Jazzhound

Description

The Buttertones new albumJazzhound.

LP is Foldout Poster Insert + Download Card.

Before settling in to make Jazzhound, their most extravagant, ambitious, and fully realized album to date,theButtertoneshad to facethehounds of real life. Prior to a headlining summer tour in support of 2018s Midnight in a Moonless Dream, a fiery blast of an album capturingtheband at their purest distillation, drummer/multi-instrumentalist Modesto Cobi Cobin had a sudden and serious medical scare involving his eye, requiring emergency surgery. He lost half his vision (it will hopefully return with a future operation), andthetour had to be cancelled. Music took a backseat forthetime being.

It gave us some perspective on our health, says bassist Sean Redman, andthefact that we have to look after ourselves and one another first, or elsethemusic just cant happen. Cobin, Redman, and vocalist/guitarist Richard Araiza have been playing together for seven years now, having first come together for a self-titled debut in 2013; along with London Guzman on sax and keys, theyve come to establish themselves as one of L.A.s tightest groups, conquering stages from Coachella to Tropicalia. When one of their own had a scare, they rallied around himand usedtheexperience to come together stronger than ever fortherecord they were getting ready to make.

He says it adds charm to his character, jokes Araiza, who ledtheButtertonesback into writing mode, takingthereset moment to really focus ontheapproach and style oftherecord.Thematerial he was working on tooktheband forward into a heavier soundand it also brought them back tothespark of their first album. It allowed us to go back totheroots andthespirit we had when we started, Redman considers. We are kind of a new band, in a lot of ways, is what it feels like.

Continuing their partnership with producer Jonny Bell of Crystal Antlers, who produced Moonless Dream as well as 2017s Gravedigging,theButtertoneswaited until they were good and ready before hittingthelegendary Electro-Vox Studios in Hollywood, where they arrived knowing exactly what they wanted to lay to tape. Armed with an arsenal ofthemost propulsive music theyve written yet,theband recordedthealbum mostly livean ideal method for capturing their cult-status live show, which carries onthetorch of acts liketheWalkmen andtheFleshtones. Wed do a few takes, says Araiza, and then it was, Alright, we got allthemain instruments done, now lets record onthevibraphone that was used on Pet Sounds, you know?

ButJazzhound is completely new territory forthegroup, too, with Araiza, who calls this album probablythedarkest one hes written lyrically, pushing his Ian Curtis-via-Bobby Darin baritone to new depths, particularly on scorchers like Phantom Eyes and Bebop. Its alsothefirst album with Cobin actingand thrivingin his new role as a full-time guitarist (thedrum parts were written by him and played by session musician Paul Doyle), andthefirst sincethedeparture of guitarist Dakota Boettcher as well.

We really worked our asses off on this one, says Araiza, proudly, already talking about how he cant wait to do it all again and make another record soonafter they tourtheworld, that is, making up forthelost dates last summer, and then some. It feels like were still climbing.