MOOSSA's second CD STEP RIGHT UP is an impressive (16 tracks and over 65 minutes long) collection of rock tunes postively influenced by funk and reggae and topped with poignant lyrics and imagery.

16 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Jam-band, ROCK: Roots Rock



Details:
Moossaâs mighty confluence of sounds has gained the band a loyal and diverse following over the course of the past five years. Mixing jam flavored melodies with a roots-rock edge augmented by excellent musicianship and well-written songs these Richmond Va based rockers have concocted their own recipe for great indie rock. One critic invites the listener to ââ¦think of Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic and Sublime being whipped in a blender with a couple of shots of Appleton Rumâ. Whatever conclusions one might draw from that graphic imagery, Moossa continues to harvest their creativity with the release of Step Right Up, the bandâs long-awaited follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2003 record Get Away.
Step Right Up is ambitious (16 tracks and over 65 minutes of music), explorative and truly representative of the Moossa sound. Earthy roots numbers are entwined with bits of scorching rock, funk, reggae and heart wrenching ballads that could have come down from the hills. The lilting reggae of âA little Bit Higherâ has hints of psychedelic suggestion drizzled throughout. âTollboothâ is a funk-driven pop song with the anthemic new millennium chorus âsitting in a tollbooth watching the world go by/ up down the gates and the lids of my eyes/ one day I know youâre going to realize that you were looking for somethingâ. â11 and 5/8â is a fine example of a sort of Americana hip/hop, relevant and grooving and inspired by Bob Dylanâs âOne Hunded and fifteenth Dreamâ to be comic with its satire of the down and out. âDreamâ, guitarist Jim Fabâs gem, is ghostly and well executed, for the first time we hear Jim and bassist Ryan Davisâs vocals featured up front combined in masterful doubled production on the verse before the powerful chorus kicks in and buoyed throughout by Fabâs adept slide playing. Itâs the perfect prelude to the CDâs other Beatlesque ballad; âShut Downâ. Davis contributes an alt rock hit with âItâs Trueâ which is one of the bandâs most requested live tunes; âI could move to Amsterdam or I could fly to Panama/ Sundown on the coast of Spain what am I still looking for.â The first half of the CD ends with âStephanie Seemed Like A Good Ideaâ a 6/8 song of near despair by singer John Moossa which stirs up suggestions of Pearl Jamâs âElderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Townâ and pays tribute to the bandâs alt folk side.
The second half opens with a cover of Bob Marleyâs âRebel Musicâ (3 oâclock Roadblock) enhanced by vocalists Nancy Waldman and Allison Mills and crisply executed with the assistance of engineer Lance Koehler. âRock Down Steadyâ evokes images of Moossa in preacherâs robes inviting the congregation to âreach inside and feel the powerâ while a steady thumping bass and the harmonica playing of Clark Lovelady lend credulity to this gospel blues. From saint to sinner, âGypsy Queenâ is a tongue in cheek country rock number perhaps bringing a humorist break to the CD at just the right time. âLay Me Downâ is a return to the smart funk introduced earlier in the mix. The CD resolves itself in a group of 4 songs that well portray the bandâs dark emotional side so often a key impetus to excellent writing. Davisâ âIt Isnât Meâ features a bleak soundscape complete with prepared piano, the perfect foil for Moossaâs gravelly vocals that seem made for this song. Leading us to âHard Timesâ which out of the blue and maybe therefore somewhat suspectly sounds more like a â70âs punk tune then something that you would imagine this band to cough up but it all makes sense as it resolves itself into the sparse 4 line and one minute plus in length âRambling Oklahoma Bluesâ
The CD was recorded in its entirety over a 5 month period at Lance Koehlerâs Minimum Wage Studio in Richmondâs Oregon Hill. Local flavor is adroitly added to the mix as Koehler placed a mic outside the studio to capture street ambience as the only accompaniment to Moossaâs voice and guitar on âMistake of Chanceâ the album ends with the sound of an anonymous local wondering if heâs going to make it to the corner.
Step Right Up is currently available online here at CDBaby as well as at www.moossa.com and at all Moossa shows. Downloads will soon be available thru I-Tunes and many other web sources. Stay tuned for more from this band!