Every now and then I come out of my cave and find a new band to soak up... Slightly Stoopid came on my radar back at the end of 2008 when I heard the tune "2AM" online. It is on their 2007 CD Chronchitis. I liked what I heard, so I got a copy of their 2008 album, Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid. I am now a fan.
As I listened to Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid, I was almost mesmerized by their groove. Most songs have a reggae/blues beat that just flows seamlessly from one tune to the next. None of the songs are particularly long (the longest being a bit more than five minutes, the shortest just under two minutes), but they all feel organic. And in a musical market that is full of imitators (for good or ill), it's nice to hear songs that aren't forced to be something they're not.
Slightly Stoopid released their first album in 1996 and have shifted members from time to time, but the constants have been the band's founders - Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald. That duo share vocal, guitar, and bass duties. Right now the rest of the band includes Ryan "RyMo" Moran on the drums, C-Money on trumpet and keyboards. De La on sax, and Oguer "OG" Ocon on congas, percussion, harp, and vocals. It's a great mix of guitar, horns, percussion, and keyboards. And they make it sound so effortless!
The band has been playing more than 200 shows a year to keep their fan base strong and growing (affectionately called the "Stoopid Heads"). And to do that, and keep control of their music, they turned down major record label deals. With their own label now, they're in control of their own futures.
Article comments