MYSTR Treefrog (and The Smoking Gnomes)

Artist Information

Biography

About the new release (4/1/13) by MTF and The Smoking Gnomes::EAT MY CLOUD

When Athens Ga meets Washington D.C. everything goes wild and trip-sonic. MYSTR Treefrog and Dr. Morpheus were kids in Athens, Georgia once. They hung out in a crazed gaggle of artists,musicians and psychedelic icons-some of whom later became The B-52s. Dr. Morpheus(Owen Scott III) played with Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland in seminal Athens bands like Black Narcissus and The Zambo Flirts. Fast forward to the recent past when mutual friend Roy Bell re-connected with MTF and Dr.M. on the ubiquitous FaceBook channel and the two began reacquainting.. The old friends decided to do some studio time with Frank"the Punisher" Marchand -legendary Balt-DC Engineer. .and EAT MY CLOUD by The Smoking Gnomes was the result.This album is a collaboration of Power Rock, Psychedelia,Psycho-Americana and great lyrics. Backed by the monster Thump of a D.C. based rhythm section- James Dail/bass and Chris Zogby on drums- the MYSTR and the DOCTOR they laid down this rocking piece of mayhem. This is not music to NAP QUIETLY to.
Energy Rules. Loud is Best.
The great Deanna Bogart guests on 2 cuts,playing saxophone,singing support, and rocking a Little Richard inspired piano..(Bed Of Hot Coals and MYSTR Treefrog Road Trip.)
Ms. Sara Kryscio adds soulful vocals and Larry Byrne puts the B-3 funkadelic in the mix. Alphonso'Hot'Coals adds the percussive heartbeat on djembe and congas.
Also appearing are Francene Machetto and Patty Dougherty on support vocals and Francene takes the bass on MYSTR Treefrog Road Trip- a hillarious song written by Dr. Morpheus(Owen Scott III) about the random road trip the band took to appear on a live webcast at a local Long Island webshow called RealRadio. com. This was that madcap adventure that started it all.
Mastered at Bias Studios in Springfield ,Va by the star engineer Mike Monsuer.
MAKE this music YOURS.

Instrumentation

Blanky - Bass
C. Zogbeast - Drums
James Dail-Bass master - Bass-Gawd
Alphonso'Hot'Coals - Congas, Percussion-Djembe, fun toys
MYSTR Treefrog - mandolin, Lead & Backup Vocals, Elec.Slide and Acoustic Gtr
Dr.Morpheus(Owen Scott III) - Lead Guitar, Lead & Backup Vocals

Discography

EAT MY CLOUD-MYSTR Treefrog and The Smoking Gnomes BRAND NEW RELEASE ON CDBaby.com !!
April 1,2013

SWAMPADELIC HOUND DAWG new release 7/09
http://cdbaby.com/cd/MYSTRTreefrog


BATS WILL SCATTER- Independent release.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/MYSTRTreefrog


Mer De Mente(SHOCK OPERA) Independent release.
Available on Amazon.com

Official Website

http://www.thesmokinggnomes.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• CDBaby.com

Audio

• Mystr Treefrog Road Trip
  Listen  
• I Got Frenz
  Listen  
• Impress Me
  Listen  
• Biscuit In The Jesus Rm.
  Listen  
• Put U Thru
  Listen  

Lyrics

• UBIQUITOUS Id
• PUT U THRU
• BISCUIT IN THE JESUS RM
• IMPRESS ME

Video

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Photo Gallery

Press

• SWAMPADELIC HOUND DAWG [+ Show ]
  

  SWAMPADELIC HOUND DAWG In a previous life the entity now known as “MYSTR Treefrog” was comfortabl...SWAMPADELIC HOUND DAWG
  
  In a previous life the entity now known as “MYSTR Treefrog” was comfortably perched high atop the Washington, D.C.-area rock and roll scene as guitarist-vocalist-musical consciousness guru for the omnipotent 80s-90s metal-funk band Shock Opera. Now, with the new millennium chugging along, “MTF” (as he is referred to by friends, followers, and all manner of fractious hippies who live for his artistic output) has taken to launching mind-altering sonic assaults on his adoring public, the latest of which is the high-octane, ten-selection CD: “Swampadelic Hound Dawg.”
  
  In this offering, MTF (aided by, among others, Elijah Brayton on bass, Alphonso Coles on percussion and something called “BleeChild” on drums) churns out a procession of screaming slide guitar-driven pieces anchored by a bayou-bottom rhythm section and laced with vocals best-described as a cross between a growling Jim “Dandy” Mangrum and a southern-fried Iggy Pop. “Swampadelic Hound Dawg” barks up several instant Treefrog classics including the raucous opening hoe-down “Walkerdawg,” a Bob Dylan & “Brown Sugar”-influenced “Slow Shapes,” and the acoustically-framed and unabashedly infectious “My Babe’s a Mechanic.” But picking out favorites is not an option with this wondrous disc – on every track MTF and his co-conspirators doggedly deliver the goods and prove that when all is said and done it’s always hard-rockin’ music that really makes your tail wag.
  
  But such blather fails to do this caboodle of searing swamp tunes justice. Strikingly original, daringly innovative, and undeniably ingenious, MTF remains one of the freshest and fiercest rock and roll artists on the American horizon today. Woofers and tweeters be damned – open your mind, crank the volume, and unleash “Swampadelic Hound Dawg” into your private world today.
  
  MARK OPSASNICK
  Author, “Capitol Rock”
  www.xlibris.com/markopsasnick.html
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Swampadelic Hound Dawg [+ Show ]
  

  Review: MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg 2009,...Review: MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg
  
  
  MYSTR Treefrog - Swampadelic Hound Dawg
  2009, Ottomannix Music, Inc.
  
  Very often I’ll try to give a very brief introduction to a band in the first paragraph of a review. There are occasionally albums I review from folks who really need no introduction, and then there are, from time to time, acts for which any introduction would be insufficient. Silver Spring, Maryland’s MYSTR Treefrog is one such artist. Born from the sweltering heart of Southern Blues with a punk attitude and some good, old fashioned Psychedelia thrown in, MYSTR Treefrog isn’t quite like anything that’s been heard in the popular music scene in a while. His album, Swampadelic Hound Dawg, is better heard than written about.
  
  Swampadelic Hound Dawg opens with Walkerdawg, a delicious mix of Blues and Cajun styles that's guaranteed to get your musical libido swinging. The guitar work here is outstanding, and MYSTR Treefrog's voice sounds like part Leon Redbone and part Dan Akroyd. Jefferson Nova and Kelly Chevette is a "cautionary tale" about two young bandits from Maryland out on the road. It's an entertaining story-song but not one of the stronger tracks on the disc. How Gone Is Gone is a letter to a long-lost friend in song about letting go and freeing yourself from the ties that bind and about happiness. It's unusually personal and stands out from the rest of the album as a serious and introspective attempt at reaching out across innumerable miles to someone who may or may not be listening. God's Gift 2 Man is an old school intervention set to song around some of the filthiest blues licks this is of the Mississippi. It's an out-of-the-box story song that's entertaining and has a vaguely theatrical sensibility. Leonard is a strong blues/rock tune with great rhythm and some kicking collaboration between guitar and harmonica. Other highlights include Chasin' Tail, My Babes A Mechanic and Nawlins Worm Dance.
  
  MYST Treefrog forges eclectic mix of Folk, Blues, Rock and some Cajun seasoning on Swampadelic Hound Dawg in creating a listening experience you won't soon forget. I can't say I loved every song on the disc, but as a complete work it's unforgettable. I have a sense that MYST Treefrog isn't a complete experience until you catch him live. Do so, if you have the opportunity.
  Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
  
  You can learn about MYSTR Treefrog at http://www.myspace.com/mystrtreefrog%20or%20mystrtreefrogsblitherfestival.blogspot.com. You can purchase a copy of Swampadelic Hound Dawg at CDBaby.com.
  
  Posted by Wildy at 6:15 AM
  
  Labels: Captain Beefheart, Dan Akroyd, Howlin Wolf, Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, John Zorn, Leon Redbone, Tinkerbell, Tom Waits
  
  
  
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• NEW From THE BUNNY! [+ Show ]
  

  Mystr Treefrog Swampadelic Hound Dawg Ottomanix Music 2009 So what happens when the anger goes? ...Mystr Treefrog
  Swampadelic Hound Dawg
  Ottomanix Music
  2009
  So what happens when the anger goes? That's the question I was asking as I listened to this album. Mystr Treefrog's last album "Bats Will Scatter" was an irresistible combination of swamp rock and precisely targeted rants. Now that the Bush Incarnate has been removed from the White House, surely there is nothing left for this angry young man to get all upset about.
  
  That's true up to a point. This album is an altogether lighter, altogether less aggressive album that feels right at home next to a six pack of your favourite beer. Not that Mystr Treefrog has gone all soft and cuddly, of course, but he has gone a bit allegorical and become more of a storyteller than an orator. From cautionary tales of a life gone wrong ("Jefferson Nova and Kelly Chevette") through the Harry Chapin hits the road to nowhere ("Slow Shapes") to steamroller swamp blues ("God's Gift 2 Man"), there's no lack of variety on show. There are plenty of stories out there and telling them to an accompaniment of a rock solid groove is what Mystr Treefrog does.
  
  Anyway, any album that starts with "…if Jesus had a dog, his name would be Spike" is never going to be entirely straightforward. Oh, and any album that features the demon guitar of Gary Bushmaster Brown is just fine with me.
  
  You can get it from CD Baby.
  Rating- FOUR CARROTS
  
  http://www.bluesbunny.com/

• TAXI says:Music that Isn't The same old,same Old [+ Show ]
  

  The Song: HOW MANY FINGERS "Greetings Mystr Treefrog. Great name by the way. Your song and CD h...The Song: HOW MANY FINGERS
  
  "Greetings Mystr Treefrog.
  Great name by the way.
  Your song and CD has officially won my heart and ears. Great Job. the biggest accomplishment here is that you have entertained me me above everything I have heard so far today with music that is NOT the same old same old.
  
  X, Unknown Hinson and Jonny Dowd are just a few inflences to name here that I can Relate your track to. Never the less, you have your own unique and original sound that could be very successful for you.
  I'll be looking for you on tour in '07!"
  

• Thank God For MYSTR Treefrog [+ Show ]
  

  MYSTR Treefrog You know what? Thank God. That was my first reaction to Mystr Treefrog. In fact, h...MYSTR Treefrog
  
  You know what? Thank God. That was my first reaction to Mystr Treefrog. In fact, he should use the following as a quote in his press kit: Thank God for Mystr Treefrog. Here is why: although the Frog had been pre-sorted in my in-box as “singer/songwriter,” he’s not. Mystr Treefrog is to “singer/songwriter” what a crawfish is to Earl Grey tea. I’ll explain: the one downside to overseeing a small online music zine like Low Budget Superhero is that I’m outnumbered by “singer/songwriters.” Some days there are so many singer/songwriters in the in-box that, after hours of listening, they all just blur into one big maudlin, introspective acoustic wash of strumming and storytelling. Some days, by golly, I feel like if I hear one more earnest verse about the clouds in the sky or the coffee grounds in the cup or mama’s tears on the pillow, I feel like I wanna stick my red pen straight into my eyeball. That’s why there’s a lot of reviews with “review date tbd.” Usually that means it’s another singer/songwriter who drew the unfortunate straw of being the eleventy-fifth one I’ve spun today, and rather than do the poor folkie the disservice of reviewing them while I’m all strummed-out, I’ll save ‘em for next week or next month. Listen fresh. Give them a proper chance. So, back to Mystr Treefrog. When I spun Mystr Treefrog, I was on singer/songwriter number eleventy-four, and though some of what I heard is an outright affront to all music fans, I still said THANK GOD. He’s doing something totally different, frequently unacceptable, he knows it, and he could give a flying green fuck what I think. I have to respect that. Sure, he’s made up his own genre name (swampadelic) and he thinks he’s a frog. Yeah, he knows as much about song structure as he knows about proper use of upper case letters (you should see this press kit). Sure, he generously sprinkles his crazy verses with uncomfortable missives to Jesus and the bible. Yeah, his redneck twang approaches the unintelligible and he mimics barnyard animals a little too freely. But I like it. It’s weird and wrong, but I like it. And you know, despite the clucking and stuff, “Chikinmilk,” a song whose subject matter I could not explain at gunpoint, has a catchy toe-tapping beat that sounds a lot like Timbuk 3’s “The Future’s So Bright.” And “Wrong Turn” is so out of place here that I don’t know what to do with it — amongst all the deep country cajun protest-song bible-banging harmonica-driven thumpers there’s suddenly this avant-garde minimalist piece that Massive Attack would probably appreciate. What the f…? Who IS this guy? (http://www.myspace.com/mystrtreefrog) (Review date: Sept 27 2007, Lexi Kahn)
  

• MYSTR Treefrog On N.P.R. [+ Show ]
  

  LINK TO ARCTICLE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6567026 He performs und...LINK TO ARCTICLE:
  
  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6567026
  
  He performs under the name MYSTR Treefrog. His songs span blues, rockabilly, bluegrass, folk and sometimes even electronic genres. Sometimes compared to Woodie Guthrie, Brayton released his album Bats Will Scatter in 2006. The track "Chikin Milk" showcases his skills at Dobro and harmonica.
  
  MYSTR Treefrog lives in Silver Spring, Md., and describes his musical style as "Swampadelic Thump."
  
  MYSTR Treefrog says he does not want "a Hummer limousine or a spot on American Idol" and that he plays because he believes "music and the inspiration it takes to create it, and the dedication it takes to nurture it, cannot be canned or marginalized." Along with acoustic and electric Dobro (both six- and twelve-string) and the harmonica, MYSTR Treefrog plays the mandolin. His influences include John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Don Van Vliet, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He believes his songs sound as though they're infused with "the spirits of Howlin' Wolf, John Zorn, Jim Morrison, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart and Tinkerbell" and "locked in a beer- and blood-soaked studio by Iggy Pop with orders to produce an album in eight hours."
  
  Having already independently released a shock opera titled Mer De Mente, MYSTR Treefrog has another album, called Ghosts Before Breakfast, in the works. While performing, he plays a mix of originals and covers, such as Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" and Johnny Cash's "Way Down in the Mines."
  
  
  

• MYSTR Treefrog [+ Show ]
  

  Review of MYSTR Treefrog- Col. Tamar Alexia Fleishman Jon Brayton is secretly and mode...Review of MYSTR Treefrog- Col. Tamar Alexia Fleishman
  
  
  
  
  
  Jon Brayton is secretly and modestly, MYSTR Treefrog. Let me just start out saying that there is NOT ONE of our favorite Southern rock bands he couldn’t open for. In fact, I was at a Southern band’s concert recently with the most GOD-AWFUL opening act and it did that band a disservice (NB - Bands, just because she’s cute doesn’t mean she should open for you ... On stage.) MYSTR Treefrog was born and bred in Georgia, but now makes Maryland his home. He’s like a very Southern version of Woody Guthrie, but angrier. His instrumentation includes some washboards and twangy guitar. He plays dobro, acoustic, electric guitar, bass. He says his influences include Captain Beefheart, the Allman Brothers, Little Feat and Dr. John. “Chikin Milk” definitely has a Woody Guthrie sound, but swampier. “N2NYC” has a more classic rock sound, but there’s no mistaking Jon’s Southern accent. “Troubled Sleep” has a John Lee Hooker bent, but funkier, more ‘70’s. “The Ark” will have you thinking of Bob Dylan. “U Fit the Profile” is an angry political song with solid musicianship to back up the check he’s writing. “How Many Fingers” is hilarious. Quick tempo, quicker wit. Very smart-alecky -- reminds me of Night Train.
  
  For more information, check out www.mystrtreefrog.altpro.net.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Setlist

Besides the Originals of multiple Recorded Works(listed on CD covers)

MYSTR Treefrog plays a mix of Original and Covers,depending on the Venue.
Mostly eclectic Americana,Rock and blues based.
Smaller venues or solo performances are done on mostly acoustic instruments with Percussio(congas/djembe) and bass guitar.

Basic Requirements

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