Roots rock, Americana, Country. Cosmic American Music.

11 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Classic Rock, ROCK: Jam-band



Details:
Philadelphia, PA February 15, 2006 -- The Disgruntled Sherpa Project, Philadelphia's most enigmatic (in this case meaning "unknown") band released their fifth CD, OLD HAT. The album was recorded from late summer through Christmas 2005 in Delaware County, PA with the band's mobile recording unit which lent itself to the clubhouse atmosphere of the recordings.

"Old Hat" was mixed and mastered by Steve LaFashia from Jealousy Curve who also worked on the band's 2004 album, "Keeping It Real". The album is an exploration of roots rock, country and bluegrass and "all things Americana" as the band borrows a term from rock legend Gram Parsons and labels the music part of "Cosmic American Music."

The 12 tracks on the album range from rock songs such as "In a Meadow" and "Perfect" to dulcimer and mandolin driven country and bluegrass songs like "Western Prayer" and "Shenandoah" to acoustic songs "Can't Rain All the Time" and "Crumbling Down."

âIn fact there's a great deal of acoustic music reflecting a warmer, more family oriented vibe. Working on this disc has been without a doubt the most fun I've ever had recording," commented Disgruntled Sherpa drummer Wayne Lee. "From top to bottom itâs the most diverse body of music I've had the pleasure of playing on."

According to the band, the album contains evokes references to the Civil War, President Lincolnâs assassination, and Zapata's uprising in Mexico without a glamorized musical history lesson. "There is something for everyone. From hard rock to slow ballads, stripped down rock and roll to old school country," Lee adds.

"Everything with the band and our lives is at a point where we just appreciate everything we have and some of the songs are just outright celebrations of this," says Guitarist Joe Boylan who believed the family atmosphere heavily influenced the music.

Referring to the jubilant track, "We're Gonna Have a Really Good Time" Boylan adds, "There's this prevalent negativity out there about everything and that sickens me. I can be just as negative as the next guy, but itâs gotten absolutely ridiculous. No one looks at what is going right anymore for fear that it doesn't sell. With the music and lyrics here we wanted to kind of look at the positive things in our heritage and history and community."

As Guitarist/Mandolinist Dan Perry puts it, "I think this CD reflects the collective input of the entire band more than any of our prior albums. More attention was put into every aspect. The result is similar to our previous work in that we cover many genres from upbeat hard rock to melancholy to acoustic country, but it differs from previous work in the overall sound."

The album also includes a track about famed hockey goalie and bank robber Atilla Ambrus, titled appropriately enough, "Attila". The song was inspired by Ambrus himself and Julian Rubinstein's excellent biography of the puck-stopping bandit, The Ballad of the Whiskey Robber. "He's the coolest guy I ever read about," declares Boylan. "As I was reading the book I kept thinking about the things that were going on in my life at the exact time this guy was living this bittersweet adventure on the side of the planet."