NOTE: ALL COMPACT DISCS INCLUDE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PHOTOGRAPHS, A HARD CASE, AND A MODICUM OF CLASS (FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE.)
Oregon Coast Ghost, the title track on the stellar new album from ZEN AND THE ART, can only be described as Pirate-Rock with a soulful mermaid at the helm.
The stormy beaches of Seaside, Oregon is where this multi-faceted foursome calls home. From high-energy 60's styled Rock to catchy Blues, from jazzy grooves to vintage Rock n Roll breakdowns, the influence of the Pacific ocean and the beach way of life pervades the sound and the lyrics of this carefully crafted album.
Z.A.T.A.'s lead singer, Hayley Mousley, has studied Musical Theater in New York City and has been in professional musical productions and choirs her whole life. With her trademark soulful stylings and her unique ability to really "dig" into a melody, you'll hear remnants of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and certainly Karen Carpenter peaking through.
Zen and the Art's full-length debut CD was released on April 21, 2007 to nationwide distribution. The band will be touring and promoting the album across the Northwest, amassing their ever-growing fanbase through their energetic and interactive live shows, for which the band is best known.
“Oregon Coast Ghost” was professionally engineered at Opal Studios in Portland, Oregon, where it picked up its city polish. For a group that refers to themselves as Indie Rockers, they didn’t skip any steps at ensuring a quality product. From lyrical composition on down to a carefully mastered disc, it is a stellar first album for a bunch of left coast beach bums.
For many musicians, genre-jumping can be career suicide, but this seafaring band embraces their unique influences with open arms.
For fans of belt-it-out raw funk and soul, play “FIRE,” and you'll hear why their lead singer is being compared to a fiery Aretha Franklin at all their shows.
Snoop around... If you like a little alt-country with your rock, listen to “Just Like Today.”
If you like hard blues-rock with soaring lead guitars, then try “Dirty Tricks.”
And, well… you get the idea.
Always adaptable in style, Hayley effortlessly shifts gears and sings poppy back-up vocals to guitarist Richie Trucke's lead on the Johnny Cash-like romping beer-ballad "P.B.R." (We're drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon... All Night Long!)
Hayley plays the backseat driver as well on the Ramones/Sublime styled punker, "My Mom's Boyfriend," described by guitarist Trucke as, "not only an original song, but also a ridiculously true story."
A live show is sure to entail Hayley singing piping hot renditions of jazz standards A Capella, instrumental breakdowns, and suprisingly, some original punk rock harmonies. Point being: they live, and love, music.
FUN TRIVIA:
*ZEN AND THE ART's bass player (John Jackson) opened for
Frank Zappa in 1971, alongside his band at the time,
"Sleepy John," at the Coliseum in Spokane, Washington.
(Sidenote: If you have never listened to Frank Zappa, you
should hurry up and buy Oregon Coast Ghost on this
website, and then go check out Zappa's songs "Catholic
Girls" and "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?" from Zappa!
Zappa puts the ASS in "Classic.")
*Z.A.T.A.’s multifaceted drummer (Spencer Reyneke)
invented a highly dangerous and irreproducible drumming
technique known in Russia as The Helicopter, which can be
rarely witnessed at live shows (the band has to lower a
black sheet in front of the drum set first, to prevent
copycat drummers and injury lawsuits.)
*Songwriter/Guitarist (Trucke) has a mute cat named kitty
who is scared of all forms of music. He is determined to
write a song that she approves of someday...
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