Music
Press
Improvisation is ultimately at the
root of all original music. It starts with that one chord, lick, or beat that you can’t get out of your head. Then around that base you bring in instruments to compose and arrange. Usually that’s done in the garage or practice space. Very few bands bring that spontaneity to stage, and even fewer can pull it off.
Hearing a lot about but having
never seen The Borderless Puzzle, I
figured it was about time I get out to
see these guys in action. It’s unfortunate that it has taken me this long. Renowned for their off-the-cuff performances, the four members of the Borderless Puzzle are able to lure the audience with their jazzy, trip-phonic style, then carry the tunes into epics with a complexity that is at once refreshing and energetic. Their recent show at
the Rex, with Big With Seed opening,
attracted both suited professionals and those of the crunchy granola sect, creating a diversity somewhere between pleats and patchouli.
TBP performed many of their popular originals, along with some funkified covers that at first went unrecognized until the choruses revealed themselves. Bringing influences from all over the
spectrum, TBP leaves no style un-
touched with covers from Barry White to Nine Inch Nails; a modest four minute pop song can turn into a ten minute sonic kaleidoscope of psychedelic tones that anyone will appreciate.
These guys are studied musical
pieces - each instrument unique in its own right yet needing the others to complete the whole picture. Josh Clary’s perplexing bass lines lay the foundation and Eric Brannon’s energy behind the drum kit mixes the beat while guitarists Joe Stile and Jason Fisher weave harmonies in, out and around each heady,
atmospheric song.
The Borderless Puzzle - the name
accurately describes the style. Check
them out. m:u - Music Underground Magazine
Discography
LP-Now Feel This (self release)
Live shows available at www.archive.org
Studio and live tracks receive airplay in Pittsburgh, Morgantown, Indiana PA, Erie, and Philidelphia.
Photos
Bio
The Borderless Puzzle is a rising star on the Mid-Atlantic live music scene. The heavily touring band has garnered a reputation as an energetic, distinct experience, both onstage and in a growing number of headphones and car stereos. The result is support from a solid and growing fan base spanning Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. The four members mesh many styles of music, ranging from short songs with thick vocal harmonies and catchy hooks, to wordless, intricately composed, and improvisation-heavy juggernauts.
“Their music can be catchy and vocally driven or wander into wordless build and peak jam world. Either way, a Borderless Puzzle show is a great way to spend an evening. . .Their vast repertoire keeps people coming back again and again.” –Hallie Pritts, music editor of The Front Weekly
“The proof is on ‘Now Feel This’ their stellar 2004 studio CD,” says Dave Richards, senior music editor at the Erie Daily Times. “[The album features] sizzling yet intricate jams that build and peak before exploding into (or returning to) blissful, harmony-heavy, sing-along choruses. They take the harder, more adventurous path, in other words. But with their chops and collective musical telepathy, they usually pull it off—creating exciting, high-wire jams.”
“Pay close enough attention to The Borderless Puzzle’s debut long-player, the self-released Now Feel This, and you’ll notice that the cobbling together of an entirely unique style has finally clicked for them” –Dan Eldridge, music editor of The Pittsburgh City Paper, 2005
The Borderless Puzzle brews songs full of tension and release, dynamic emotions, meaningful lyrics, and sublime hypnosis. All four band members sing, often tackling complex vocal arrangements and even entire a cappella songs. The band’s blending of many genres and ever-changing set lists washes over listeners, immersing them in groove, funk, and voice. Borderless fans travel to see three shows in a week because they know they will hear very little song repetition, and never a song exactly the same way twice. The band’s music is captivating, energizing, and—for some—mesmerizing.
The Borderless Puzzle. Listen to the music and let the words sink in. Each original song pieces together thoughtful concepts, perfectly blurring the lines that would exist where one idea meets the next.
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