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Sound Reviews
Bringing home the funk with Lowcash and Brothers Gow
By Troy Farah
Published on 03/04/2010
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Artist: Brothers Gow
Album: Ponds
Rating: 3/5
Brothers Gow have long made a lasting impact on Flagstaff’s local music scene with their distinctly funky hip-hop, jazz and rock mix. It’s always been a fun ride with Alex Gow Bastine, Ethan Wade, Carson Church, Kyle Merril and Rene Rivas, many of whom have been friends since elementary school.
At the end of January, Gow released a five-track EP entitled Ponds, once again employing their goofy, laidback music sounds.
“Headlock” is a jam worthy of Sublime and acts almost as a warning against the hazards of beauty. A femme fatale ensnares a man and he falls for her for all the wrong reasons. The song arches with interesting guitar effects, but the story doesn’t really end.
“Alleycat” is a similar tale, but with a different twist. With a bassline imitating Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the song tells of a cool cat getting lost in an emotional battle with a woman met a bar. The personification of the feline gives good detail of what a typical night on the town can be like. Towards the end, the track is turned on its head with some ambient DJ scratching.
The album’s title track, “Ponds,” is also the weirdest cut, moseying along over bouncing piano and tense, jerky vocals. Gow invites us to take a “recess in the playground of the mind” and imagine something very odd. The song switches to the point of view of a reincarnated duck. Confused, he adopts some duckling children that quack “Are you my daddy?” Then comes the jamming—all the rocked-out goodness that makes Brothers Gow popular. The duck accepts his new life and befriends an old man who likes to feed birds in the park. The story is a vague metaphor against getting too complacent in life—confined, as it were, to life’s ponds.
“Down On My Luck” is the perfect hobo manifesto. When you have nothing left, there’s nothing that can be taken from you. The synths take on a life of their own here, closing out the song with a long, sci-fi solo.
Finally, there’s “Whud You Call Me?” filled with the album’s most energetic riffs, sometimes sounding like a Metallica song and ending with the longest instrumental jamming on Ponds.
Brothers Gow has worked hard to earn their fanbase and become a familiar face in Flagstaff’s music scene. Ponds was a labor of love and should resonate well with fans.
Artist: Lowcash
Album: ‘Dis Funktional Family
Rating: 4/5
With the band’s nine members, Flagstaff locals Lowcash can cram full an entire stage. The funk fusion group employs instruments from trombone to trumpet, but they’re more than just a boisterous crowd. They groove with a downtempo, relaxing air and the chilled-out attitude that truly reflects Flagstaff. Their debut album, ‘Dis Funktional Family, represents the bands free-wheeling optimism and a message about living each day to the max.
Needless to say, Lowcash has a powerful stage presence starring the talents of Lucas Stephen on guitar, Avianna Acid on vocals, Sam Neeley on percussion and hip-hop vocals, Conor Bailie on drums and backup vocals, Nathanial Pratt on bass, Ryan Godwin on trumpet, Wilson Thomas on saxaphone, Ian Amberson on syntheziser and Tedd Kelley on trombone.
Lowcash’s sound ranges from funk to ska to hip-hop, changing tone without missing a beat. The glue that holds it all together is vocalist Avianna Acid. Her sultry lyrics set off Family with “Follow Your Bliss,” a popping beat with a strong sax overtone about abandoning troubles. It’s not exactly encouraging running from your problems, just ditching the ones that don’t truly matter, especially leaving a damaging relationship. “Just wanna keep the peace,” Acid sings. “Wish you could stay around.”
Getting down with a rickety guitar riff, “B.B.B.” explores the dancefloor and Acid’s voice twirls between the trombones and trumpets.
“Lovestruck” starts off with a reggae beat until vocalist Sam Neeley steps in and infuses hip-hop lyrics, trying to seduce a hot dancing chick. It gets steamier when Acid saunters up and complements Neeley and the band’s third vocalist, Conor Bailie.
“Let It Begin” and “Make It Happen” both motivate the listener to take chances in life, because a healthy, satisfied worldview takes work.
For all their feel-good grooves, the band isn’t afraid to be coarse, dropping F-bombs here and there and exposing the more raw side of Lowcash. As the band might say, it’s all good because throughout the album Lowcash’s happy disposition has taken root. Even the synth-heavy instrumental track “Ghetto in the Meadow” seems to encourage searching for that silver lining.
‘Dis Funktional Family is a great start for Lowcash, really lifting the mood away from whining or negativity. Most importantly, it reflects the lifestyle of typical Flagstaff residents in a positive light.
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