Classy Mongrel

Generally when I think of music that describes itself as chill or ambient or chillwave, I always expect that I need to have some form of pharmacological assistance to get me into the headspace that I should be in to fully appreciate the art put out by the artist. That's not to be said for Kentucky performance artist, Classy Mongrel. His music has teeth. It's got flavor. It's not simply beats and loops over and over at 89 bpm to lull you to sleep. It's a fully realized musical endeavor with a beginning, a middle and an end. If I were to compare him to anyone it would be artists like Grimes and Penguin Prison or City Rain. He's been to the same places that Hercules and the Love Affair have been and he's not simply some guy sitting in his room learning a craft. His music is fluid and it's full and gives you something to work with. All that being said, it's not something that you can't groove to. You can absolutely start at square one and let him take you to where you need to go. Just close your eyes and the beats and synths will easily wrap you up in the deliciousness his music provides. When you come across a track with vocals, they aren't used as a stand apart feature that you are supposed to give all your attention; they are another instrument in the lineup. The vocals enhance the overall track and don't take away from your enjoyment. You don't have to stop grooving to hear what's being said, you simply integrate it into your experience. Another artist he brings to mind is British Dream Pop group, Fuse. I love the Dream Pop genre as much as I dig Shoegaze and I would MORE faithfully put Classy Mongrel in that category quicker than I would just call him an ambient artist. Something he does in a lot of tracks is there maybe a four or an eight count where things are just a bit off. Just a bit broken. To my ears, that's almost an homage to life itself. Things aren't always perfect and you hit a rough patch and then you process it and move on. It's a testament to the resilience of HUMAN nature at it's core. It's not being bogged down by the small stuff. It's the glitch in the Matrix. It's the deja vu. It's acknowledging that things can get back on track if you let them. He's able to incorporate these little moments of unrest into his tracks and they don't take away from the overall product. In some instances, they may be a little unnerving but that's part of learning and growing as a human. The production on the tracks is solid. There's a ton of depth and range to his music. His synths are tight and are all pulled together into a cohesive product. I don't hear any "store bought" samples or loops (or if I do, he's done a good enough job at disguising them that they don't come across that way). It's well thought out and as professional as any other artist making this music today. - Pop, Rinse, Repeat

"Owensboro musician Grant Short, who works under the pseudonym Classy Mongrel, will soon release his first full-length album, "Love & Resistance.” "Love & Resistance" will be available on all digital stores like iTunes and Amazon as well as music streaming services like Pandora and Spotify on Tuesday. He released his first EP a year ago to "decent success" and has been working the last eight months on the soon-to-be released album. Short is now working with a company to distribute the release to college radio stations. Once the music is released, Short said it will also be pushed during the "September show season" for use in television. While his music could be labeled as electronic or dreamwave, Short considers his music to be indie pop and described it as "traditional singer-songwriter stuff put onto electric beats and synths.” Electronic music, he said, has gotten a bad reputation for superficiality and people stealing work. He wanted to bring his love of artists like Woody Guthrie to electronic music. "So that's kind of what the album's about," Short said. "It's all true to myself, all things I've heard in my life. Love and resistance is kind of how I've always lived. I try to have a loving heart and resist things openly that I don't believe in. My whole thing is just kind of about people being more true to their own nature, I guess. "Now that the release is approaching, Short said it's "trepedatious.""It's weird to wake up one day and have people vested in your music."
Short said he doesn't have any expectations for the album but hopes it "self-perpetuates."
"I don't really have any expectations and that's what's kind of fun about doing it all yourself," he said. "But other people's expectations, that's when it starts to get kind of nerve wracking. But my expectation is to kind of keep doing what I've done and keep progressing.” "Love & Resistance" is currently available for pre-order on iTunes for half-price. With the pre-order, buyers will get the single "Too Far" immediately. An all-ages LP release party will begin at 8 p.m. on Aug. 1 at PG, 1418 W. Franklin St., Evansville. Local acts, including Cathedral Rings, A.K.A. and Ewokie Talkie will perform, and free copies of the new album will be given out while supplies last. The show is free but donations to Owensboro nonprofit, A Simple Path will be accepted.” -Stephanie Salmons - Messenger Inquirer

“As the founder of a former nonprofit organization, Grant Short said he can appreciate the ones that empower those in need.
He will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at the Creme Coffee House, 109 E. Second St. There is no admission charge, and all donations will go to A Simple Path.
"I'm familiar with the work they do (at A Simple Path), and it's not about handouts," he said. "It's amazing that they actually train and prepare people to find jobs. It perpetuates good habits and a better life."
Kim Jagoe and Christin Pelsor opened A Simple Path, a "reverse soup kitchen," in the spring of 2013. They train the homeless and impoverished in nutrition, cooking, food safety and sanitation.
People, many of whom live in shelters, prepare and serve food to the public. The meals are purchased on a donation basis. Jagoe's hope is that it enables people to get food service jobs and become self-sufficient.
Short, a multi-instrumentalist who primarily plays synthesizers and drum machines as a one-man band, performs under the name Classy Mongrel.
Before pursuing music, he started Needs of the People, which aimed to unite local nonprofits, churches and other groups that had similar objectives.
"Through volunteering, I noticed a lot of groups were kind of like Congress — often working toward to same goals but not in unison," he said. "So, I tried to bring them together."
Short performs throughout the region, recently making stops in Cincinnati, Nashville and Lexington to promote his new EP, "Dissent/Disperse." He said he's excited to perform at the Creme for the first time.
"I just want people to enjoy the music, know a little more about the organization and support, if they can," he said.
Short's music is available for free or paid download on iTunes and at classymongrel.com.”
 
Angela Oliver
aoliver@messenger-inquirer.com - Messinger Inquirer

Short seeks dream performing as Classy Mongrel
After 10 years of working at a wildlife refuge in Berea, Owensboro native Grant Short had an epiphany. "It became apparent that if I wanted to focus on my dreams, I had to do it now," he said. Fresh from Nashville's Songwriters Festival over the weekend, Short is preparing for local events and opportunities in other states. He will play at the Famous Bistro at 10 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5. It is at 102 W. Second St. The event is a release party for his latest EP, "Clean Breaks." The work is the first in his portfolio to feature his vocals. Short takes the stage as Classy Mongrel. He recently moved back to Owensboro and said he's ready to share his music with a few events around town and beyond. "My stage name is true to my character — a representation of the dynamic of the human condition," he said.
Short has been a musician since his days at Highland Elementary School. A multi-instrumentalist, he now primarily plays synthesizers and drum machines, acting as a one-man band."I mostly loop indie rock, or what some would call chill wave music," he said. "It's a different sound."Short is no stranger to the touring experience. He booked shows in Lexington, Louisville and Nashville while he was away from Owensboro.
He has also gotten a job offer in San Francisco, a spot at the San Diego IndieFest and a chance to play at Whisky-A-Go-Go, the renowned nightclub on Hollywood's Sunset Strip where Jim Morrison and The Doors spent years as the house band.
"Jim Morrison is one of my influences, probably every musician's, so I feel great about that," he said. "I'm just excited to see where the music takes me." For information on upcoming shows, see classymongrel.com or facebook.com/classymongrel.
Angela Oliver, 691-7360, aoliver@messenger-inquirer.com - Messenger Inquirer