U.S.D.A.*BLUES/"it don't smell funny yet!" is our 2nd CD.
It is dedicated to the Memory of Lance Corporal Alexander Scott Arredondo, killed in the line of duty in Najaf, Iraq at the age of 20 while on his second tour of duty on August 24, 2004,& will help to support a scholarship fund set up in his name by his father Carlos.
'To An Unknown Grave' is dedicated to all the Vets, esp.Nam.
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Outside the box...& NO!...it don't smell funny yet... this is another clambake from Phat & La Gringa of W.O.12. LIVE takes @ the AudioUniverse, in the company of the MasterHunter................still crashin' n' burnin' their way to fame fer ya.
Phat kept talkin' me into goin'solo ,sos'afta the porch incident {refer to band log-10/31/04-006 www.weatheroutpost12.com },..............La Gringa's was on her own......n' this wasn't somethin' I contemplated...it was what jus begun ta happen on it's own,
what had a life of its own,,,,what showed up @ my door n'said we're outta here!!!!!!
Phat's still engineerin' this watershed... playin' bass n' guitar n' gittin' all embarrassed when La Gringa gits all femm n' blushy on'im onnaconna how he Effects her abilities... [I love you Phat,t'aint nothin U can't do!]
La Gringa'still doin'all vocals n'keyboard if there's any {& if she can play'em}, some clappin'n'percussion,
bracelets, sometimes .....whatever.....& ALL the'Shanghai'boys
R on board,tearin'up the AU!!! Lieblings,Tchau,La Gringa
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FROM BLUES MATTERS! MAGAZINE, United Kingdom, Issue 28
http://www.bluesmatters.com
U.S.D.A.* BLUES It Don't Smell Funny Yet
"Weird & Wonderful....These two words sum up this release which probably sits in the Nu-Blues field although it does have some jazz influences. For me the first three tracks sum up this album perfectly: 1."Hard Drive Blues" This is a conventional Jazzy influenced blues number, with strong vocals by La Gringa, who sings in the "Cleo Laine" vein & some funky rhythms. 2. A spoken
chat about STD's...sleeve notes state this is a studio sound check? 3."Krahen Tango" (F.Schubert) rhythmic beat with Spanish/Latin/German language "wailing" vocals...a bit of everything in there!
"I cannot say that I have ever heard anything like this before but it does grow on you and certainly stretches the blues barriers. La Gringa is an excellent vocalist who uses her full range to good effect, be it through straightforward
singing to "unworded" wailing."
- Adrian Blacklee
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"...nice slow blues with great long notes by Lady A."
'Tumbao' (former keyboardist for the Pointer Sisters)
"...them is some crazy beats!" Reelistic,Princess of Crunk
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CD Review - "it don't smell funny yet!" by U.S.D.A.*Blues
By David Jacintho, Freelance Journalist
One thing you must know before diving headlong into "it don't smell funny yet!" the new release from Boston-based U.S.D.A.*Blues: This is not your parents' blues. If you're looking for standard guitar licks, hooky choruses, or generally anything considered by the mainstream to be commercially viable, this is not your cup o' tea. But if you want some genuinely interesting, envelope-pushing, new-age blues music, this is the crew for you.
This is music for musicians. This is music that forces the listener to think outside the box, to get into a headspace they may not have even known they were capable of inhabiting previous to popping the CD into their stereo.
Granted, it takes a bit of getting used to. Upon first glance at the album's anime-esque cover art and somewhat strange title, I wondered what I was getting myself into. And again, browsing through the tracks for the first time brought some admitted skepticism, but the more I listened, the more I began to appreciate what it was that these cats were trying to do.
From the ultra-smooth delivery of lead-singer La Gringa on the opening lines of first track "Hard Drive Blues" (not to mention a ridiculously tight drum, bass and piano groove that drives the tune along like a steamroller), to their completely out-there latin/electronica/industrial take on Franz Shubert's "Krähen Tángo," to the straight ahead rock sound of "Pricilla Orange," this is an album and a band that will not and cannot be labeled, and, in my mind, this is a very good thing.
To listen to this group of players is to witness with your ears the pure joy of making music for music's sake, of bringing the art back to the artform, and of making one truly listen rather than to simply hear.
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