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Launchpad [Issue
#18]
The Red Note:
By
Mandana Beigi
Weatherman
(CD
Hypnothetical)
What began as a series
of solo acoustic performances in the Czech Republic and Ireland is now a mesmerizing
blues-based, Latin-inspired live rock band.
Shane Chapman’s
(vocals/guitar) flavorful songwriting is backed by Matt Wexler (upright and electric
bass), Tony Moore (trumpet and clarinet), Aaron Malver (trumpet), Kellyn Haley
(trombone), and the intrepid Suckaboo Brown (drums and percussion). These six
amazing musicians are classically trained and had previously performed in numerous
funk, jazz, and rock bands.
For the past
few months, The Red Note have been performing the Weatherman repertoire, including
the popular sing-alongs on the stages of Seattle, where they have developed a
strong following. The band’s debut release, Weatherman, is a compelling slab
of ten songs produced by Rick Kowal (The Fading Collection, Twilight Babies, FULL)
and mastered by Jeff Campo (Kid Rock, Ten Nuget, Insane Clown Posse).
The album is
a funky classical listen with little dashes of Latin, blues, and pop/rock, but
every song creates a different atmosphere both musically and lyrically. The opening
track, “Ritchies,” is a melodic pop with a groovy Latin beat that’s
reminiscent of Los Lobos. Two of the other memorable songs on Weatherman are “Big
Nothing,” a slow acoustic ballad, and the rock-inspired title track “Weatherman.”
Chapman’s warm vocals add a certain coziness to the slower tracks such as
“Suzie Blues,” “Es La Verdad,” and “Atmosphere.”
The Red Note
is an ensemble of accomplished musicians who have come together to play and, as
they say, “[have] enough whiskey bottles to stock a state-run liquor warehouse.”
They are all about music and Weatherman is a fine work of soulful music that sounds
more like a live performance rather than a studio-recorded one.
Weatherman
Hypnothetical
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