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E.P REVIEWLights go out magazine - By Hayley Coope This is a fucking stunning 4 track EP from the midlands funk rock giants, Mezzotonic, and this is true funk rock. It seems fairly obvious to state comparisons with Jamiroquai, as the vocals have striking similarities to those of Jay Kay, but the overall tone of this CD is much more heavyweight. This really does rock! Definitely not a CD band, you'd get a much better experience shaking your booty at a live show. The groove-a-licious basslines lead the way for crunching riffs and thundering drums, I really enjoyed this one!The rhythm section deserves special mention because it provides such a powerful backdrop for the structures of the songs. All the songs are incredibly full, and what the band do, they do very well. The best track in my opinion is 'Get Wild', its just epic. The final tune 'Violet' fools you into thinking they've slowed the pace down, but haha! The superb crescendo and fine shredding is a big fat 'gotcha!' I imagine this band really pull in a good crowd at their gigs. I've not heard this quality of funk since Melon Gondola! They are clearly tight as fuck, and I would fucking love to see them live. Gold Stars for Mezzotonic!E.P. REVIEWRyans gig guide- By Bongo BryanIf you havent heard of Mezzotonic, chances are you will soon. The Wolverhampton four-piece have been honing their craft for a few years now and released their debut EP back in July. So why am I telling you now you may ask? Well, I'm doing my usual sort out of the years highlights (gigs, albums, demos etc), and they deserve credit for the best cd thats landed here this year.Mezzotonic give pointers to their sound by including such references as Red Hot Chilli Peppers and (Wait for it) Jamiroquai). Now , Mr. Kay has indeed released some great material amongst a career bursting with filler, but I think Mezzotonic (Particularly singer/ keyboards man Simon Lloyd) are more on the Lewis Taylor side of white boy funk & soul. If you've heard of that great man, you'll get the gist.The E.P. itself kicks off with "Kill/Violent", which you can probably gather from its title, is the most aggressive track here, including a rap section that fits perfectly, rather than distracts. Second track and lead single "Get Wild" is next, the standout track, where the rtythm section of bassit Matt Poole and Dan Hayward on drum really kick 'ass' as they say. In fact, all of the band are wonderful musicians, but to nail the groove, the rhythm section has to be bang on and these guys are tight as fuck."Need To Be With You" follows and showcases guitarist Adam Parkes, a virtual virtuoso who knows exactly the meaning of 'light and shade', never overplaying his welcome. Finishing with the slower "Violet", the E.P. deserves a wider audience, so go and discover them, ok?Mezzotonic are a cracking live act, having witnessed them acousticlly and in full on funk mode at Katie Fitzgerald's in Stourbridge.They've also supported Living Colour and Average White Band, so 2011 should be an interesting year ahead. Go to the usual Myspace, facebook sites for info on forthcoming dates, or on their own website www.mezzotonic.netE.P REVIEWwww.midlandsRocks.com - By Paul BroomeI don't know about you lot, but as much as I love my pedal to the metal full-on thrashing rock and hardcore, every now and then I yearn for something with a bit more... flavour. I first really started playing guitar in the late 80s, during the height of the funk rock boom, and playing along to the likes of Fishbone, Living Colour and the Chili Peppers was how I taught myself. So I personally think a revival of the funk rock genre is more than overdue - and local lads Mezzotonic may just be the ones to kick it off!When I saw them supporting Living Colour, at the Robin last December, and I was blown away by the sheer talent and musicianship of the combo. Now they're finally gearing up to release their debut EP - recorded last year at The Animal Farm in London - and we've been sent an advance copy to whet your appetite.First track 'Kill/Violent' bursts onto the scene like a young child with ADHD, only with clinical focus - drums and bass forming a front line rhymthic assault that delights the senses. What unfolds is an excellent track - the perfect opener, and also one that really stood out when I saw them live. Vocalist Simon Lloyd has all of the good vocal qualities of Jay Kay, but none of the annoying ones (so, unlike the aforementioned Jamiroquai vocalist, I don't have the compulsion to slap him - which is great for both of us!) Witness the rap section in 'Kill/Violent' for example - could be annoying, but the delivery is spot on and works really well. There's also something very soulful about his voice, with more than a hint of Richie Kotzen at times.As is warranted in a band with a rhythm section as funky as Mezzotonic, guitarist Adam Parkes knows when to step back and hand the spotlight to Dan Hayward on drums and Matt Poole on bass. Instead of self-indulgent solos he provides shimmering wah-wah'd walls of sound, adding the colour to the Mezzo' pallette.'Get Wild' is the next track, and also the next single - and it's a great choice as it has 'single' written all over it. Radio-friendly, and truly genre-spanning - with a bass line so funky that it wouldn't have been out of place on a 'Talking Book'-era Stevie Wonder track. It wasn't quite the instant hit that the first song was with me, but having listened to it several times now I can definitely confirm that it's a real grower!Need to Be With You' is guaranteed to get your legs and head bouncing - it's one of those tracks that is so funky it bypasses the ears and heads straight to the heart and the extremities. Listening to it seated in my office chair here, I'm bouncing along like a young Huggy Bear on a spacehopper. It also contains one of Adam's rare excursions into the solo spotlight, with a blistering bit of cry baby driven guitar.Final track 'Violet' is a song of two halves, the first balladic section holds back on the funk and shows a completely different side to the band that bodes well for the sonic scope that a full Mezzotonic album could cover. But there's still time to build up to another funky outburst (and another great guitar solo), for the coda section. The production is excellent across the board aswell - crisp and clear, with plenty of space for each musician to make his mark.When I saw the band live I was totally transfixed by Dan's drumming - I think I stated at the time that he was one of the best young drummers I'd seen for a long time, and I stand by that statement, but over these four tracks it's clear to see that the talent is definitely very evenly spread. My favourite bass player of all-time is Doug Wimbish (he of Sugarhill, Tackhead and Living Colour fame), and when I saw these guys supporting Living Colour I can definitely say that Matt Poole held his own against the great man. It's a blessing for all of us that these four guys have found each other.C'mon you lot, you know that the funk rock revival is long overdue - head out to see Mezzotonic when they play near you. And make sure you take your dancing shoes along.The EP is due to be released in the next month or two, and will be available from all of the usual download websites (the band are in the process of sorting out a launch night for its release) LIVE REVIEWMezzotonic supporting the Living Colour at the Robin 2, Bilston 5th December 2009www.midlandsrocks.co.ukI've been a fan of Living Colour since I first heard 'Cult of Personality' back in my college days, so when I saw that they were playing a venue as intimate as the Robin I just had to check them out. Their latest album The Chair in the Doorway proves that they're every bit as vital now as they were when they first burst onto the scene in the late 1980s - hard, heavy tracks with inventive guitars and bass, an evolution from where they were but every bit as great. The stage at the Robin is almost totally full, the sheer quantity of effects pedals that guitarist Vernon Reid and bassist Doug Wimbish have set up on there leaves very little space for local lads Mezzotonic to squeeze in and deliver their own support set. But squeeze on they do (despite only getting the call to perform a few hours earlier!), and they get proceedings underway with a heady brew of funk rock. This is exactly the kind of band I would've killed to be in back in 1990, when I was working hard on perfecting my funk guitar techniques. Their influences are worn proudly on their sleeves (early-Chili Peppers, RATM, Primus, etc), and they excel at the whole thing. Special mentions must go out to the rhythm section of fanatically-slapping bassist Matt Poole and drummer Dan Hayward - who is quite simply one of the best young drummers I've seen in a long-time, I'd even go so far as to say that he leads the band with his playing. Although that's not to down play Adam Parkes and Simon Lloyd's contributions (on guitar and vocals respectively) - this is an all-round tight outfit, with some great songs. They've got a load of gigs booked in locally over the coming weeks (in support of their new EP) - so if you like your rock as funky as it comes, check them out.LIVE REVIEWMezzotonic live at the Yarbird in Birmingham, 25th July 2010SpaghettiJunction - Birmingham city students union official magazineWith all the RnB, drumnbass (and every other genre exploiting the abbreviation n) plaguing our radio waves for the last couple of years, it seems that our music tastes are stuck in an electro quicksand, showing no attempts to climb out.I decided to take matters into my own hands. Last Sunday (25/07/10) I took my seemingly untreatable music taste along to jazz club The Yardbird in Birmingham to give it a good hiding.Its been a whirlwind adventure for local band Mezzotonic, a four piece band single-handedly reviving the Funk Rock era, starting with West Midlands. Originally formed in 2000 with a quick rhythm section update in 2006, Mezzotonic have since played various venues over the UK including high profile gigs supporting American funk metal band Living Colour and Average White Band in 2009.The band was featured last that evening, but they were by no means least. Right from the first track Dancing Shoes; it was evident that Mezzotonic arent the average foul-mouthed rock band, trying to break into the music industry. Own tracks Driven to Oblivion and Kill/Violent as well as Dancing Shoes delivered funk vibes that proudly embrace their self-confessed Jamiroquai and Chili Pepper influences. I give a special mention to Simon Lloyd for killing a rap section that really shouldnt have worked in Kill/Violent; his singing voice is as brilliant live as in the studio. Diverse cover tracks Roxanne and I Feel Good (The Police and James Brown tracks respectively) only showed more of their commendable musicianship and undeniable commitment to their sound and purpose. Another special mention goes to drummer Dan Hayward certainly one of the most talented new drummers on the music scene. The cherry on the top of this gig undoubtedly was the performance of debut single Get Wild; a fantastic summer track, firmly reminding us of just how greener the grass is on the Funk Rock side of life.If your music taste needs a good beating like mine did, check out Mezzotonic on Spotify and download their track on iTunes these self-confessed funksters with their fresh, new sound are set to save us from the electro quicksand were all stuck in.
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