and R&B to New Orleans sounds, the illegitimate children of Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, and Dr. Feelgood. Drawing from and playing with the sounds of the migratory melting pot that is New York City, Hazmat Modine returns to Europe more fiery than ever. It's the heart of American music that they will serve us on a silver platter, with sparkling brass, electric guitars, hips, violin, and vocal harmonies, all under the guidance of the dapper harmonica wizard, Wade Schuman. The songs, allegories of triumphs and tragedies, draw their inspiration from Memphis to Rock Steady, through Egyptian Afro-Pop, the roots of Americana, and the spirit of Tuvan throat singing, to emerge with Hazmat Modine's unique flavor. This new album emphasizes deep vocal harmonies with Gospel connotations, with crisp and elaborate arrangements that offer us a style that can be defined as Baroque Blues. The recording began in an old farm converted into a studio near Osnabrück, Germany, and concluded in New York. On this album, Hazmat Modine is joined by drummer and percussionist Tim Keiper (Vieux Farka Toure, Cyro Baptista, John Zorn) and live by the dazzling violinist and vocalist Mazz Swift (Valerie June, D'Angelo, Vernon Reid).