Several years ago, Shinobi Ninja drummer Dave Machinist wrote an excellent article about musicians who influenced him for rock nyc, and soon after hired rock nyc Woody Fuller as their tour manager. So we go back a bit.
But between Shinobi Ninja touring nonstop and rock nyc being up to its neck rock nycing, I haven't paid much attention to them since the first album dropped. Rock Hood is an excellent album but not as excellent as they can be live on stage.
However, All questions of capturing their live act are apparently answered if their new song, "Rusty Stab" is paving the way. It is fantastic and while it is way too multitracked to have been recorded remotely live, it is fantastic the same way they are on stage. "Rusty Stabs" starts with some middlebrow voice saying, "I'd like to make a request" scratch scratch scratch "how about playing something new?' and the self-reverential smile is scolded by a sound beyond newness: a terrific modern techno plus SB scape. And, it is really something else completely: a very old fashioned, completely update old school-new world hybrid. All scratching, backing tapes, and steady and heavy drumming.
Baby G and D.A. trade verses, and it seems to be boasting per usual, but their is so much going on, I could be wrong. I can't follow the story, there is tons of background noise, everything seems to be coming at you at once, it is hard to keep your bearings. Really, the only way to get into it is not to fight it. Really, this is dance music, and that's what it is best used for. "Phillup The Glass, Fill Up The Assets"? D.A. intones. You got it!
The video, recorded on an Iphone, is pretty great as well. Baby G looks terrific… but I don't think I'm allowed to post it yet check it out below So go instead go to Tammany Hall tonight (Saturday) , where Shinobi Ninja are headlining and entrance is FREE!!! Doors are at 10p so have an afternoon snooze.
Finally, Shinobi have 20 songs recorded and ready to go and finall finally, , I am hoping to interview the band for the first time since 2009 within the next month!
Grade: A