It is always refreshing to find an exciting new talented band to root for, support and follow. Based out of Brooklyn, the predominantly instrumental band Teddy Midnight infuses a relentless fresh energy into the scene with the release of their debut LP, Velvet Blue. The record is a colossal undertaking that leaves an indelible mark on one’s musical soul. Having dropped on September 7th on their SoundCloud page, all 8 songs of Velvet Blue can be listened to below.
Teddy Midnight formed in 2011 and had some modest success, but the game changed when they enlisted guitar maestro, Wiley Griffin, formerly of MUN, last year. Sean Silva (bass), Sean McCauley (keys), Adam Magnan (drums) and Wiley Griffin (guitar) have been garnering new fans in rapid pace and been touring extensively ever since. The band completed a month long residency at Lucille’s at BB Kings in New York, opened for Twiddle at a sold-out Irving Plaza, opened for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and recently headlined for the first time at Brooklyn Bowl. They were a highlight of Rock N Roll Resort and performed at many festivals including Disc Jam and The Werk Out. Name recognition is growing as fervent fans share the brilliance of this breakout band. The band is obviously influenced by jamtronica and jam bands like The New Deal, STS9 and Dopapod.
The record lures you in from the very first track with the sexy and alluring keys section from McCauley on “Velvet Mist.” The unique rhythms offer a magical journey reminiscent of Daft Punk meets Gramatik, and is a comfortable way to smoothly begin the album and get into the groove. A stand-out song is “Turkish Silva” a relentless melodic exploration of new worlds that invokes memory of Lotus’ epic opus “Spiritualize.” The band’s first video, “Turkish Silva,” also dropped this week and watch it here.
This is a quality effort with not one weak link on the song list. The intense “Tree-O-Tree” written by Magnan, is a powerful romp that takes one on a magic carpet ride amongst the clouds. “Boner Vista Social Club” unfolds deliberately before delving into a crescendo of soothing sounds and melodic lines. The record is consistently up-tempo and high energy which proves an impetus to foster a danceathon wherever you are. Adam Magnan leads the rhythm section with versatile and nuanced hitting behind the kit, Silva adds bombastic beads on the bass and McCauley knows when to add spectacular fills. Uber-talented Griffin leads with his master finger-picking and varied time signatures and prolific chord progressions. The record induces sensory overload and invites one to escape reality and into a contagious fantasy realm. The debut full-length effort melds the songwriting prowess of Silva, Magnan and Griffin in seamless and effective fashion. This album is one to leave on repeat and just get lost in it – floating for hours.
Sean Silva, producer of the record and composer of the majority of songs said, “We wanted to capture the sound of the new lineup, encompassing the personalities and musical tastes of all of us. We knew the diversity would be hard to capture, and the best way to do that was to be fully involved with every step of the process.” The result is simply breathtaking.
For more on Teddy Midnight, including information on their upcoming album release show at BRYAC in Bridgeport, CT on October 1st, head to their Facebook page.