LUMPENPROLETARIAT—Antemasque.  Some of us missed this album last year.  We certainly did.  So, we add this now to the curation*.  This is a strong recording.  And some of us were looking for good music on the radio dial in 2014, commuting back and forth between the university and the hood or whatnot.  Top 40 nowadays, well…  The radio dial could have done with some Antemasque.  Perhaps, the corporations in charge of radio today expect we, the people, to console ourselves with a local indie station or two.  “50,000 Kilowatts” recalls Northern California with the top down, back when Live 105 played good music.

(Dicen:  Antemasque was recorded at The Boat in Silverlake, California. The studio, formerly owned by The Dust Brothers, is currently owned and operated by Flea.)

This album delivers blistering rock music that sets any room on fire, my friend.  Check “In the Lurch”.  If you like rock music, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you do, then you will like this record.  “4AM” is an energetic rocker.  The quick guitar stabs echo The Cure circa 1977 amped up for the 21st century.  “Ride Like the Devil’s Son” does just that.  We hear nice echoes of Bosnian Rainbows vibe in “People Forget”.  And “Drown All Your Witches” is a heady number.  We’re reminded of Suede’s romanticism or Led Zeppelin’s folk rock sophistication.

Antemasque

This video’s cool, but you gotta check out the album version.  Then turn it up loud.

You can never go wrong with Flea in the rhythm section.  And with Cedric Bixler-Zavala on vocals and Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar) in the line-up, the musicianship is going to be experienced and the musicality world class.  (It goes without saying that all the players have storied backgrounds.)  David Elitch is on drums.  And Marfred Rodríguez-López rounds out the line-up.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala is, really, in top form on this production.  Cedric’s ability to mine the history of rock to pull the best out of some forgotten musical stylings, whilst forging something creative and new is an unsung treasure in rock today.

Track listing:

1. “4AM”  (2:56)
2. “I Got No Remorse”  (3:05)
3. “Ride Like the Devil’s Son”
4. “In the Lurch”  (3:06)
5. “50,000 Kilowatts”  (2:54)
6. “Memento Mori”  (3:35)
7. “Drown All Your Witches”  (3:31)
8. “Providence”  (4:47)
9. “People Forget”  (3:54)
10. “Rome Armed to the Teeth”  (3:43)

-Messina

***

Thanks to RDM for assistance, as musical curator.

* Not that we could’ve added it then.

[last updated 22:50 CDT 6 APR 2015]