MR. BLOTTO

Mr. Blotto was born in Chicago as an off-night vehicle for musicians who loved each others playing but were in different bands at the time. The only rule was that they would only play what they loved. That philosophy continues today and has led Mr. Blotto into unique musical situations.

Mr. Blotto takes the Jam band asthetic into areas unfamiliar to the standard Jam Scene. They have been known to cover entire albums by Led Zeppelin and the Who as well as perform entire shows of Country and Reggae. Artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead, the Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson and The Velvet Underground have seen their material interpreted by Mr. Blotto in the 2000+ shows the band has performed in the last 15 years, yet covers only pepper the bands hefty catalog of original material stemming from five studio albums and other unreleased crowd favorites.

LUNAR TICKS

The debut, double EP, recorded with friends in our basement, features plenty of inventive segues, special guests, and tones ranging from cheery folk sing along, to frightening dissonant chaos. These two parts separately showcase our two loves; songs and improvisation.

Part one weaves in and out of richly textured, alt-pop, noise, folk, rock, and country songs. These quasi-satirical takes on popular music form and content are just slightly tweaked with oddball arrangements, subtle psychedelia, and a voice that can be both sarcastic, and sincere. Witty words shine through sing-able melodies, all wrapped up in warm, playful vocal harmonies. The tight live band feel gives these songs urgency and a life of their own.

Part two takes you through an improvisation that blurs the line between performance and studio manipulation. The conversational interplay moves from blissed-out, beautiful melodic segments, to otherworldly realms, to frenetic funk fusion, to uplifting rock and roll. This sprawling twenty-minute jam takes you on a trek, much like the song side, but without any words or breaks to act as a guide. With the lights off and a good pair of headphones, you might find your mind wandering to places it’s never been.