Madd Galaxy

An EP of live covers and original songs is usually a red flag for me, a sign to stay the hell away – terrible sound quality and versions of songs I’d rather not hear ruined with others not good enough to warrant attention on their own. Truck D’s “It’s Alive” is neither of these things, one an actual accomplishment. Yes, recording quality of the tracks on “It’s Alive” is outstanding, nothing drops too low or gets drowned out in the mix, it’s easy to distinguish between the various instruments at work, and there are quite a few let me tell you. Of course live jam sessions are all about going with the flow and solos and what not, and the two original have got you covered there with occasional noodling on the guitar, keyboards, and horn section. For me though, just barely being able to hear the crowd sing along to Rox Juanita (aka “Roxanne” by the Police) was what turned this from a good listen to a great one. The energy from the band and the crowd here and on the medley of “Snake in the Grass/Talk to Me, Dance with Me” is simply infectious, you can’t help but get into it. If you can, check your pulse. And that’s the other really big reason I’m digging this EP so much, the covers are exceptionally done, bringing something completely new to each and the original songs are just as good (dig that helicopter opening and closing the groovy freakout “Unravel Your Mind”) showcasing the kind of song writing chops Truck D really have. Adding a full fledged band (especially the brass) really expands the songs into something bigger, wilder than they would have been otherwise (Sting take note). Get this record and listen to Truck D kick out the jams! If you’ll excuse me I have to dance around to “Rox Juanita” again. - Gabbo - July 20, 2012

Truck D is a relatively new collective from Long Beach in the USA. Centred around Benjamin Adamson, musicians and instruments are as varied as the influences. Benjamin Adamson (vocals / trumpet /synth), Chris Raymond (guitar), Ross Garren (keys), Mike Lindsay (drums), Justin Kirk (trombone), Vikram Devashtali (trombone), Robby Marshal (tenor / soprano), Josh Nyback (bass), Eli Moynahan (monophonic conch shell) and others. So let’s just try the catch-all World Music as a genre starting point.

Iconic, comes to mind, I am drawn to the likes of Don Van Vliet, TV3, The Legendary Pink Dots etc. What-ever happens next the stamp has been gilded and Truck D, sit as an essential piece of creativity to which aspiring musicians would well serve referencing, not necessarily musically, but certainly creatively. Truck D resonates with the enthusiasm of the new band marking out territory, whilst playing with the panache of seasoned veterans, which to be fair the musicians certainly are. This vehicle provides an expression of all that is best in creative indie music and why being a fan of music is such a pleasure and jotting down a few words to express my thoughts such a privilege.
Renowned for live stage improvisation, the collective releases a plethora of instruments and tempos to the fore, to which the listener is given reign for their own imagination to explore. In many ways the band enable the listener to generate their own experience through the music which provides a template of shifting shapes.
The titchy caveat I have is some cover tracks, but as regular readers of the website will well know, I am never a fan of covers (particularly that of a band I felt were over-hyped and irrelevant at the time), always preferring the creative.
So, I find myself in the highly unusual spot of reviewing a band which started about a year ago and wondering if I should be categorizing them on the site in the Essential Indie Bands section of the indie bands blog. - Tim on April 7, 2012