Well .... TIME TO GET CERTIFIED!
IT'S OFFICIAL. The Luxuriant Sedans debut album, "Born Certified" on Seventh Son Records, is NOW OFFICIALLY ON SALE!
What a journey. We have laughed. We have cried. We might have groused a time or two. But the music ALWAYS carried us forward.
And now, it is out there, making its way in the world, and we couldn't be more proud.
You can find "Born Certified" in all major digital sales and streaming outlets in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia (or so we have been told.
You can find it on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, just to name a few of the more prominent sources.
Physical CDs are also available through CD Baby, Amazon and, in Winston-Salem, The B String. They can also be purchased from the band at our shows or by contacting the individual band members.
A couple of thoughts about the album ...
"Born Certified" is more than a random collection of songs. It is a deliberate reaction and response to the state of modern music. This album serves as an antidote to the avalanche of laptop records now muddying the charts and airwaves. It was recorded in a real studio - a cathedral of sound, if you please - with a bonafide producer (Mark Williams).
It was recorded live, including vocals, with minimal overdubs and fixes. You can hear the room. You can can hear the interaction of the musicians.
Real music, made by real musicians, for real people.
And it must be noted, in this age of Auto Tuned, fix-it-in-the mix vocals, that the Sedans' Mike "Wezo" Wesolowski not only sang live as the band played, he nailed his vocals with scary soul and precision. Of 13 songs, he recut one vocal track. No auto tune was used.
What you hear is what he sang - and it is mightily impressive.
The band served each song, not ego. The guitar playing of Rob Slater and Gino "Woo Funk" Grandinetti is a marvel. Each solo climbs to extraordinary peaks with purpose and passion. There is no noodling, no "look at me" displays of ego. Just playing from the heart with an ear for space.
Listen to Gino's textural chordal playing on such tracks as "I Went Down," "Prison of Love" and "Cold Day In Hell," in which he takes on a keyboard role with uncanny accuracy.
That you don't notice the rhythm section as it powers, muscles and propels each song, serving the song without clutter and bother, is how it SHOULD be. There are plenty of nice twists and embellishments, but they are done as one singular unit, bass and drums moving and thinking and punctuating together (thank YOU Bob Tarleton).
And the harp playing of Wezo - a dizzying tangle of tone and technique - is truly unlike anything ever heard from a harp player. It is, simply, a game changer, the musical equivalent of a shot of good moonshine.
It is wild and yet simultaneously smooth, dirty but enticing, and wildly exciting in ways that make the senses whirl.
As previously stated, "Born Certified" is NOT a random collection of songs. We wanted to create an album that did for modern listeners what the British bands from 1962-1972 did for us, which is entertain AND educate.
Our approach straddles the gulf between Chicago blues and British blues, embracing the roots and ramping up the rock with the untethered energy of a garage band going for broke.
Some of these songs date back 50 or more years. Others date to this year.
All are by incredible songwriters who by and large lurk under the radar of the mainstream music business. The sole exception is a fully reimagined version of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey,' a song that, partially due to its subject matter, is now largely forgotten.
These are NOT cover versions. All have been drastically reworked to reflect what each song means to us. Our hope is that you enjoy our interpretations, then go and check out the music of the people who originally recorded the songs.
"Born Certified" is equal parts mission statement and love letter, and the inclusion of Wezo's wonderful composition, "I Can't Sleep," offers a glimpse into what is in store for the coming year.
We have something of our own to say, as well.
The album also contains a song written in 1974 by our dear friend and musical mentor, the late Sam Moss. We all played with Sam - Bob Tarleton and Rob Slater spent years in service to Sam - and we all considered him a guiding light in our lives. He was simply one of the finest musicians we ever encountered - a true man of vision and reach.
Sam somehow never made it on to record or CD. Now he has. His song,"Rooster Blood," ends the album, with Mr. Moss literally given the final word.
As it should be.
So there you go. "Born Certified" is out in the world. We would appreciate you giving it a spin. We worked hard on it, and, if nothing else, it is an honest piece of music that perfectly represents the band.
What you hear on disc is what you hear live.
We didn't make "Born Certified" to make money. We made it because we had to.
Thanks!
IT'S OFFICIAL. The Luxuriant Sedans debut album, "Born Certified" on Seventh Son Records, is NOW OFFICIALLY ON SALE!
What a journey. We have laughed. We have cried. We might have groused a time or two. But the music ALWAYS carried us forward.
And now, it is out there, making its way in the world, and we couldn't be more proud.
You can find "Born Certified" in all major digital sales and streaming outlets in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia (or so we have been told.
You can find it on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, just to name a few of the more prominent sources.
Physical CDs are also available through CD Baby, Amazon and, in Winston-Salem, The B String. They can also be purchased from the band at our shows or by contacting the individual band members.
A couple of thoughts about the album ...
"Born Certified" is more than a random collection of songs. It is a deliberate reaction and response to the state of modern music. This album serves as an antidote to the avalanche of laptop records now muddying the charts and airwaves. It was recorded in a real studio - a cathedral of sound, if you please - with a bonafide producer (Mark Williams).
It was recorded live, including vocals, with minimal overdubs and fixes. You can hear the room. You can can hear the interaction of the musicians.
Real music, made by real musicians, for real people.
And it must be noted, in this age of Auto Tuned, fix-it-in-the mix vocals, that the Sedans' Mike "Wezo" Wesolowski not only sang live as the band played, he nailed his vocals with scary soul and precision. Of 13 songs, he recut one vocal track. No auto tune was used.
What you hear is what he sang - and it is mightily impressive.
The band served each song, not ego. The guitar playing of Rob Slater and Gino "Woo Funk" Grandinetti is a marvel. Each solo climbs to extraordinary peaks with purpose and passion. There is no noodling, no "look at me" displays of ego. Just playing from the heart with an ear for space.
Listen to Gino's textural chordal playing on such tracks as "I Went Down," "Prison of Love" and "Cold Day In Hell," in which he takes on a keyboard role with uncanny accuracy.
That you don't notice the rhythm section as it powers, muscles and propels each song, serving the song without clutter and bother, is how it SHOULD be. There are plenty of nice twists and embellishments, but they are done as one singular unit, bass and drums moving and thinking and punctuating together (thank YOU Bob Tarleton).
And the harp playing of Wezo - a dizzying tangle of tone and technique - is truly unlike anything ever heard from a harp player. It is, simply, a game changer, the musical equivalent of a shot of good moonshine.
It is wild and yet simultaneously smooth, dirty but enticing, and wildly exciting in ways that make the senses whirl.
As previously stated, "Born Certified" is NOT a random collection of songs. We wanted to create an album that did for modern listeners what the British bands from 1962-1972 did for us, which is entertain AND educate.
Our approach straddles the gulf between Chicago blues and British blues, embracing the roots and ramping up the rock with the untethered energy of a garage band going for broke.
Some of these songs date back 50 or more years. Others date to this year.
All are by incredible songwriters who by and large lurk under the radar of the mainstream music business. The sole exception is a fully reimagined version of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey,' a song that, partially due to its subject matter, is now largely forgotten.
These are NOT cover versions. All have been drastically reworked to reflect what each song means to us. Our hope is that you enjoy our interpretations, then go and check out the music of the people who originally recorded the songs.
"Born Certified" is equal parts mission statement and love letter, and the inclusion of Wezo's wonderful composition, "I Can't Sleep," offers a glimpse into what is in store for the coming year.
We have something of our own to say, as well.
The album also contains a song written in 1974 by our dear friend and musical mentor, the late Sam Moss. We all played with Sam - Bob Tarleton and Rob Slater spent years in service to Sam - and we all considered him a guiding light in our lives. He was simply one of the finest musicians we ever encountered - a true man of vision and reach.
Sam somehow never made it on to record or CD. Now he has. His song,"Rooster Blood," ends the album, with Mr. Moss literally given the final word.
As it should be.
So there you go. "Born Certified" is out in the world. We would appreciate you giving it a spin. We worked hard on it, and, if nothing else, it is an honest piece of music that perfectly represents the band.
What you hear on disc is what you hear live.
We didn't make "Born Certified" to make money. We made it because we had to.
Thanks!
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