Music
Press
This album was a nice surprise. There's lots of spunk and verve as these guys meld guitars, drums, trombone and sax, as well as organs and vocals--lots of vocals.
On the project we have heavy doses of funk, bluesy groovy textures, rock/pop, and even a bit of rap as on the first track. There's a garage band feel in places yet they come off delivering a pretty polished work. When I first opened the CD, I thought it might be something I couldn't even give away. Man was I wrong!
There's a smart musical groove that is often irresistible. The music mostly is hip and shows lots of talent and musical sense. I love the way the many varied instruments played [well] with each other and how different genre'd tracks come off. On cut #3 some might think that the sax is a bit disjointed but the feel was thought out and the delivery works. These guys jam well together and it is clear they have fun. That fun was obvious to me.
On "Our Last Album" there's lots of moods, styles, grooves, and musical fire. The only caveat is song #9 "Talk to Me" which should be intended for adults as it is an adult theme. Musically it is a good and pretty cool number. For 12 tracks the 'SIDE PROJECT' jams and hopefully it's not their 'last album.' Recommended.
Best arrangement: Cut 6's jazzy horn groove - The Critical Review
Keep the intoxicating vibes going after Faktura Gallery's artist-meets-alcohol exhibit "Spilt Over Sugar, Crushed Under Foot" with South Florida jam band Side Project. The eight-piece group will perform its acid fusion of funk, rock, and jazz for the afterparty. Side Project's release, "Our Last Album," features 12 tracks of trippy guitar tricks, blaring brass, and riveting rhythms that cool cats can dance or space-out to. Melodies like those in the appropriately titled "Peaking" and "the Wooden Lady and her Shadow Dog" give listeners the mind-bending effects of magic mushrooms without their having to eat them. Everyone from fans of Frank Zappa to Miles Davis will appreciate Side Project's eclectic grooves. The success experimental jazz and jam bands have recently enjoyed in Miami brings Side Project to the side of town known for its underground sensibility and bohemian flare. The Fort Lauderdale based outfit is looking to increase its presence in the Design District. With venues such as Cornerstone and Stop Miami housing audiences hungry for an original, ethereal sound, the neighborhood tills fertile soil for the group's psychedelic seed. - Miami New Times
Jazz meets funk meets jam meets fusion meets prog from Florida's Side Project called "Our Last Album." Certainly, after digging through these grooves a few times, let's hope that it is not their last one. This is some seriously fun stuff, and hearing this almost made me feel like I was experiencing a long lost jam session from Frank Zappa's 'Burnt Weeny Sandwich' era, yet mixed with a healthy dose of jam band mentality and funk grooves. Citing influences like Tool, Herbie Hancock, Curtis Mayfield, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Dream Theater, Primus, and Phish, it's easier to get where these guys are coming from. There's not a boring section to be had on this rollicking and swinging CD, which will have you tapping your foot, swaying your body, and marveling at the hot instrumental sections that litter the album.
There are many highlights here, like the extended jam/funk of "Too Funkee Shoes" complete with snappy horns and wah-wah guitars, the early Jethro Tull sounding "Talk to Me," or the complex vocals mixed with deep grooves on "Hippos in the Kitchen," and the avant-garde, Zappa flavored "The Wooden Lady and her Shadow Dog" and "A Lil' Dab'll Do Ya." Just when you think the band is settling back for some laid back jazz complete with sax & trombone, they come roaring back with some gritty guitars, raging synths, funky vocals, and punchy rhythms. If the Red Hot Chili Peppers ever decided to get rid of their hard rock & punk edge and add a horn section, they might sound like Side Project.
"Our Last Album" is one of those CD's that you slap into the player on an unsuspecting party and observe what happens. My guess is the majority will ask, "who are these guys?" while they are bouncing to the complex grooves. Fun stuff guys, and I'll be looking forward to the follow-up. - Sea of Tranquility
Discography
Debut LP:Our Last Album
Singles:Hippos in the Kitchen, Time, A.F.U.
Photos
Bio
Often compared to old school Frank Zappa, Side Project's influences range from Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, to Primus and Phish, to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Outkast, creating a Funk/Fusion Octet that pays more mind to originality than fitting in. Side Project began in 2000 when six friends who'd met at church started jamming dirty funk. A night session at the church recorded on an 8-track produced the band's first recording and Side Project – named for the struggle of working a day job and making music by night – took off. The band played its first gigs at a local cafe, where members discovered a taste for off the wall antics and improvisation. The band has since opened for national acts (including ulu and Rainbow Trout) and played gigs up and down the East Coast from South Miami to Orlando. Side Project has played several large outdoor festivals and last November threw down a prime time set at the City Link Music Festival in the streets of downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Side Project is looking to expand its reach into the Southeast in 2007.
OUR LAST ALBUM
Side Project's 2004 debut album, Our Last Album, proves that the band's creativity and party atmosphere translates just as well on record as it does live. Produced and recorded in 2004, the album drew rave reviews. “Our Last Album is one of those CD's that you slap into the player on an unsuspecting party and observe what happens,” Pete Pardo, of Sea of Tranquility, said.
Tunes like “Hippos in the Kitchen” and “Talk to Me” provide sing-along tracks while “Time” and “AFU” serve up the band's originality in “psycho” delic fashion like never heard before.
“Melodies like those in the appropriately titled “Peaking” and “The Wooden Lady and Her Shadow Dog” give listeners the mind-bending effects of magic mushrooms without their having to eat them,” Alexandra Qulnones of Miami New Times said.
With a second album on the way, planned as a CD/DVD production, Side Project isn't resting on its laurels. Listen for the band's tunes on college stations WBGG and WNSU and look for CDs, downloads and pictures, Itunes and on the web, www.Sideprojectjams.com.
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