Album Notes

When conceiving the band, Barky's founder, Scott Barkan, set out to create an instrumental outfit that would appeal to musicians, fans of new music with ears for complex harmonies and rhythms, but at the same time would not alienate those listeners who yearned for singable melodies and simple structures. The result was an exquisite blend of subtle chord changes and short melodic lines, underpinned by a driving rhythm section which twists and turns its way through barely decipherable time changes and bursts of blistering improvisation.

Though he has chops to spare, Barkan's guitar playing is surprisingly restrained, often opting for harmonic and rhythmic dissonance to create and release tension, rather than a blistering flurry of high notes. And his impeccable rhythm section, bassist Michael LaValle and drummer Brook Martinez, provide a rock solid foundation, even in the trickiest of meters, for Barkan to weave his slinky strings of hybrid scales and quartertones.

Over the years, Barky's dynamic performances and rare combination of styles have afforded them the opportunity to open for and share festival slots with a host of diverse bands, including Yolk, Dufus, Gwar, The Big Wu, Big Ass Truck, Ween, Birth, and Hypnotic Clambake.

All these elements have combined to create a surprisingly different and incredible band, and with the release of their independently produced debut album, "A Study In Rocking", Barky is poised to take their singular brand of instrumental rock to the world.