The amount of music being produced and recorded all around the world at any given time is always seemingly never-ending. If only you could have a taste of every release of 2012 before it comes to close?
That's too much to ask and would involve way more time than I've years left to breathe. All I can do every now and then is post some cool stuff you might not have had a chance to hear. Far be it from me to offer my choices as the be all and all, no sir-ee bob, however if somethin' or someone has the ability to generate a response from me with their cleverness, then I'll pass it on.
The clever musical person I'd like to introduce (for some he may need no introduction) is drummer, Chuck Kerr who released his solo project "Bad Breaks" in August 2012.
Kerr took up the drums at the age of 3, following in his dad’s footsteps. A music lover from an early age, Kerr grew up studying jazz and also listening to his favorite pop, rock, and indie records — all of which have a direct influence on Bad Breaks’ eclectic sound.
As an in demand drummer, Kerr has scored an enviable and impressive number of credits and collaborators (including Strokes/Regina Spektor producer Gordon Raphael). Bad Breaks is the first project that is entirely Kerr’s “baby.” Kerr writes and arranges all Bad Breaks material on piano, eventually creating complete demos that he then takes to the band.
The "Bad Breaks" album contains 11 genre-vacillating originals ranging from spiky new wave (“Seppuku,” “Chapter and Verse”), rhythmic meditations (“Won’t Come Home,” “Only Distance”), soulful rock 'n’ roll in the vein of Austin rockers Spoon (“Get it Right,” “Victoria”), and even moody late-’70s yacht rock (“The Way Things Are”). Regardless of the eclectic nature of the tunes, they are undeniably linked by Kerr’s uncanny rhythmic feel and an ear for pop hooks.
Kerr’s collaborators in Bad Breaks are amongst the cream of the crop of San Antonio talent ; Alex Wash on keys (Black Magic and the Full Exposé), Ryan Teter on bass and trombone (Mission Complete!), and Jackson Floyd on guitar (Ronald Ray Gun).
Track 3 from the album " I Won't Come Home" is a beautiful and refreshing example of what can be achieved when a person allows themselves be completely enveloped by a project and drawing influences from a passionately held love for sound and rhythm held deep deep down. The warmth of this track is the perfect articulation of how I imagine it would be like to immerse oneself in the thing that you love most. We need more of that.
If you are keen to listen, do so below. If you want to purchase the album, it's available for the bleedingly generous sum of $10.00 here.
