Zenizen - Australia - VINYL LP

The Menzingers are an absolute institution. The Philadelphia punk legends' multi-decade reputation as road warriors with an unbeatable catalog is cemented as hard truth-and their seventh album, Some Of It Was True, stands as their most immediate-sounding and energetic record to date. The follow-up to 2019's sensational Hello Exile accomplishes the daunting task of capturing the Menzingers' distinctive live energy in the confines of the studio, resulting in a sound that's both rich, raw, and complementary to the group's increasingly prismatic songwriting approach. More than 15 years in, the Menzingers are still holding their listeners square in the immediate present, and Some Of It Was True documents that power in thrilling fashion. InchWe wanted to make a fun record and write songs that we wanted to play live, and that's exactly what we did,Inch co-vocalist/guitarist Greg Barnett says InchWe've always said that we want every album to sound live, but we never recorded an album live before. This was the first time we committed to that idea. We wanted to sound like how our band sounds onstage.Inch Making the process easier Grammy-nominated producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, the War on Drugs, Waxahatchee), who joined the Menzingers in El Paso's legendary Sonic Ranch studios and lent his incredible ear for raw, immediate sound to help the band achieve Some Of It Was True's in-the-room live feel. InchThe Menzingers are as real as it gets,Inch Cook says on his time in the studio with the band. InchI had an absolute blast working with these guys and was moved to tears many times. They are truly dedicated to artistic growth, and to each other, in ways I found both refreshing and beautiful. I am now a lifer.Inch

K. Szymanowski - String Quartets [COMPACT DISCS] date 01/28/2003

This record is a representation of everything that has led me to this point. It's been a long, bizarre path, says Zenizen's Opal Hoyt of both her life and her journey to make this record. Like Peter and the Wolf, the Russian symphony Hoyt used as a creative framework, P.O.C (Proof of Concept) is a series of vignettes-the collection of which mirrors Hoyt's long journey, from her adoption in Alaska to her many moves between DC, Jamaica, Vermont, and New York. Along this unconventional path, Hoyt met the talented cast of musicians who would go on support her in the recording of P.O.C variegated bass by Jonathan Maron (Erykah Badu, D'Angelo); drums by Vishal Nayak (Nick Hakim, Empress Of); moments of magic on horns by Sly 5th Ave (Prince); guitars by Benamin (IGBO); intricate mixing by Nick Herrera (Hiatus Kaiyote), Benamin, and Jon Bap; with mastering by Heba Kadry and Davy Levitan. Then there's Hoyt herself, whose rich alto pierces through with poetic lyricism, supported by her contributions of Rhodes, synths, and sample arrangements (think babbling brooks and birdsong). In other words, Hoyt isn't just a songwriter in the classic sense. She's also a skilled producer with an ear for excellent arrangements-the kind of musician who enjoys meandering and allowing her artistic vision to percolate. Likewise, P.O.C is a record that blooms in beauty over time-the kind of record that you can take anywhere in any season, as any version of yourself.Side A 01 - Intro02 - Coming Home03 - Aja04 - Come Around05 - Get Out06 - Es Is (Protocol)Side B 01 - Berth02 - How Hard03 - Break (ft. Blvck Spvde)04 - I Would (... but you want me down) (ft. Nappy Nina)05 - Drought (ft. Helado Negro)06 - Is It?