From the 617: The Pluto Moons
by Lee Schlenker on October 29, 2013
Posted in: Eclectic, Electronic, Music, Pop, R&B / Soul, Rock
I know, I know – at the end of the last (and only) installment of “From the 617,” it was promised to all of you loyal readers that this post would be about Magic Man. I’m sorry you all got your hopes up, because this is post is not going to be about Magic Man. Do not fret, however, because I will be introducing y’all to another crazy-good band hailing from the 617: The Pluto Moons.
A holy polygamy of ska, R&B and punk, The Pluto Moons’ sound is as distinct as any college band’s I’ve heard. Fronted by bassist and crooner Zach Levine-Caleb (check out his other projects, Vitamin Seed [now defunct] and Jachary Beats [his hip-hop instrumental act, for which he was asked to perform live on MSNBC with one of his professors], the trio formed in his first year of NYU’s Gallatin School, at which he independently studies music. Rounded out by fellow JOBer Max Alper (synth, sampling, guitar) and Sam Gautier (drums), The Pluto Moons has produced two works to date- 2011’s Paste EP and this past summer’s full-length, Mannequin Legs.
If you have the drive or motivation or initiative or whatever, you really should check these guys out. They have this sexy way of taking a groovy bass line and subsequently layering angelic vocals, glitchy samples, aggressive riffs and pulsating beats – only to break it all down into its constituent parts and build it all back up again. Take, for example, the second track off of Mannequin Legs entitled “No Evidence”. In a video that reminds of your typical party at the Mill–except, maybe, with more drugs; ok, a lot more drugs–The Pluto Moons showcase an unparalleled dynamism and funk that makes them one of the fresher Brooklyn-based rising bands in the game today.
Although Paste EP is a bit heavier in its psychedelic punk influences–as seen in “Mom“–Mannequin Legs is a strong step forward for the group, featuring beatboxing and vocal scatting along with atonal saxophone and and live keys. Aside from “No Evidence”, make sure to check out “No Will Power”, “BlkPPLSellingWhtPPL#Food”, and “I Got Skin” – all of which exhibit the new influences prevalent in the band’s recent release.
For more information, check out their Soundcloud, Facebook, and/or a review of Mannequin Legs on Tiny Mix Tapes!
Keep defending the 617 and stay tuned for the next post about–you guessed it!–Magic Man!
