MP3 Stratosphere 68 - Lunch With Lazarus

Original psychedelic Rock with a funk-metal flavor

12 MP3 Songs in this album (56:44) !
Related styles: ROCK: Psychedelic, METAL/PUNK: Funk Metal

People who are interested in Funkadelic Santana Jimi Hendrix should consider this download.


Details:
The Stratosphere 68 story:

This band blends our love of Rock and Roll with our African American experiences and musical roots, to create a blend of psychedelic-funk-metal, which reflects our party and protest mindset. The Bay Area in the 1980âs afforded a cornucopia of musical styles to sample from, from the hippie festivals, to the still thriving punk and metal scene, to the world class jazz clubs, to the One Love Reggae vibe, and the up and coming conscious hip hop that ruled the later part of the decade. As black teens in the liberated territories of the East Bay, we soaked up all we get our hands on and let the music guide us socially and politically. Our first album, âLunch With Lazarusâ, reflects these influences, along with international flavors such as Samba, Ska, and Afro Beat. It is a sound that has been described as Jazz Metal, International Rock, Swamp Boogie, among other things. Our music is a reflection of us, and our passion for music and social change.

The George W. Bush era is the backdrop in which these songs were conceived and written. Above all we sought a musical voice to express our outrage against the âwar without end policiesâ that have brought more poverty and misery to the world. Many of our songs were written to help inspire and endure. âOriginal Sinâ is a tribute to the New Orleans second line funeral blues tradition in which we celebrate life even as we mourn. The songâs theme of âthe rich get richer every day..â even as the poor are blamed for societies ills was written long before the events of Hurricane Katrina brought this sad reality to our national consciousness. Another of our songs âMusic is the Weaponâ borrows from the great Fela Kuti, and brings our anti war message across with searing rock guitar, and hard-hitting lyrics. âMake things Rightâ is a funky rock freak out that blasts the weapons makers for their cynical practices in selling weapons in the name of peace.

While incorporating our political and social themes, musical innovation and cosmic journeys across time and space are another big theme in our music. Music helps us explores the galaxies, tap into ancient knowledge, and meet like-minded âtravelersâ all across the dimensions. âLunch with Lazarusâ is an album that takes the listeners on this journey, from the urgent now, to the dreamy other worlds that are just beyond our earthly vision. We fly against some musical traditions by incorporating an array of musical genres into one vibe that fits our varied personalities. We also incorporate unique and non-traditional rhythms, and time signatures, as part of our quest to self-express. This is music that should be listened to closely, and which reveals more upon each listen in regards to the to the subtleties, and dynamics of our sound. Our mixer and producer, Fernando Flores of Chromophonic Productions did a masterful job of blending our songs into a cohesive musical statement. Flores a former music student of one of our members is a young Latino who rocks out in several metal and punk bands himself. Our relationship with Fernando is also a reflection of our broad musical community and our desire collaborate with fellow local music lovers across traditional boundaries. Our hope is to part of an emerging movement of local artists, activists, and musicians to create a vibrant and accessible rock scene that incorporates all of the many offshoots that have been spawned in the great tradition of the Bay Area alternative cultures.

Our email address is stratosphere_68@yahoo.com, and a phone number that we can be reached at is 510-459-2539. We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to working with you.