Last Tuesday Night I popped over to Littlefield in Brooklyn for CMJ and to see my buds in Shinobi Ninja rock the house. I headed in fairly early, as I wanted to check out some other bands and do a little chatting and networking.
Now, Littlefield is a modest sized venue and it was CMJ so I thought maybe I’d be heading into a packed house. That however was not the case; it was a pretty quiet night, maybe because it was a Tuesday? Who can really say anymore with the way the world of music has changed so much. I remember when some 10 plus years ago CMJ would bring lines of people wrapped around venues trying to get in.
My choice to arrive a bit earlier paid off because I had the opportunity to catch a band called The Feed, a 3-piece (at least they were this night, sans bass player) all the way from St. Louis here to play for CMJ. They were fantastic and really gave it everything although they played to a handful of people. But that’s the way to do it. ALWAYS bring it.
I bumped into drummer, Kevin Bowers afterward and we talked a bit, exchanged some info and CDs, I told them about Music-Survival-Guide and mentioned I may review their record Outsider that I had just been handed. They seemed excited by the idea and I’m not really one to disappoint, so…here we go, let’s talk about Outsider.
The Feed – Outsider Album Cover
Outsider opens with a brilliant piece of music called “Celestial Ceiling”. Right out of the gate the band gets you kinda moving. The musicianship is tight and clean which was also reflected in their live show. The album is a collection of 9 songs, which gives us the idea that the guys have somewhat of an adoration for the 60’s and 70’s without sounding dated. The whole record is fresh and fun. Singer/Keyboardist extraordinaire David Grelle really cuts loose on this offering, especially on the track “My Blues” where he channels the late great Vince Guaraldi with those nimble piano fingers. I’m sure The Peanuts gang would get down to this jam if given the chance. The rest of the band is no slouch either boasting their obvious skills over the 33 some odd minutes.
Stand out tracks are “Rexy”, “Stella” and the above-mentioned “Celestial Ceiling”. After my third listen to the album I feel like my favorite songs keep changing, always the sign of a good record. My only regret is that I wasn’t familiar with the songs before catching them live. Next time guys!
So, I’m thinkin’ if you dig Hot Hot Heat, The Killers and The Bee Gees you may wanna take a bite out of The Feed. Excellent work gentlemen!
Music-Survival-Guide 