A Goodie
author: Zeitgeist - Scotland
Whew, I was worried there for a minute. Because that's how long it took for the bossa nova brass to arrive. I was concerned that the beatnik part of the name might be taking precedence, and we all know that beatnik is just another word for workshy. But then on track number two, 'Zantee Misfits', they head off into a world of electric slide blues guitar, which was delightful, if unexpected. Then it's back to the bossa nova, baby for 'The American Dream'. And so it continues via dub reggae, ballads, samba and 'Route 66'. It's quite possibly the best Saturday night out you've never had. With bongos.
The Bossa Nova Beatniks have actually been on the go for hunnerds (well twenty five) years, putting out nigh on a dozen records and gigging high and low around New York where the George Clooney was been spotted with one of their CDs. Of course, he might have been returning an unwanted gift but you'd figure he would have people to do that for him. This is actually a 'best of the Beatniks', although the band fight shy of calling it a "greatest hits" collection, due to the absence of, well, hits. Oh, and some of their best known tunes.
If I was to be critical, then I would point a finger at the preponderance of slow songs, and point out how the swinging sounds of 'Red Red Johnny' and 'Route 66' work so much better. I'm also still plagued by nightmares of the Black Uhuru acid comedown of Glastonbury '84 (?), so have to ration the amount of reggae and ska I'm allowed to ingest. But even allowing for that, you'd need to be dead inside not to warm to the sounds. A goodie.
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An Eclectic Street Fair Festival by Themselves!
author: The Big Take-Over
You don't need to go to an eclectic street fair to hear 16 different bands; Huntington, Long Island, NY band BNB are a street fair festival by themselves! Within the first four songs of their 11th CD, they ply skilled hands at folkish world music, Texas blues rock, and reggae. Perhaps bossa nova is the only category I'm not hearing; even Paul Simon took 40 years to integrate so many styles. Mainly, this Tom Gould led, 15-year-old unit know their way around whatever genre they try, because the focus is on the simple root vibe rather than some kind of party band shtick. The guitars are light, there are jazzy trumpets, and Gould sings like an old, experienced hand, a suburban Randy Newman. You can see why old NY DJ’s Meg Griffin and Vin Scelsa spin 'em.
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A Fun Sing Along
author: Ink 19
Bossa Nova Beatniks hit a high I've never seen a band brag about before --their song "Zantee Misfits" was on the audio program for United Airlines' transatlantic flights.
The Bossa Nova Beatniks come out of the lower Manhattan club scene and mix Zydeco, island music, ska and roots rock to make a classy, low-key musical experience. The songs are upbeat and occasionally danceable, but never bombastic or intimidating. They sound more like an acrobatic troupe than a bike gang, and even if there's more unity than differentiation to this collection, the disc is worth a listen. The strongest song, "Red Red Johnny," is a fun sing-along, but there's nothing weak here, whether it's slow dance numbers or slightly sad love songs. It's about time you gave them a spin.
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"End Civil Twilight" is een absolute aanrader van
author: Rootstime - Belgium
The Bossa Nova Beatniks draaien al sinds 1992 mee in de Amerikaanse muziekwereld met een unieke en originele sound die vooral draait om plezier maken. De band uit Huntington, New York doet dit met een steeds grotere groep muzikale vrienden en sinds enkele jaren ook met een grotere supportersclub. De kernleden van The Bossa Nova Beatniks zijn songwriter en zanger Tom Gould, George Vahamonde, Tim Stapleton en Michael Bifulco. Ze spelen een mix van jazz, blues, rock, boogie, reggae, calypso en andere wereldmuziek. We hebben deze band al enkele keren van een uitstekende recensie mogen voorzien bij Rootstime en dan kan je natuurlijk niet echt iets helemaal anders verwachten voor dit album "End Civil Twilight". Deze CD is eigenlijk een bloemlezing uit hun verzamelde werk en bevat 16 topsongs uit hun vorige albums. Niet alle hits staan er op, maar dat is haast onbegonnen werk. De Caribbean sound met bongo's, staande bas, laid back drums en vrolijke gitaren en percussie vormen samen met de voortreffelijke zang van Tom Gould en de vele gastvocalisten het ideale scenario voor een vol uurtje pure pret. We gaan er vandaag echt niet meer woorden aan spenderen. Koop deze CD en geniet er maar zelf van. Even het lijstje van de songs op "End Civil Twilight" nog meegeven : Red Red Johnny / Zantee Misfits / The American Dream / Go Down Dub / New York Town / Fingers In The Cake / No Better Thing / Behave Yourself / Anyroad / Always Be With You / Cool Babies (Justin's Samba) / Deanne (Where Did You Go?) / Lighten Up / Route 66 / Fear Of Love (a flyboy reggae) / Papa La Ska. The Bossa Nova Beatniks mogen altijd eens naar Europa overvliegen om ons hier de partytime of our lives te bezorgen. "End Civil Twilight" is een absolute aanrader van (valsam)
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