If "Unsilent Night" got you in the mood to walk around the city playing music, let's take it one step further and join a marching band. Tho the concept of an alternative marching band goes back at least to the '70s, when the Los Angeles Free Music Society invaded a street parade, there are only two experimental marching bands that I'm aware of right now - Chicago's Mucca Pazza (pictured above) who have even been known to go on boats, making them not only a marching but a floating band:
Mucca Paza - Romanian Dance No.1
and LA's Killsonic (continuing the LAFMS tradition?), pictured here playing the subway I take everyday - but I've never seen 'em. Har-rumph! Like Mucca Pazza, they have a crazed free-jazz side, but also, as demonstrated here, a Latin influence. This tune starts off in a funky cumbia groove before becoming a kind of hyper Balkan dance:Killsonic - El Cu Cui
They both have excellent albums, but obviously seeing them live makes more sense. Check the videos on their sites.
UPDATE: Thanks to reader jaybee for heppin' me to San Fran's extra-fine Extra Action Marching Band. Are alternative marching bands the "in thing"? Does every city have one now? (Not counting New Orleans, who've always had their own brass band tradition...)
Extra Action Marching Band - Back That Ass Up
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6 comments:
and the Extra Action Marching Band from SF
Wow, thanks jaybee! I found their sites and listened to 'em - good shtuff. I'll have to add 'em to the post.
There's also March 4th Marching Band out of Portland. Not as crazy-sounding (or as cool) as Killsonic though...
I'd also recommend the What Cheer? Brigade from Providence, RI. I saw them perform both their own music and serve as Dan Deacon's backing band this summer and they blew me away.
Thanks guys! Looks like I'm gonna have to write a sequel to this post, as soon as I track down some tuneage by March 4th and What Cheer.
And the Rude Mechanical Orchestra in NYC!
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