Zen Robbi

Few musicians succeed when they try to stuff multiple styles of music into their album. Some stylistic switches seem awkward, impractical, and imperfect, like the psychobilly band that bangs out an occasional bluegrass tune; while others, like the pop-punkers who squeeze synth-rock, reggae, and grindcore songs into an album, can't acquire a signature sound or identity. Conversely, on COMPANY, Zen Robbi's multiple personalities—head-bopping hip-hop on "Sewed Up", frat-house funk on "Reinvent the Wheel", a swingin', jazzy swagger on "Dog House" and "Back2You", smooth and serene reggae on "No Worries", pushy punk on "Beer Song"—manage to maintain a sound that only they could claim. The sometimes crispy/sometimes crunchy guitars, singer Mic Dangerously's assertive voice, and the solid, sturdy rhythm section all prove that these boys are both jacks of all trades" AND master musicians. -Dane! - SKRATCH MAGAZINE

ZENROBBI – DEAD MAN’S HAND – JANUARY 5, 2016

(Mic “Dangerously” de la Torre on guitar and vocals; Timmy “Too Tall” Baker on bass; Jamie “The Rev” Bullock on synthesizers; Scott Wittenberg on drums)

ZENROBBI’s funky party‬-rock has been a fixture in my music scene for almost a decade. With three albums already on the table, ZENROBBI ante-up to the game once again and bet on winning it big when their fourth album, DEAD MAN’S HAND, is released on January 5, 2016.

I’ve been listening to “A Sunny Day on Broadway,” “My Baby,” and “Lazy Boy,” the genre-blending, high-energy tracks from ZenRobbi’s new album that have been pre-released on YouTube.

“A Sunny Day on Broadway” (https://youtu.be/JMRkyTYF61g) progresses from a dreamy, wavering guitar, singing out an almost lonely tune over an acoustic guitar’s steady strum, to a funked-out, feel-good, it’s-time-to-cut-loose-and-get-down YOLO anthem. The musical build-up of the song mirrors Mic’s lyrical account of the build-up of an impromptu party posse. Dangerously handles his business on the mic with fun rap flows, and I can already hear fans singing along with every “Oh Yeah!” in the chorus at the shows. Jamie’s electronic contributions bring an OG groove to the song that has become essential to the sound of the ensemble. The gangster rap style synth organ and a little hip hop accent from the turntables round out a tasteful tribute to the South Bay’s diverse, urban musical heritage.

The ska influences are strong in “My Baby,” (https://youtu.be/wvdIjCi2tmA) a song dedicated to Mic D’s love for his guitar. He shows off his passion for his instrument as he plays, running up and down the scales and fingering fun, tricky, metal-esque riffs. Scotty hits on his drums and cymbals with precise control and coordination, and I enjoy listening to him giving his kit a particularly good working over on this jam. Jamies’ funky organ pulses us through the song with boppy reggae chords, and the ska signature is signed with a quick-tongued sax solo from JELLY OF THE MONTH CLUB’s own Todd Forman.

“Lazy Boy” (https://youtu.be/92xmmAy19aA) is a catchy, head-bopping rock tune that speaks for the slacker in all of us. Mic catches the listener’s ear and imagination with his playful lyrics, enthusiastically explaining “I ain’t never really had a plan. I kinda’ make it up as I go,” and setting a kick-back-and-enjoy-the-day kind of vibe. Timmy drops his intricate bass lines here as naturally as a chicken drops eggs. While the group is depicted as being lazy in the song’s video, their sound on this track betrays the hard work and dedication the band has put in to the mastery of their craft and production of their art.

It is with much pleasure that I have the had the opportunity to review highlights from the upcoming DEAD MAN’S HAND album. Until it drops, listen to ZENROBBI on YouTube with me and check out http://www.ZENROBBI.com to support the band. - Treoptikmedia

Editor's Pick:

The first album on our radar to be released in 2016 will be Zen Robbi’s Dead Mans Hands on Tues. January 5th. We’re giving away their new song “Sunny Day On Broadway” off that record that features Sublime’s Ras MG on turntables…

You can download the new Zen Robbi track “A Sunny Day On Broadway” for FREE on our home page under the MP3 Leak of the Week on the right hand column!

Background:
Dead Mans Hand marks the 5th studio album for Long Beach, CA own Zen Robbi. The album includes guest appearances by former Sublime members Marshall Goodman, aka Ras MG, and Todd Forman in addition to Micah Brown, Michael Cartwright and Lara beers. The album was recorded at 17th St. Recording Studio in Costa Mesa as well as Hollywoodstock Studios.

Ras MG applied his infamous DJ Scratchin’ to the albums “A Sunny Day On Broadway”, to which we are giving away for FREE this week.

Here’s what lead-singer & guitarist Mic Dangerously said about the song: “I wanted to capture the real essence of ‘a day in the life’ in my neighborhood with this song. The song and video are based on a day where some friends from the block and I actually went pool hopping last summer… So we put those friends in front of a camera, cracked some brews and had a great time shooting us doing it all over again!”

While you can download “A Sunny Day On Broadway” for FREE on the homepage for the week, you can pick up Zen Robbi’s back catalog of music on iTunes! Dead Mans Hands drops digitally on January 5th, 2016 - The Pier Magazine

ZEN ROBBI.
If you live near Long Beach and aren’t yet familiar with Zen Robbi, you’ve been missing a world-class, local-good thing. Local rock band Zen Robbi’s fifth album, Dead Man’s Hand, drops on January 5th 2016, and they are ringing-in their new tunes with a January 9th live performance that’s not to be missed!
Zen Robbi - Album Release Party
Zen Robbi – Album Release Party
The band consists of Mic Dangerously on guitar and lead vocals; Scotty Wittenberg on drums and backing vocals; Timmy Too Tall on bass and backing vocals; and Jamie Bullock on keyboards and backing vocals. If you want to hear their latest collection of rock-funky-disco-metal-reggae-jazzy songs, make sure to get to the OPM Lounge in Huntington Beach for the Dead Man’s Hand January 9th release party.
I was lucky enough to receive a pre-release listen to their new music. All the songs on the album are good fun; they’re diverse and full of clever lyrics and creative music played by honest-to-goodness, seasoned musicians. Here’s my song-by-song aural eval in wordy form.
MY ALBUM EXPERIENCE
Refreshingly, the vibes and styles on Dead Man’s Hand change with each tune. One of my favorite things about this album is the collection of social, musical, and local references that add to the feel-good thrum in those Mic Dangerously vocals. I dare you to try and catch them all!
When I started listening to the album, I had two 13-year-old boys in the room, swinging their heads up and down to the intro song, “Dead Man’s Hand.” It’s a solid and muscular song, with a guitar that meets you at the door like a tattooed, 7-foot-tall bouncer who smiles toothlessly and lets you into the club.
And then… The room lights up. The disco ball drops down. The shoes come off: “That’s My Jam” starts playing! Honestly, any song that includes reference to the “Humpty Dance” (and so much more!) is automatically on my list of favorites.
The moods and styles on the album change with ease. “A Sunny Day on Broadway” includes a little Zeppelin feel, a touch of Gorillaz, and some Snoop off in the background. Slip some falsetto and some LBC rapping in while the top is down, and I can feel the sunshine and the sand in my shoes. Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah! The next song, “Disco Addict” kicks off with a Bon-Jovi-like desert vibe and moves in a direction that’s heavy enough to fill your ears and give you a musical fix.
By the fourth song, you may have assumed that those two 13-year-olds I mentioned earlier had moved on to their KSP gaming or Minecrafting – but no. They stuck around to listen. That’s saying a lot, people.
My son Robbie (no relation to Zen) particularly enjoyed “Lazy Boy.” He called it fun and lighthearted, and he said “it sounds like there’s a little bit of Whitewood’s ‘Beach Walk’ in there.” Considering that I’d never heard of Whitewood, I googled it (and I totally prefer “Lazy Boy”).
The next song, “Rollercoaster Junkie,” starts off fast and fun – it has a Carnival-robot-churchy-keyboard-vibe with a tasty, Timberlakey glissando added to the ride… It’s a rollercoaster of a song with the chunky sax hitting all the turns.
Robbie’s buddy says he preferred the next song, “Fire.” He heard the Weezer influence right away, but when I mentioned that I heard a Spandau Ballet guitar-echo in there, he just glanced sideways at me … And then the song picked up and went full-on rock & roll on us, so I just stopped talking. When the next song, “My Baby” came on, I thought “Ha! What is that … Ska? Metal? … Yes, please!” Where’s the mosh pit?
And to top-off the lyrical Zen Robbi cake, they provide you with “The Privateer.” It’s pirate-storytelling made fun. It’s got a throaty, repeated Yo-HOOOOO throughout, and the word booty in the lyrics, and a guitar that keeps up with the yummy, jungle-drum beat. Enough said? Never! I could go on, but I’ve got plans to go learn all the lyrics by heart now.
Zen Robbi. Check ‘em out online at iTunes, Amazon, etc. Physical CDs will be available for purchase at www.ZenRobbi.com and at their live shows. Zen Robbi is also on facebook and twitter @ZenRobbi. - Everything Long Beach