Pseudopod's new album establishes distinctive sound
By Nate Seltenrich
Pseudopod, the eclectic jam/rock band that opened for Ozomatli at last year's Spring Concert Festival, are coming back to Santa Clara.
Tickets for the concert are now on sale for $5 at the Info Desk in Benson.
A relatively young band, Pseudopod formed at UCLA in the late '90s. The coalescence of the group brought together a variety of musical backgrounds and influences, ranging from Elvis Presley to Slash. What they ended up with was a band with a memorable name and a very special sound.
On Aug. 13, Pseudopod's self-titled major label debut was released. Although they sound great on the record, many of their songs are expanded to epic proportions when performed live. That is a jam band's prerogative, and Pseudopod certainly takes full advantage of their musical abilities while on stage. This is one of those bands that needs to be experienced live.
That's not to say that the studio tracks on their new album can't hold their own. Even after hearing Pseudopod live, all of their tunes can still be appreciated in studio-recorded form.
Their latest release is a very solid offering, and although many of the tracks are limited to the shorter jazz/funk/rock format, jam sections and screaming solos give a taste of what more they have to offer. "Dante" and "Lackadaisical Memory" are six and a half and nine minutes long, respectively, showcasing more of the guys' capacity for jamming. Both tracks begin in a style similar to their shorter songs, gradually build to all-out jams featuring keyboard, horns, and guitar and then wrap themselves back up again at the end. The effect is truly excellent.
Not to overlook the other 10 tracks, all of the songs on the album come across as well-written, well-played and well-polished works.
The group's ability to merge intricate saxophone and guitar leads with catchy hooks and melodies is impressive. Often, bands in this genre get stuck focusing on one or the other and the result is an unbalanced sound. Pseudopod avoids this pitfall and pulls off the blend unusually well for such a young band.
This album doesn't serve itself well to association with any short list of artists, as each track seems to offer something new. Some of the groups that come to mind are Dave Matthews, Phish, Blues Traveler and John Mayer, but it's not quite fair to compare them because over the course of the record Pseudopod does a great job of establishing their own sound.
Take advantage of a special opportunity to see Pseudopod again at Santa Clara and don't miss their concert with Left Hand Smoke on Saturday. For more information about the band, check out their Web site at www.pseudopod.net. A