The Real Nasty

Too many bands talk about their "sound" as if they've gone and single-handedly revolutionized pop music. Few groups ever really do anything new, so tip your hat to The Real Nasty for actually coming up with a fresh approach. The trio includes acoustic bassist and singer-songwriter Ryan Lukas and electric guitarist Jacob Groopman, but the wild card is Matthew Smith, who plays cajón, the Peruvian hand drum that looks like a packing crate and combines the sounds of kick drum, conga, and snare.

The album is divided between rock and countryish tunes, with the cajón sounding most innovative on the country ones. It adds a subtle Latin swing to the Johnny Cash bounce of "The Surprise," a hint of funk to "A Pretty Nice Place," and turns "Never the Plan" from a typical country shuffle into something more puzzling. The rockers are carried by Groopman's inventive guitar work and Lukas' new wave-flavored bass. "Time to Lounge" is a melodic punky rocker and kiss off to an ex, with an ironic edge. "K C's Blues" lives up to its title with Ryan's howling blues vocals and electric guitar, while "I Don't Love You Anymore" is a poetic, R&B-flavored ballad enhanced by Lukas' whispered vocal. The nastiest song is "Bad Medicine," an R&B-meets-country thang with a killer opening line: My girl's on drugs, and I am too. (Opus Music) - East Bay Express

San Francisco-based The Real Nasty has just released its debut full-length album “Paper City”. Recorded completely live in the studio, “Paper City” captures The Real Nasty’s gritty, live performance in a studio setting, a feat often difficult to accomplish for live bands. With a traditional, up-right bass and a self-made cajon percussion set counterbalancing country-blues inspired guitar, The Real Nasty combines an electric sound with a more down-home, acoustic ethos, and are sure to gain some much deserved attention with their debut release.

Formed in January 2009, the Real Nasty is comprised of 3 veteran bay-area musicians with diverse musical backgrounds. Jacob Groopman’s guitar work is noticeably influenced by his bluegrass picking skills, and drummer Matt Smith’s deep interest in West African drumming is what informs his mastery of the cajon. With bassist Ryan Lukas, a music professor at the University of Santa Clara, holding down the bottom end, The Real Nasty brings together 3 very strong musical backgrounds, forming a unit and a sound that is truly unique.

Now, with their debut album just released, The Real Nasty are focused on bringing their explosive live show to new fans all over the West Coast. "Paper City" draws you in and keeps you there, and the album is only surpassed by the band's live energy. Don't miss them when they stop in your town this summer. - Heavy Connector

Paper City, the latest release for San Francisco's The Real Nasty is rockin' and makes me so happy that I actually want to be a better human being.
The Real Nasty<br>photo: Kelseywinterkorn.com

The Real Nasty
photo: Kelseywinterkorn.com

And I'm calling ex-girlfriends to apologize.

And I'm sending money to an Oprah school in Africa.

And I'm going to walk out my door with a roll of quarters, giving two for everyone who asks for twenty-five cents.

Seriously, they rock it hard on the first track, and their changes from rock to bringing it down are meticulously placed. Then I Don't Love You Anymore placed at track 8, slows the party down like a romantic dirge.

That's when I call my ex-girlfriend and take back my apologies, it was her fault.

Why am I sending money to schools in Africa when our school system needs help here?

Quarters for nobody!

The Real Nasty is three members and Paper City won't disappoint. They're stripped down with guitar, upright bass and utter, sonic delight.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/offtherecord/detail?&entry_id=65350#ixzz0qWXC6RCW
- San Francisco Chronicle SF GATE

Here's a little something to get your motor revvin' for the opening weekend of World Cup 2010. The Real Nasty are a dapper little trio from San Francisco who kick up a mess of noise with just guitar, upright bass and a homemade cajon . Their gritty and manic country/rawk/blues hybrid would certainly go well with red meat and over-imbibing. If you like what your hear, check out their full-length debut, Paper City , and get yer lazy butt out to see one of [...] - Elbow's

Berkeley's The Real Nasty is a trio that blends folk, rock, blues, and country into a hard-hitting package. Its energetic playing is driven by an amazingly precise rhythm section made up of percussionist and Cajon player Matthew Smith and stand-up bass man Ryan Lukas, with Jacob Groopman supplying lead line on a bare-bones Telecaster setup -- one guitar, one amp, no effects. Lucas writes fine original songs and can growl like a bluesman or croon like a Nashville cowboy to deliver them. The band's impressive debut, PaperCity, is a double EP that was recorded live, no overdubs, in keeping with the band's in-yer-face philosophy. The Real Nasty plays a free show on Thursday, Mar. 11, at the Starry Plough (3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley). 9 p.m. StarryPloughPub.com
— j.poet


Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=488717382&blogId=530918262#ixzz0mwEMmluw - East Bay Express

Somewhere between “Downtown” and “The Sticks” you can find the Real Nasty. To geographicly arcane concertgoers, the Real Nasty will be at both sides of the lake this weekend: Friday, Feb. 19, at the Past Times Club in Truckee and Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Divided Sky in Meyers.
The Berkeley band is comprised of musicians whose other projects hardly resemble what is heard on its CD “Paper City,” which will be given to everyone who pays a cover charge this weekend. It’s two EPs in one package, with “Downtown” being rock ‘n’ roll and “The Sticks” country.
It sounds like a cross between New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Refreshments. A really detailed listener might even find Weezer meeting the Latin Playboys. One band member compared the hybrid sound when the two styles are mixed during live shows to Uncle Tupelo.
“We found it’s solidly split that the girls like the country and the boys like the rock,” said Matthew “Smitty” Smith, who plays a cajon, a percussion box with African origins first popularized in South America by slaves and their descendants. “It’s fun for me to play the rock stuff because it’s so far removed from what the instrument I’m playing it on is typically used for.”
Smitty and Nasty’s Telecaster guitarist Jacob Gropman also plays in an Afrobeat band, Albino. Upright bassist and songwriter Ryan Lukas played together with the Flux, a jam band familiar to numerous Tahoe venues.
“The members of the band have played every room from Crystal Bay to the Auld Dubliner to the Divided Sky and MontBleu,” Smitty said. “Tahoe’s one of my favorite places to play on earth and I’ve probably played in 100 different cities. We’re ecstatic to be bringing this project up to that neck of the woods.”
The Real Nasty’s sound might not be a surprise considering Smitty was trained in Afro-Cuban and West African music but grew up listening to rock.
In an attempt to find a record label, the band recorded several songs but had difficulty with sequencing. The members elected to make two CDs — one country, one rock.
“You have to be creative to have people even look at your CD these days,” said Smitty, who had to make a “paradigm shift” by shortening songs to five minutes or less.
Opus Music Ventures liked Real Nasty’s two sounds, and have signed them. Another CD is in the works, probably again with the different styles on separate CDs.
Both sounds will be presented during this weekend’s live performances.

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