From the UK music blog The Sleeping Shaman and written by Ollie of the awesome boogie band Grifter. Thanks bro!
OK time for a quick bit of self realisation. Hands up who, for the most part, leads a fairly mundane existence? You know the type of thing; get up in the morning way too early, spend the best part of the day working a shitty job that's a million miles away from the dreams you had for yourself then come home too tired and too fried by the bullshit machine to be bothered to do anything with your evenings. You earn enough to pay your rent/mortgage, your bills and food...etc but Friday night is annihilation time!!! Friday night comes, you have some cash in your pocket and it's time to unwind, let loose, kick up some dust and for a few precious hours forget who you are. Mighty High are the musical equivalent of that Friday night buzz!!!
Rock and roll has always been about escapism, whether it's the fantasy epics of the late and very great Ronnie James Dio, or the fuck fantasies of David Coverdale (or maybe there true stories!!!). At the other end of the scale we have the drug antics of Mighty High. Now I'm not going to comment on the moral implications of glorifying drugs but I will say that I wholeheartedly endorse the glorification of rock and roll in all its forms and the lifestyle that goes with it. In terms of attitude and especially the music, Mighty High are the epitome of rock and roll at its best.
Classing their sound as "Black Flag Railroad" these New York boys kick up a raucous blast of retrogressive punk and roll that evokes the spirit of MC5 pissing on Black Flag while Montrose jerk off in the corner. "Cable TV Eye" is a straight up head down rock and roll charge that takes the Stooges blueprint and fucks it up the ass with a pound of speed while the veins bulge on vocalist Woody's forehead. Flip this sickly blue piece of plastic over and you get the "live" version of "Hands Up". This is live in the same sense as Judas Priest's "Unleashed In The East" and Thin Lizzy's "Live And Dangerous" were completely live...unless the band really did get Jim Dandy from Black Oak Arkansas to introduce them at a gig and provide a mid song rant!!! Whatever, it's another example of the High at their obnoxious, belligerent rock and roll best.
Mighty High don't want to change the world...I suspect if Bono turned up at one of their gigs he'd be on the wrong end of a good kicking (someone please send him tickets!!!). What they want to do is entertain you, give you that much needed chance to turn off your brain and release the shit that piles up in an every day existence and for that reason alone, Mighty High are utterly and unequivocally essential!!!
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album/mightyhigh_dropsadeuce.php
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
"Don't Panic It's Organic"
Take a listen to our song from the new split 7" with Stone Axe. Order your copy from ripple-music.com while supplies last.
Friday, July 16, 2010
"They are a band you put on and get stupid to."
From JJ Koczan’s excellent music blog The Obelisk -
Time-wise, it’s a short blip of a release, but the new split 7” single between Port Orchard, Washington, rock resurrectionists Stone Axe and green-thumbed Brooklyn, New York, stoner punkers Mighty High has much more to give the listener than its seven-plus minutes would indicate. The offering, released by Ripple Music, brings together two seemingly disparate bands with two very different missions, who nonetheless work well in a row because listening to each one serves so specific a purpose. It’s short, but for anyone who hasn’t yet experienced either, Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic is a great way to be introduced to two bands who most definitely are worth your time.
And if you have heard either band before now, you don’t need me to tell you whose song is “Metal Damage” and whose is “Don’t Panic it’s Organic.”
Present for Stone Axe on “Metal Damage” is the core duo of multi-instrumentalist and recent Obelisk interviewee T. Dallas Reed and vocalist Dru Brinkerhoff. To compare the track to Stone Axe’s recent full-length, Stone Axe II, “Metal Damage” is heavier in a traditional sense and, as you might guess, pretty metal. One of the best parts of listening to Stone Axe is picking out the influences on display – in that way they’re very much a band for music nerds – and here they pair Judas Priest’s driving rhythms and Holy Diver-era Dio riffing with an early Ozzy Osbourne (think Bob Daisley) bass line that’s just killer throughout the short, straightforward 3:41 song. Brinkerhoff does the lion’s share of tying “Metal Damage” to Stone Axe’s prior output – he’s a rock vocalist here almost in spite of himself – and the song in no way sounds flat for having just the two of them recording it. As ever with Reed’s recordings, you get a full band sound whether or not you get a full band.
If one listens to Stone Axe to hear the roots of rock, then Mighty High were born and bred for sheer enjoyment. They are not a band you think about, not a band you sit and pick apart. They are a band you put on and get stupid to. As on their last single, Mighty High Drops a Deuce, and on their In Drug City, on “Don’t Panic it’s Organic,” they offer unbridled, immature fun. I never really understood why they cited Grand Funk Railroad as an influence next to bands like The Stooges and Black Flag, but listening to their half of Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic, I think I finally get it. There are some sonic commonalities, okay, but more than that, it’s the unabashed, unashamed joy Mighty High have in their playing that links the two bands, vocalist/guitarist Woody High managing not to laugh as he delivers what he has to know are silly lyrics while guitarist Kevin Overdose, (new) bassist Labatts Santoro and drummer Jesse D’Stills jam furiously behind. If Mighty High have invented a genre, let it be known as “reckless rock.”
Like I said, two very different bands, but they seem to enjoy each other’s company well enough on Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic, and listening to the tracks, I find I’m enjoying their enjoyment. Neither band asks much of their listeners, neither band comes even close to anything pretentious in their music, and both seem thrilled at the chance to contribute a catchy-as-hell track to this split. Maybe they’re not so different after all.
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2010/07/16/mightyhighstoneaxereview/
Time-wise, it’s a short blip of a release, but the new split 7” single between Port Orchard, Washington, rock resurrectionists Stone Axe and green-thumbed Brooklyn, New York, stoner punkers Mighty High has much more to give the listener than its seven-plus minutes would indicate. The offering, released by Ripple Music, brings together two seemingly disparate bands with two very different missions, who nonetheless work well in a row because listening to each one serves so specific a purpose. It’s short, but for anyone who hasn’t yet experienced either, Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic is a great way to be introduced to two bands who most definitely are worth your time.
And if you have heard either band before now, you don’t need me to tell you whose song is “Metal Damage” and whose is “Don’t Panic it’s Organic.”
Present for Stone Axe on “Metal Damage” is the core duo of multi-instrumentalist and recent Obelisk interviewee T. Dallas Reed and vocalist Dru Brinkerhoff. To compare the track to Stone Axe’s recent full-length, Stone Axe II, “Metal Damage” is heavier in a traditional sense and, as you might guess, pretty metal. One of the best parts of listening to Stone Axe is picking out the influences on display – in that way they’re very much a band for music nerds – and here they pair Judas Priest’s driving rhythms and Holy Diver-era Dio riffing with an early Ozzy Osbourne (think Bob Daisley) bass line that’s just killer throughout the short, straightforward 3:41 song. Brinkerhoff does the lion’s share of tying “Metal Damage” to Stone Axe’s prior output – he’s a rock vocalist here almost in spite of himself – and the song in no way sounds flat for having just the two of them recording it. As ever with Reed’s recordings, you get a full band sound whether or not you get a full band.
If one listens to Stone Axe to hear the roots of rock, then Mighty High were born and bred for sheer enjoyment. They are not a band you think about, not a band you sit and pick apart. They are a band you put on and get stupid to. As on their last single, Mighty High Drops a Deuce, and on their In Drug City, on “Don’t Panic it’s Organic,” they offer unbridled, immature fun. I never really understood why they cited Grand Funk Railroad as an influence next to bands like The Stooges and Black Flag, but listening to their half of Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic, I think I finally get it. There are some sonic commonalities, okay, but more than that, it’s the unabashed, unashamed joy Mighty High have in their playing that links the two bands, vocalist/guitarist Woody High managing not to laugh as he delivers what he has to know are silly lyrics while guitarist Kevin Overdose, (new) bassist Labatts Santoro and drummer Jesse D’Stills jam furiously behind. If Mighty High have invented a genre, let it be known as “reckless rock.”
Like I said, two very different bands, but they seem to enjoy each other’s company well enough on Metal Damage/Don’t Panic it’s Organic, and listening to the tracks, I find I’m enjoying their enjoyment. Neither band asks much of their listeners, neither band comes even close to anything pretentious in their music, and both seem thrilled at the chance to contribute a catchy-as-hell track to this split. Maybe they’re not so different after all.
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2010/07/16/mightyhighstoneaxereview/
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Official 2010 biography
Mighty High, Brooklyn’s #1 regressive rock act, is thrilled to announce a new split 7” single with fellow mid-tempo heavy rock preservationists Stone Axe. Released in July, 2010 on the Ripple Music record label, Stone Axe contributes the outstanding “Metal Damage,” the best song Judas Priest never wrote in 1978. Mighty High’s song “Don’t Panic, It’s Organic” expands on their patented Black Flag Railroad assault and adds elements of Rose Tattoo and Sonic’s Rendezvous Band. Supplies are extremely limited and only available from ripple-music.com.
This new single is the follow up to the beloved Mighty High Drops A Deuce 7” issued November, 2009 (“Cable TV Eye” b/w “Hands Up!”) and 2008’s full length CD Mighty High…In Drug City, all released on the bands home grown label Mint Deluxe Tapes. Both records have been praised by guys over 40 who spend a lot of time exploring Tommy Bolin’s discography. Mighty High have been profiled in publications such as Classic Rock, Revolver, Julian Cope’s Head Heritage website and are consistently voted into the monthly High Times Pot 40 readers poll. (See below for exciting pull quotes!)
2010 has brought about some new and exciting changes for Mighty High. Woody High (guitar/voices) and Jesse D’Stills (drums) are now joined by powerhouse bassist Labatts Santoro and the criminally insanely talented guitarist Kevin Overdose to create the ultimate Mighty High line up. This edition of the band is so powerful that they are now able to perform outside of the NYC area for the first time ever. They are also hard at work on writing new songs for their next album, including the instant classic “I Don’t Wanna Listen To Yes.” Even more exciting is the fact that the band now uses a 4x12 speaker cabinet covered in white shag carpeting that was previously owned and operated by FOGHAT!
A power trio trapped in the body of a quartet, the band was formed in 2002 by Woody High out of sheer necessity. Mighty High existed as a band name, concept and denim jacket long before a single note of music was ever played. In fact, when Woody came up with the band name he couldn’t even play guitar (and still can’t). After years of bragging how great his band would be, his friends challenged him to put up or shut up.
This new single is the follow up to the beloved Mighty High Drops A Deuce 7” issued November, 2009 (“Cable TV Eye” b/w “Hands Up!”) and 2008’s full length CD Mighty High…In Drug City, all released on the bands home grown label Mint Deluxe Tapes. Both records have been praised by guys over 40 who spend a lot of time exploring Tommy Bolin’s discography. Mighty High have been profiled in publications such as Classic Rock, Revolver, Julian Cope’s Head Heritage website and are consistently voted into the monthly High Times Pot 40 readers poll. (See below for exciting pull quotes!)
2010 has brought about some new and exciting changes for Mighty High. Woody High (guitar/voices) and Jesse D’Stills (drums) are now joined by powerhouse bassist Labatts Santoro and the criminally insanely talented guitarist Kevin Overdose to create the ultimate Mighty High line up. This edition of the band is so powerful that they are now able to perform outside of the NYC area for the first time ever. They are also hard at work on writing new songs for their next album, including the instant classic “I Don’t Wanna Listen To Yes.” Even more exciting is the fact that the band now uses a 4x12 speaker cabinet covered in white shag carpeting that was previously owned and operated by FOGHAT!
A power trio trapped in the body of a quartet, the band was formed in 2002 by Woody High out of sheer necessity. Mighty High existed as a band name, concept and denim jacket long before a single note of music was ever played. In fact, when Woody came up with the band name he couldn’t even play guitar (and still can’t). After years of bragging how great his band would be, his friends challenged him to put up or shut up.
“Well Ripple Music have a gem on their hands. This 7″ split between Washington’s Stone Axe and New York’s Mighty High have paired the two for an awesome set of tunes.” – The Soda Shop
“Mighty High’s ‘Don’t Panic, It’s Organic’ is classic – there’s nobody better at making fun of wretched metal excess. This is a fast number, Aerosmith’s Mama Kin as Motorhead might have done it.” – Lucid Culture
“’Cable TV Eye’ is full-on stoner paranoia propelled by riffs they learned from hard rock leaning punk bands like Gang Green or the Circle Jerks in the mid-to-late 80s. ‘Hands Up!’ is like a pep rally at a Texas high school if pot was the football team.” - Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense
“Self-styled ‘regressive rock’ marijuaniacs Mighty High of Brooklyn reel off a primo green riffer for the masses.” – Arthur Magazine
“Mighty High…In Drug City effortlessly surfs the tsunami thrown up by AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock-period as though redirected through Grand Funk.” – Julian Cope, Head Heritage
“Positively relentless and gorgeous in its shameless vulgarity. Awesome.” – Classic Rock Magazine (June 2008)
“As the name suggests, their cues come from whatever chemicals they’ve just ingested, but near-lethal doses of MC5, Blue Cheer and Grand Funk contribute to the chaos as well.- Classic Rock Magazine (October 2008)
"Fucking insidious drug-punk riff shift combo veering between 1971 (The MC5's High Time) and uh... 1971 (Grand Funk's E Pluribus Funk).” - Craig Regala, Lollipop
“Sounds like Black Flag tokin', snortin', and shootin' up with Grand Funk Railroad.” – Revolver Magazine
“It’s more than just a clever name — these dudes are seriously fucked up.” - JJ Koczan, The Obelisk
"Mighty High basically sounds like a classic rock cover band who decided to take their cues on what was cool from a couple of fourteen-year-old stoners with leather jackets and a Steve Miller fixation." - Razorcake
“Bought it, played it and didn't like it...oh well, its not the first time!” – Amazon.com customer review
“Mighty High’s ‘Don’t Panic, It’s Organic’ is classic – there’s nobody better at making fun of wretched metal excess. This is a fast number, Aerosmith’s Mama Kin as Motorhead might have done it.” – Lucid Culture
“’Cable TV Eye’ is full-on stoner paranoia propelled by riffs they learned from hard rock leaning punk bands like Gang Green or the Circle Jerks in the mid-to-late 80s. ‘Hands Up!’ is like a pep rally at a Texas high school if pot was the football team.” - Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense
“Self-styled ‘regressive rock’ marijuaniacs Mighty High of Brooklyn reel off a primo green riffer for the masses.” – Arthur Magazine
“Mighty High…In Drug City effortlessly surfs the tsunami thrown up by AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock-period as though redirected through Grand Funk.” – Julian Cope, Head Heritage
“Positively relentless and gorgeous in its shameless vulgarity. Awesome.” – Classic Rock Magazine (June 2008)
“As the name suggests, their cues come from whatever chemicals they’ve just ingested, but near-lethal doses of MC5, Blue Cheer and Grand Funk contribute to the chaos as well.- Classic Rock Magazine (October 2008)
"Fucking insidious drug-punk riff shift combo veering between 1971 (The MC5's High Time) and uh... 1971 (Grand Funk's E Pluribus Funk).” - Craig Regala, Lollipop
“Sounds like Black Flag tokin', snortin', and shootin' up with Grand Funk Railroad.” – Revolver Magazine
“It’s more than just a clever name — these dudes are seriously fucked up.” - JJ Koczan, The Obelisk
"Mighty High basically sounds like a classic rock cover band who decided to take their cues on what was cool from a couple of fourteen-year-old stoners with leather jackets and a Steve Miller fixation." - Razorcake
“Bought it, played it and didn't like it...oh well, its not the first time!” – Amazon.com customer review
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
High Times Pot 40 - Zeptember 2010
# 5 on the Zeptember 2010 chart. Beware of the bogus Mighty High at #15, but "doing bowls on the bowl" at #13 is cool. Send your votes to pot40@hightimes.com
Monday, July 12, 2010
"Sounds more like they’re on speed than smoking pot"
Bob Vinyl is a hard man to impress. Check out his review from Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense -
Stoner rock always conjures up images of slow, sludgy tunes played in dark, smoky rooms…but it isn’t always like that. The bands on this split EP are perfect examples. Stone Axe’s “Metal Damage” is a mid-paced tune that mixes metal heaviness with a 70s hard rock groove. It has more punch and a cleaner sound than the stoner rock for which they’ve become known. Still, Stone Axe’s identity is clear and the departure isn’t drastic enough to confuse fans. They make no sacrifices with this slight change of direction. While “Metal Damage” draws heavily on sounds from 25 to 30 years ago, it isn’t stuck there.
Mighty High returns to filter the MC5 through Gang Green once again. “Don’t Panic, It’s Organic” is yet another ode to the supposed virtues of cannabis (and perhaps organic farming) that sounds more like they’re on speed than smoking pot. How does a song like this appeal to a guy who gets as big a charge out of being sober as the boys in Mighty High do out of being stoned? It’s just fun. Pure, unadulterated fun. Best of all, the fun and tunes just get better and better with each release. It doesn’t hurt that Mighty High’s artwork is once again supplied by that son of R. Crumb, Wayne Braino Bjerke. Great package, great tunes! Don’t miss it!
Ratings
Stone Axe
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Mighty High
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
http://www.rnrnonsense.com/1235/review-stone-axemighty-high-split-7-inch/
Stoner rock always conjures up images of slow, sludgy tunes played in dark, smoky rooms…but it isn’t always like that. The bands on this split EP are perfect examples. Stone Axe’s “Metal Damage” is a mid-paced tune that mixes metal heaviness with a 70s hard rock groove. It has more punch and a cleaner sound than the stoner rock for which they’ve become known. Still, Stone Axe’s identity is clear and the departure isn’t drastic enough to confuse fans. They make no sacrifices with this slight change of direction. While “Metal Damage” draws heavily on sounds from 25 to 30 years ago, it isn’t stuck there.
Mighty High returns to filter the MC5 through Gang Green once again. “Don’t Panic, It’s Organic” is yet another ode to the supposed virtues of cannabis (and perhaps organic farming) that sounds more like they’re on speed than smoking pot. How does a song like this appeal to a guy who gets as big a charge out of being sober as the boys in Mighty High do out of being stoned? It’s just fun. Pure, unadulterated fun. Best of all, the fun and tunes just get better and better with each release. It doesn’t hurt that Mighty High’s artwork is once again supplied by that son of R. Crumb, Wayne Braino Bjerke. Great package, great tunes! Don’t miss it!
Ratings
Stone Axe
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Mighty High
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
http://www.rnrnonsense.com/1235/review-stone-axemighty-high-split-7-inch/
Thursday, July 1, 2010
"Weed isn’t mentioned specifically..."
The Soda Shop has a good point -
Well Ripple Music have a gem on their hands. This upcoming 7″ split between Washington’s Stone Axe and New York’s Mighty High have paired the two for an awesome set of tunes.
First, Stone Axe delivers the goods once again. The song, “Metal Damage” is a throw back to classic Judas Priest from the later 70′s to early 80′s. Any fan of Stone Axe knows that both Tony and Dru are the best duo around to preserving music from the 70′s. This song is no exception.
Next up is Mighty High, a stoner rock band from New York. The vocalist, Woody is also a reviewer for The Ripple-Effect blog. These NY stoners really rock with their contribution “Don’t Panic It’s Organic.” It’s more of a fast paced, almost punk like rock song. Most of Mighty High’s songs are about weed. Weed isn’t mentioned specifically in the song but we all know what it’s about. You don’t even need to be on weed to enjoy it either. You can listen to the track by clicking on the band’s Myspace link below.
This split is the first for Ripple-Music. Those lucky guys got two great bands to start what could be a promising line of split 7″ records. The split isn’t available until July 7th but can be pre ordered for $5.99 on the Ripple-Music webstore. Get yours today.
http://thesodashop.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/review-stone-axemighty-high-7-split/
Well Ripple Music have a gem on their hands. This upcoming 7″ split between Washington’s Stone Axe and New York’s Mighty High have paired the two for an awesome set of tunes.
First, Stone Axe delivers the goods once again. The song, “Metal Damage” is a throw back to classic Judas Priest from the later 70′s to early 80′s. Any fan of Stone Axe knows that both Tony and Dru are the best duo around to preserving music from the 70′s. This song is no exception.
Next up is Mighty High, a stoner rock band from New York. The vocalist, Woody is also a reviewer for The Ripple-Effect blog. These NY stoners really rock with their contribution “Don’t Panic It’s Organic.” It’s more of a fast paced, almost punk like rock song. Most of Mighty High’s songs are about weed. Weed isn’t mentioned specifically in the song but we all know what it’s about. You don’t even need to be on weed to enjoy it either. You can listen to the track by clicking on the band’s Myspace link below.
This split is the first for Ripple-Music. Those lucky guys got two great bands to start what could be a promising line of split 7″ records. The split isn’t available until July 7th but can be pre ordered for $5.99 on the Ripple-Music webstore. Get yours today.
http://thesodashop.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/review-stone-axemighty-high-7-split/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
