There’s been just about every kind of “The” band out there in the last few years. Ever since the rise of The Strokes, Hives and White Stripes, the floodgate opened for anyone trying to indulge in a more garage sound. And in 2004, all the “The” bands went from recycling sixties and seventies rock over to the sometimes gritty, other times gothic side of eighties new wave. Despite the slight change, contemporary rock music is sounding a little past due, relying on the cool kids’ sense of nostalgia to make a hit.
But then there’s The Flesh, a fearless quartet hailing from Brooklyn, whose creative recycling of eighties, R&B and hip hop, alongside Bible references and Freudian thought create a new world order in music that dares its competitors to keep up with the times.
The Flesh’s original lineup formed back in 2001 with singer/guitarist Nat Halpern and Jason Binnick, the dynamic duo since 1999. Binnick, whose other job is selling art, is the son of a former jazz arranger/producer for Philadelphia Motown. Keyboardist/vocalist Gabriella Zappia quickly joined the band after seeing them perform upon re-entering the U.S. after living illegally for some time in the U.K. Pete Angovine is the band’s drummer, just recently replacing Gregory Rogove, who appears on all three releases.
The Flesh released two EPs, Sweet Defeat and Death Connection, in 2003, serving a few tracks featured on the full-length. Although the tracks are some of the band’s poppiest, they gained the attention from producer Martin Bisi, a man known for working with a handful of sinister and depressed musicians like Iggy Pop and Sonic Youth. Aside from the jazz, funk and soul, The Flesh sound like a mix of late seventies/early eighties bands like The Stranglers, The Birthday Party and The Cramps.
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