Joe Scatassa - guitar, vocals Matt Iselin - keyboards, vocals Dan Asher - bass
and Bearded Jon Stonbely - bass Jason Isaac - drums Seth Moutal - his dudeness, or el duderito if you're not into the whole brevity thing - percussion
With frequent help in New York from: Jeff Pierce - trumpet Justin Flynn - tenor sax Rafi Malkiel - trombone
and in New Orleans: Bill Richards - bass, vocals Rick Trolsen - trombone Chuck Arnold - trumpet Jason Mingledorf - tenor sax Magic Earl Scioneaux - keyboards
and a cast of thousands!
Influences
Zappa, Funkadelic, Black Sabbath, The Meters, Charles Mingus, The Headhunters, Gentle Giant, Neslort, Smilin' Myron, and all the great music of New Orleans
Afroskull is greasy persuasion and bad gris-gris. A New York City funk/rock collective by way of New Orleans, the ‘Skull is a sonic gumbo that is one part Funkadelic and one part Black Sabbath with generous helpings of Zappaesque runs and jazzoid horns. The interplay of their heady musicianship and fat bottomed grooves helps to keep les bon temps rouler all night long.
Born of saintly happenstance and house party jam sessions in The Big Easy, Afroskull has been intent on setting about the musical canvas with broad strokes and a menacing palette for more then a decade. Indulging in the sweet cross pollination of musical genres, they have created a hybrid sound they can call their very own. Taking their name from the perceived halo, that well worn LP fade, which framed the shrouded skull on the back cover of “Steppenwolf Live,” the band, in one word conceived a moniker that spoke to the heavy boogies they were cranking out on a regular basis.
Their early musical endeavors and growing reputation in and around New Orleans led the band; Joe Scatassa (guitar), Bill Richards (bass), Matt Barone (keyboards), Jason Isaac (drums) and a cadre of horn players, into the studio to cut their first album. Monster for the Masses, released in 2000, was received to critical praise. Although commercial success proved more elusive, the band’s stature, backed by their solid studio effort and high-powered shows, continued to grow even as they dealt with a multitude of changes.
Following band member departures, a brief hiatus, and a move back home to New York, Joe and Jason reconstituted Afroskull. With The Big Apple their backdrop and joined by Matt Iselin (keyboards), Dan Asher (bass) and Seth Moutal (percussion) the band was born anew, but with that same genre eschewing bend. Their live shows, a laboratory for their shifting provocative sound, were further enhanced by the solidification of the “Horns of Doom.”
Jeff Pierce (trumpet), Justin Flynn (tenor sax) and Rafi Malkiel (trombone) emerged from a rotating cast of horn players equipped with an individual swagger but firmly committed to the group dynamic. Tempted by their small yet loyal following and convinced by Joe’s intricate spiraling compositions Afroskull once again made for the studio.
The result, To Obscurity and Beyond, their first album in nine years, is a tempestuous marriage of rock, funk and jazz. Dripping with ecstatic elaborate arrangements, Joe Scatassa’s production and original compositions are hell bent on keeping you shaking your ass and banging your head. Joined by Ronnie Cuber (baritone sax, bass clarinet), of Mingus Big Band and Frank Zappa fame, the lush brass orchestrations compliment and combat the underlying full throttle gonzo spunk. Punctuated by two spitfire vocal tracks, the mostly instrumental offering stampedes, but never tramples. To Obscurity and Beyond further separates Afroskull from the majority of their peers as it marks the return of their uniquely fierce and unrelenting voice to the scene.
To Obscurity and Beyond will be released on November 7th, 2009. Get it exclusively at Afroskull.com.
"It's a high-powered groove generator, throbbing with jazzoid horns, all-around intense musicianship, pedal to the heavy metal tendencies (with Black Sabbath in the collective woodshed!?), and Zappa-esque compositional conceptualizing. Fused under extreme heat and pressure with a creative abandon and a gonzo attitude, Afroskull's music demands spirit-possessed body movements and has "Holy Shit!" moments of revelation aplenty."
- Home of the Groove blog
"With roots in both the Big Apple and the Big Easy, it’s no wonder that when the guys in Afroskull get together something special happens. They’ve managed to combine hardcore rock n’ roll (claiming Frank Zappa and Black Sabbath as influences) with a huge helping of good ole’ fashion New Orleans funk, reminiscent of The Meters and even Maceo Parker, giving them a sound all their own…"New Orleans/NYC Superfunk,” as they’ve so aptly titled themselves."
- Billboard's Mobile Beat blog
“When Afroskull gets started up, they unleash a powerful giant . . . Unlike any other funk band in New Orleans, the ‘Skull produces a gritty, dark metal sound that can keep the house rocking the entire night.”
- Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans
“This is hard-core hard-bop with a thick, walloping sound that would certainly get you evicted if you cranked this stuff up higher than a 5 or 6 on your volume dial. Afroskull churns out intense funk-sludge that takes no prisoners.”
- Where Y’At Magazine, New Orleans
hey it’s lance from darling waste! I just wanted to personally thank you for the addage acceptance. much appreciated.
Hope you can come out to our Music Industry Event at Parkside Lounge in NYC on Nov. 5. This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with people from all facets of the industry (as well as hear some great music). Hope to see you there.
Come hang out with us! We love to meet musicians, network, and trade gigs. hope you enjoyed the music!
lance waste
About Darling Waste
- 5 Piece Piano Driven Indy Rock Band from Brooklyn NY
- Featured on MTV, HBO, SHOWTIME & MIRAMAX.
- New album being distributed by Hot Topic.
- July/Aug- 5 wk. UK tour w/Our Innocence Lost (UK) - sold-out venues
- Sept - opened for Blink 182, Fallout Boy,& Panic A.T Disco.
- Oct. -Nominated - UK Award- Best International Newcomer.
_ Nov. - NYC show being reviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine
- Touring w/Kill Hannah & Our Innocence Lost - Europe & Japan 2010
- Ranked by MySpace as One Of The Top 20 "Emo" Bands In The United States
- Ranked by MySpace as One Of The Top 100 "Indie" Bands In The United States
Thank you for adding up & coming original reggae/dub/punk trio The Roast Beef Curtains from LI, NY! Please check out our Summer Of Pleasure '09 tour calendar to catch a show nearest you! From NYC to the Hamptons, and all points in between...
Hi, Just want to let you know that a bunch of New Orleans style jazz and funk acts are coming to Sullivan Hall in the next few weeks! Ticket links and details are below, or check out www.sullivanhallnyc.com for more information.
Come out and celebrate the summer in New York, NOLA style!
Online Now!
