Sunday, August 11, 2024

Album of the Month - July 2024: Penza Penza - 'Alto E Primitivo'



To be honest I listened to almost no July new releases (in July). I was stuck on a psychedelic music trip. Yawning Man, Colour Haze, Naxatras, Yuri Garagin, Dead Meadow, Causa Sui, and Kungens Man mostly. But that extended trip was partially inspired by my album of the month for July, 'Alto E Primitivo' by Penza Penza. Penza Penza is just one of the projects of multi-instrumentalist Misha Panfilov. It's not metal. It's barely loud. But it's freakin' cool. And instrumental.

Things start off with "Guten Morgen". It's got a a funky vibe with garage rock flavour and some screaming sax. Things get a little dirtier with "Much Sharper, More Focused." The guitars get more garage-y but we don't lose the funky swagger. Everything gets moving, man. Hips, shoulders, head groovin' to the riff. I'm not gonna go song by song here. There's 14 that swing by a little over 32 minutes. Penza Penza aren't sitting on a riff forever. Get in, get funky, get out.



While they may simplify the songs they use a wide range of instruments bringing keys/organs/synths and brass into the mix. I'm not ususally one for brass but here they "fit" and are "not annoying". It varies though. Tracks like "Charlie Loves Garcia" let the organ set the tone while the brass fills in the background amid an easy, breezy sway.

The Bandcamp tags for this release are "experimental jazz punk garage psychedelic" but they forgot "funk" or it's a typo. I read something that labeled them "psychedelic funk" and that's about the feeling I get. I mean, "Midnighter" is pretty funky, dudes. I had it playing one day and I walked into the room and my wife says "now, I don't mind this over most of that other stuff." It's real funky, baby. Smooth jazzy at times with an undeniable fucky swagger. Sexy music.

Anyway, July was hot so I went cool with this month's choice. It's feel good music. You can dance to it. It's psychedelic funk flavoured with garage rock and a generally 60s/70s feel. It's just very, very cool without saying a thing.

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