Words by: Dennis Cook| Images by: Susan J. Weiand

New Monsoon :: 04.11.09 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA

There’s the saying, “They broke the mold when they made so-and-so,” but there are bands that never fit in a mold in the first place. What they do is their own thing from the start and conformity, even the shattered variety, isn’t part of them. There tends to be a great surge of life, an organic immediacy, in such bands. One picks up on this in The Band, Traffic, Weather Report, Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, all of whom I’ve referenced in the past as ways into the singular sound of New Monsoon, an ever-evolutionary S.F. ensemble that fits no standardized shape. From the first time I caught them at the Boom Boom Room in 2003 (see review) right up to this warming, elevating night at The Independent, the feeling of a unique trajectory has permeated their work. What happily amazes is how they’ve moved from strength to strength through lineup shifts, fiscal travails, etc. and emerged even more dedicated to their uniqueness, feeding THEIR music and in the process developing a more focused picture of what it is New Monsoon is about.

I entered the cozy San Fran clubhouse with opener AllofaSudden in silken flight. Unafraid to play big, there’s something of ’70s Santana to them but also the bump of New Orleans soul-rock and no small part of pure jam culture exploration. New bands often get timid when climbing musical mountains but such grand scale grappling seems their natural pocket. Fueled by two percussionists, their solos invited us in by degrees, teasing out the fireworks to come, while avoiding the frequent pitfall of meandering common to many jam-minded groups. There’s elongation but in service of actual songs. In this way, AllofaSudden remind me a lot of Outformation, down to similarly spiky guitar solos and trundling footsteps, which blossomed into a full blown Widespread Panic roar during their closing number. These boys put their backs into it and it’ll be interesting to see where they take this large beast they’re constructing.

First off with New Monsoon, it’s worth noting that few bands throw together their core elements quite so seamlessly – complex, lively instrumentals AND focused vocal songs, electric AND acoustic lead instruments, rock rhythm section AND folk/jazz inflected melodic elements. At times the juxtapositions have even been jarring and less successful but by their third tune this night, the bubbling jump of “Song For Marie,” the mix in their cocktail was fizzing beautifully. The five-piece configuration of Bo Carper (acoustic guitar, banjo, vocals), Jeff Miller (electric guitar, vocals), Phil Ferlino (keys, vocals), Marshall Harrell (bass) and Sean Hutchinson (drums) has some miles under their belts now, and witnessing the space and air of their music together was really compelling. They listen to one another well but also feel a confidence in their compatriots that allows each guy to dig in hard, where every person onstage is offering something special to the end result, a collective swell produced by individual character and joint creation. Put differently, it’s fun to watch such engaged, talented folks work and what they slap on ya feels real good.

Bo Carper – New Monsoon :: 04.11 :: San Francisco

Their woodshedding away from stages was heard perhaps most clearly in their improved vocals, both individually and in harmony. Dedication to craft is central to New Monsoon, and if they catch whiff that there’s an area they might improve it’s a fair bet they’re chiseling away at it when away from the spotlight. Bo Carper is developing into a confident singer capable of infusing real personality into his vocals, and the pairing of Miller and Ferlino is showing increasing nuance and depth. Face it, most bands that got their start in jam circles have shit vocals, almost an afterthought in many cases, and I admire that New Monsoon simply won’t allow this aspect of what they do to go untended. And this dedication surfaced in many other little ways – new guitar tones, snazzy new fretboard tricks, interesting piano runs and organ swell from out of nowhere, expanded bass bounce, deepening percussion reverberation. It wasn’t one thing, one guy that stood out so much as the harnessed craftsmanship in all respects.

However, individual accomplishments count. Noteworthy was the general tastiness and colorful tonality of Jeff Miller’s guitar work, the English pop chirp emerging in Ferlino’s lead vocals, the heady technique and artful restraint of Bo Carper’s playing and the increased intimacy of Hutchinson and Harrell. The best musicians, and these boys rate, make all the finger-knotting practice hours and frustrating missteps invisible. What we hear is the end road, the place of arrival, but I closed my eyes a few times and images of blacksmiths’ hammers and mule drawn plows lead by dustbowl farmers leapt into my head, subconscious resonances flitting inside their notes.

Jeff Miller – New Monsoon :: 04.11 :: San Francisco

A few highlights: the sauciest fucking “Greenhouse” with slithering Ferlino organ, humming, blues-heavy lines from Miller and a downright sexy vocal turn by Carper; the stunning and unexpected encore of David Gilmour’s “There’s No Way Out Of Here,” which honored the studio original off his 1978 solo debut by not defusing the inherent darkness and clinging dismay as well as offering a great platform for these players; new compositions “Next Best Thing” and “Black Wing,” which show there’s no dust on them, with the latter shaping up to be one of the finest pieces yet in their canon; a positively psychedelic “If 6 Was 9″ that unleashed Carper’s inner lover man and showed what smart, judicious instincts the rhythm team possess; a take on “Downstream” that left most long-time fans pleasantly shaken; and the general arc of both sets, which took one on a real journey if they just ditched their bindle and hopped aboard their vessel.

One of the primary appeals of New Monsoon is their sense of scope and wide context, and their ability to intermingle light and darkness, understanding that life is full of contradictions – highs AND lows, pleasures AND sour swallowings. I’ve often likened their shows to lowering one’s self into water. Sometimes the chill snap of it sinks icy teeth into you but more often than not there is heat and carbonation greeting us, inviting us to wade in with them. As their own collectivity has risen, so too has the potential for a quality group experience on our side of the stage – a sensation that was wonderfully palpable at The Independent and made one feel hopeful for the music to come from this vibrant outfit.

04.11.09 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Set I: Next Best Thing, Naked Truth, Song For Marie, Cross, For One Night, Downstream, Greenhouse, Bridge Of The Gods

Set II: The Other Side, Black Wing > Jam > If 6 Was 9, Deep Inside The Corridor >Alaska, Southern Dew, Trust In Me > Jam, Daddy Longlegs
Encore: There’s No Way Out Of Here

Listen to or download a soundboard recording of this gig here. And this show was in celebration of the release of a fab new double live CD featuring the quintet in fighting form. It is available now here, and you can stream it once for free below!

New Monsoon tour dates available here.

Continue reading for a few more pics of New Monsoon in San Francisco…

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