Music
Press
Commercial Appeal
Memphis Playbook (Section) p20
Friday 8/3/07
Catch them live or get these recordings.
By Mark Jordan
Aside from the '90s art-punk band Neighborhood Texture Jam and the much-missed WLYX-FM radio station, Rhodes College has had surprisingly little impact on the local music scene. It may be the school's small size (about 1,700 students annually) or the big tuition (at $30K-plus a year, maybe parents aren't hoping Timmy turns out to be a really kickin' conga player).
But the instrumental fusion band eNeRGy D, made up of four recent Rhodes graduates, stand out for reasons beyond their rather screwy ideas about capitalization. heir stated musical indfluences run the gamut of instrumental bands from Booker T. & the MGs and the Meters, to John Scofield and Medeski, Martin, & Wood, to such cutting-edge electronic dance acts as Sound Tribe Sector 9. The effect is a combination of big, modern, funky dance beats (helped along in spots by drum loops) and a '60s-'70s style melodicism that could well be the soundtrack to "Ocean's 14."
The concise opening track, "Cuarto Verde," for instance, has a ramped-up Island groove reminiscent of Beginning Of The End's "Funky Nassau, Pt. 2." Elsewhere, the band stretches things out, as on the eight-minute epic "High Winds," which is largely a showcase for the soloing of guitarist Daniel Heacock and keyboardist Gaines Fricke. With a funk as think as Galactic's, the contributions of the superb rhythm section of drummer Nate Smith and bassist Ryan Nall are more subtle but no less integral to the proceedings.
Though largely instrumental, there are four songs on the disc that feature vocals, and while the strained poetry of a song like "Dega" won't win any Pulitzers, the words do provide a nice balance to the record.
eNeRGy D play Saturday at the Young Ave. Deli, 2119 Young, with special guests Gravity A from New Orleans. Admission is $5. Doors open at 9 p.m. Call 278-0034 - The Commercial Appeal
Discography
Our first self-titled album, eNeRGyD, was released June 16, 2007 and is available for sale and download. A sophomore studio release is scheduled to debut in late March, 2008.
Photos
Bio
eNeRGy D, a four-piece Jazz/Jam/Rock band based in Memphis, TN, recently released their first self-titled, all-original album of genre-defying music. While 2006 included eNeRGyD's five track cover demo, frat parties, and the composition of original material, 2007 efforts to date have resulted in the production and release of this first album, playing a host of Memphis venues (including Newby’s and the Young Avenue Deli), opening for nationally renowned acts such as Animal Liberation Orchestra, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Gravity A, Dubconscious, The Dynamites, Speakeasy, Pnuma Trio and the Greyboy Allstars. With the release of the eNeRGyD album, recent airplay on Memphis’ 89.9 FM WEVL & 98.1 The MAX, and a rapidly growing regional fanbase, 2008 promises to be the breakout year for eNeRGy D.
eNeRGyD formed in the late spring of 2006 when several student members of Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) jazz ensembles combined their talents in an impromptu afternoon jam session. Looking to branch out of traditional jazz mediums and to incorporate other facets of music they all pursued independently, the decision was made to continue collaborating, and the band was born.
Brought together by a shared love of jazz, eNeRGyD began experimenting with various song-writing techniques that led to an original sound that utilizes elements of jazz, rock, bluegrass, classical, funk, and electronica. The first four tracks on the debut cross this broad spectrum, but the eNeRGyD sound is not just a random combination of contemporary jazz stylings; it is a fusion of genres resulting in “big, modern, funky dance beats” coupled with a new and diverse style of melodicism. eNeRGyD's sound is constantly reinvented through live performances and the exploration of new musical possibilities. Improvisation and audience involvement are integral parts of eNeRGyD shows making for a more dynamic live experience than traditional looping/electronica projects.
eNeRGyD's sophomore studio release is scheduled for release in late November 2007 as the band begins touring the throughout the Southeast.
For Booking Contact:
Ryan Nall
energyd@runbox.com
901.292.4280
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