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Slang Angus

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Written by Mike Volpi

Tuesday, 27 March 2007

Spitfire lyrics over almagamated musical stylings = Slang Angus.  Leave all preconceptions at the door.  With an amalgamation of musical sensibilities, progressive soul rebels Slang Angus are blurring the definition of a "Hip-Hop" sound.  The swanky-suited quartet delivers a home-brewed sound fermented in blues guitar progressions and jazzy riffs but SA's distillation transcends boundaries and defies definition.  The groovy, funk driven foundation is only a template for the undertones of reggae and rocksteady which compliment spitfire lyrical delivery and high-octane performance (read: this is not a jam band).  One minute you think you're listening to a Hip-Hop band, then the subtleties show up and rework your impression. The Men of Slang Angus.  EMCEE CO (Craig Oubre) has an articulate  flow that's remarkable for its speed and consistency.  CO's virtuosity as an EMCEE is enough on its own, but SA boasts more talent behind the center stage mic.  Fellow bee-bop capped David Latino also shares his love with oh-so-smooth melodies, both behind the mic and the guitar.  This cat delivers vocal class with flawless wailing and spot on harmonies.  Latino and Oubre work as a type of salt&pepper combination,  enriching the vocal dish.  It's white-hot speed with powerful, yet pillow-soft accompaniment.  Latino's  guitar work also serves as an indicator of the melding factor of Slang Angus.  Listening to "Humid City" (one of SA's most 'stick in your head' numbers) reminds you that there is a definite rock fundamental that pervades Angus's repartoire.  Latino's guitar intro is a pretty, body swaying piece of melodic cake.  Then comes CO's sharp tongued lushly riding atop Latino's six -stringed fluidity.  You're ears are always fooled with these guys; leave all pre-conceived notions of what a 'band' should constitute at the door.  Standing behind Oubre and Latino are bassist John Crabtree and Drummer Neil Bernard.  Well, actually there's nothing really 'behind' with these dudes at all.  They're just as much a part of the forefront, standing as the gears that power the machine.  Crabtree and Bernard fulfill the ear's insatiable craving; it's all about syncopation and a faithful locking-in that Neil and John bring to the table.  "Progeny of Colors" reflects this rhythmic skill most justly.  Neil crashes through time signatures, embracing the offbeat .  The breakdown leading into the last verse/chorus is the shining point.  With a rhythm section like Crabtree & Bernard, SA has no need for a DJ or beat device. Emcee CO; hell of an emcee, indeed. I got to see all this goodness for the second time at Southport Hall (www.newsouthport.com) on Friday, March 2nd.  Southport is a very fine venue.  There's an impressive stage, a vast capacity, and an active bar.  Friday drew a mostly mid-twenties crowd who also came to support Dave, of the Punch People ,  and Impulss .  It was an eclectic night.  Danny brought some heartfelt, moving, electric piano rock and Impulss held it down like no other can.  After SA's set, I had already slung back my share of Jack&Cokes, only to recieve a Jaeger shot from Mr.CO himself. Hell of an emcee, indeed. Craig filled me in on SA's origins, aesthetics, and goals for '07.  As far as beginnings are concerned, todays quartet was born out of several botched attempts.  Striving for musical cohesion, as Oubre recalls, was difficult.   "The bands we put together were cool but never really went the direction we wanted to go. After meeting Neil in the local scene, we (Oubre/Crabtree) began to talk about jamming together in a fusion type of group where we could mix up all the different genres we loved.  Neil suggested Dave as the guitarist...he was the perfect guy to seperate us even further from the rock/rap type of groups, since he has lots of soul and blues influence." On the surface as a hip-hop/rock band it would be very easy to tag such a label on SA. There are some glaring momentswhere the virgin listener could liken the gang to such big names as Rage Against the Machine, 311, or even Sublime in consideration of the rock steady ingredient.  Oubre admits an indirect influence to such bands, but SA's roots cover many other genres.  "Those are really great bands to be likened to, but I think the reality of itis that we were influencedby the same bands that influenced Rage,311, and Sublime.  As far as the musical influences that have the strongest impact on Slang Angus, I guess we would haveto say stuff like The Police, all the New Orleans funk and Stevie Wonder.  On the Hip-Hop side of that I would say Krs-One for myself and as a group, Outkast and The Roots.  I don't think anyone in the band has a favorite musical genre, we all kind of get into everything." For Slang Angus it's all about the communication between artist and listener.  As far as a core message behind the lyrics, Oubre feels that "a lot of the lyrics are a result of wanting to give people something to identify with.  I think that there are lots of people who can't relate to the music on the radio and the top 40 stuff...music is a part of your everyday life; we shouldn't feel seperate from it or like we are on a lower level than whoever is making it." CO,Neil,John,and Dave are all masters of their craft: invulnerable in music and stage presence,  these dudes are damn catchy too.  If you like some fun listening, Slang Angus is your ticket.  Considering their strengths and talents, I became curious as to if anyone has knocked on Angus' door such as labels or producers, whoever.  "We are currently finishing the mixing and mastering process on our first full length album and once it is out we plan to focus on taking the show on the road a lot more.  Hopefully with completing the CD we will see some more opportunities." With the promise of a new album and well recieved shows, it's been a good year so far in Oubre's opinion "'07 has been great...we finished tracking our album and are working hard while looking forward to our record release.  The shows and turnouts have been great. We are really lucky, our fans are extremely loyal and they understand how important it is to support local music."   Anyone, anywhere in the country would lap this stuff up.  In the meantime, fans can we their appetites by checking out the three song sampler at the merch booth, which has "generated some positive attention for the band. The conduit on B97 had our song "Humid City" on rotation for a good while. All the venues we've played seem to be excited to continue to book us."  Slang Angus has a lot of exciting goodies on their plate for the duration of the year for all to take part in as well." The CD should be out in a month or so. Look out for the record release party and lots of new merch. We always have the show dates posted at www.slangangus.com.   Also, a DVD is in the works with some help from our engineer and good friend, Danny Bourgeouis." Yes, definitely keep tabs on upcoming shows and events. New Orleans is sure to get scorched again soon enough.