[Harp-L] [Slightly OT]Review : ScrapOmatic

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I have posted a review of an astounding yet obscure album I discovered early 
this year on my harmonica weblog (http://harmonica.typepad.com/). There 
isn't actually much harmonica on this record (although what little there is 
is good !) but since it's really one of my favourite findings of 2004, I 
felt like sharing it with the whole wide world. 

Here's the beginning of the review : 

ScrapOmatic was originally a New York City based duo composed of singer Mike 
Mattison and guitarist Paul Olsen. It's my understanding that they now play 
with a tuba player and a drummer as well. Their first, self-titled album, 
however, is a full band exercise and benefits from a fine instrumentation 
under the supervision of producer John Snyder. 

Why mention the producer, you ask ? Well, it may not count for much in many 
cases, but I believe it does here. John Snyder has a list of credits as long 
as my right arm, featuring names as prestigious as Ornette Coleman, Dave 
Brubeck, Robert Lockwood Jr, and Charles Brown. A few years ago, dispirited 
by the orientation taken by the music industry, he created a non profit 
independent label named Artists House. This label records artists, known or 
lesser-known, with a great freedom of interpretation but with a quality both 
in terms of recording conditions (session musicians, studios, etc.) and 
production (packaging, accompanying DVD, etc.) that equals the best majors. 

That being said, let?s talk about ScrapOmatic. If you absolutely had to pin 
them down to a musical genre, you would most likely find them in the ?rhythm 
n' blues? section of your record store, but that?s ?rhythm n' blues? in the 
noble sense of the word, the R&B of the 60s. Mike Mattison's voice is 
evidently in that vein, warm and slightly veiled, with an impressive range 
from a cute falsetto to a mean bluesy growl. Paul Olsen?s guitar work is 
most likely more forward in their habitual live formula, but here it is 
subtle and mostly in accompaniment rather than fiery improvisation... 

To read the whole review, go to http://www.harmonica.typepad.com