If a band bio describes them as melding Afrobeat and metal, with a guitarist from Antibalas and The Daktaris, you know that will get me out of my chair. Here Lies Man, an LA based quartet, boasts such a pedigree. Guitar and frontman Chico Mann (aka Marcos Garcia) led the charge with crunchy fretwork and vocals. Joined by keys, bass, and drums, it was hard to draw the line to Afrobeat, which usually implies more bodies and horns. No matter, the sound was infectious. One tune started out like Locomotive Breath, while another had strains of Mississippi Queen. The Afrobeat parallel could best be attributed to the drummer Geoff Mann, who is the son of jazz flute legend Herbie Mann, and was reminiscent of Ginger Baker's stint with Fela. The bassist had long hair and rose colored glasses with an extendo- strap that made it look like he was tickling the back of his knee when he played. The keys were understated but added positive shading in the form of creepy wind noises at the beginning and end of some tunes. Many tunes were pulled from HLM's recent release You Will Know Nothing. It would have been nice to get an explanation of the band's moniker.
No comments:
Post a Comment