The Great SOCIO

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

THE GREAT SOCIO - ALBUM REVIEW

The Great Socio - Find The Time

Despite the name, The Great Socio is not a circus ring master but is, in fact, a groove laden rock band from the mighty Philadelphia - birth home of the Fresh Prince and cheese steaks. That said, there is something of the circus performer about the Red Hot Chili Peppers meets System Of A Down rock of opening track 'The World's Alive' which has some of the cheapest sounding keyboards I have heard in a long time but still rocks. Next up is 'Criminals', a track possibly still trapped in the 90s post grunge but pre-nu metal era but with a healthy slathering of 70s groove rock organs just to fill in any cracks. 'Let Go' harks back to RHCP again but with more horns while 'Paradise' is early Incubus doing a Doors song for a Bond film - if you can possibly imagine that. The snarling, growling bass line of 'Anything Everything' battles with the organ of Matt Montgomery to create wonderful whirlpool of rock'n'roll before this short album finishes up with 'Vultures', a song full of atmospheric horns and dramatic vocal delivery. If you like your rock with a heavy groove, big organs and the occasional spurt of rapped vocals then these guys will be right up your street. And if you don't like all that then give them a listen anyway as they seem to have had a lot of fun making their music, which is nice. - Roland Monger

The Great Socio

Find the Time

Review by G. W. Hill
I don’t know how to categorize this music. I do know that it rocks. It has leanings in all kinds of directions from progressive rock to jazz to hip hop to electronic music and a lot more. It often mashes things together in the same song and sometimes in the same musical passage. The thing is, as odd as some of this is, it’s strangely accessible and compelling. This might defy labels, but it is great stuff.


Track by Track Review

The World's Alive
The music here is kind of a combination of classic rock, electronic and more. In some ways it’s not that far removed from progressive rock. The vocals range from raps to sung. At times the vocals make me think of Faith No More. At other points I’m reminded of Lenny Kravitz. This is unusual and quite effective.


Criminals
This has a mash-up of sounds, too. It’s part metal, part punky alternative rock and part hip hop. I dig the keyboard sound on this and the whole thing is oddly compelling. The horn sounds later are great, too. There is a bit of a keyboard solo later that’s quite progressive rock oriented.

Let Go
There is a great groove to this. At times it feels like hip hop at times it’s more like progressive rock. Sometimes it’s both, like when the proggy keyboards swim over the arrangement while the rap carries the lyrics. There are also bits of jazz in the horn sounds. I can make out hints of some of the electronic pop of the 1980s, too. This is a great song. In fact, it might be the best piece here. It’s a powerful one.

Paradise
A hard rocking tune, this has a great jazzy groove blended with something a bit like Lenny Kravitz.

Anything Everything
The major hard rock meets jazz and more concept is all over this one, too. I love the funky groove to it and it gets spun toward space music at times. The female vocals are a nice touch here.

Vultures
Another contender for best song of the set, this is a real jazzy rocker with a great groove. The horns are powerful but so are the vocals. This is a real screamer. It’s a great choice for closer. I like this one a lot. - G. W. Hill

Exclusive Interview

Tell us about where you are from and how you got to this position today.
We are from Philadelphia, PA and we have lived in a band house in Manayunk, Philly for 2 years as of September 1st. We are a regional touring group, our reach extends down to North Virginia and up to NYC. The only thing that can get you there is focus, dedication, hard work, and good music. Bring people a good time and show people that you care about what you do and you’ll see as much success as you want to work for.

What do you have coming up? What are some of the new projects we can expect to see?
We’ve spent this entire summer touring around our region. The month of August was dedicated to the promotion of our new single “Roll it Up.” Outside of playing shows every week, we spend a significant amount of time doing pre-production work for our 2nd EP, due out early 2013. “Roll it Up” is the first professional release from our next EP, the next single comes out at the end of September.

Tell us more about the current song you are promoting to everyone.
After 2 years of living in Philadelphia, it was about time we released our city’s new anthem. “Roll it Up” is an homage to the city of brotherly love as well as all the good times to be had in this cultural and artistic east coast hub.

How does your music separate yourself from other artists and bands out there?
I find that this is the trickiest question for most bands, but for us, it’s very simple. We are an effects driven, guitar-less Rock and Roll band. The electric guitar is the staple of our genre, but we decided we didn’t need it and the fans and press agreed. We love music, and as music lovers we draw influence from all the greatest bands and artists of the past 6 decades. The influence this has is the sound of something pleasantly familiar, a sound that any music lover can connect with.

We write catchy pop hooks and powerful rock grooves that get people moving, and all of a sudden, no one realizes the guitar is even missing. If we haven’t gotten your attention yet, the moment our front man blows the first note on his trumpet, the listener is captivated. It is a struggle to find another group that can boast this sort of arrangement and sound.

Tell us about one of the hardest challenges you had to face in the industry?
Everything in the music industry is a challenge. But the beauty of the way the industry has evolved, is that it allows the hard working independent band to succeed. No more relying on blind luck, no more hoping the right person stumbles upon your music. If you work hard, promote yourself, and stay persistent, like any other independent business, you can see success. The single hardest thing is never quitting. We’re on our 3rd drummer. If the hardship of replacing drummers led us to quit, we wouldn’t be where we are.

What was one of the biggest set backs in your career and how did you bounce back?
Having been a band for only 2 and a half years there hasn’t been much room for big set backs. Being in a band can be difficult, but we’ve had two specific experiences that have really knocked the band a step backwards. We’ve continually seen forward progress,even when replacing drummers we never missed a beat and kept on moving forward. But like anything else in life, when things don’t go your way, you have to keep your head up and keep trucking.

What are some things artists need to be careful of?
I hate to see bands desperately trying to find management or shoot for the record label deal too early. Young groups always seem to think that putting the work into other people’s hands is going to do your band justice, but its not necessarily the case. Stay independent for as long as you can. Do the work yourself, create relationships, earn your keep and your place in the business and then the opportunities you’ve always looked for start finding you. If you’re working 24/7, touring regularly, recording projects, and making money, then management and labels will start looking for you instead of vice versa.

What suggestions do you have for other artists like yourself?
Be smart with your money and always be willing to invest in your band financially. In order to be a successful artist you need to make money and in order to make money you need to be willing to invest it. A month on the road isn’t cheap so if you’re not willing to pay for it, just quit now.

What is one of your favorite ways to promote yourself and your music?
Word of mouth is the best. Engaging people and potential fans about your music, making friends, and making connections is a very exciting way to get people talking about your band. Facebook is also absolutely essential, it’s the single best networking tool out there.

Where can people visit you?
You can definitely just Google us. But you can always go straight to www.TheGreatSOCIO.com for all news and information about the band. Definitely follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reverbnation. - warpedmag.com

"TGS runs on the innovative bass of Craig Stenger, who plays through a guitar amp and a comprehensive array of effect pedals. Craig also pens the band’s lyrics. Their detached, sometimes chillingly honest social perspective is put to dark bass lines, creative, versatile keys, and the energetic clockwork rhythm of drummer Andrew Bernier. Traces of jazz, reggae, and rock contribute to the sound of The Great SOCIO, which most closely resembles that of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That could be an oversimplification, however. TGS distinguishes itself through an original blend of styles and explorative use of real-time studio effects. Vocally, Muñoz is reminiscent of Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis and Incubus’ Brandon Boyd. His dynamic, punchy trumpet solos give TGS an element of worldliness and encourage further the connections with jazz and reggae." - That Music Mag

"I entered Garden Street Productions not sure what to expect but was surprised and even inspired by this bands dedication and determination to succeed in the music industry. [T]heir songs, all of which had a distinct sound...managed to flow seamlessly from track to track." - Rock Pit