Customer Reviews

Action Figure Party

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just happened to stumble across this new group called Action Figure Party, and what a ridiculous party it is. They are a new group with some familiar faces which include Sean Lennon, Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yogi from Buckcherry, and many other musicians from such acts as Garbage, Incubus, Beck, Dr. Dre & Eminen, Alanis Morisette, No Doubt, and Geggy Tah. The music is upbeat, in your face, jazz, and pop-this is the best that I can describe it because it is such a new and refreshing sound. The first track "everybody ready" is an instrumental that gets the party started right with jamming jazzy funky grooves that just makes you want to get up and dance! Then the second track "Action Figure Party" explodes into a dance party with a smokin' beat, tight groove, and some of the more creative lyrics I have heard in a long time. The other ten tracks are just as equally intense and unique as the two just mentioned, but my favorite tune is with out a doubt track six-"Clock Radio." It's a great driving tune, somewhat mellow, but at the same time just really groovy. For me it's that track that the repeat button "accidentally" gets pushed more than a couple times-If you catch what I am hinting at.

Overall I think this is one of the better records that have come out as of late. Its nice to see that musicians from all different genres can come together, play for the love making some really good music, and turn people such as myself on to different styles of music. A+ in my book, I can't wait to see them on tour.

Rock? Jazz? Eventually, you ask yourself where one ends and the next begins. You might find the answer in Action Figure Party, the eponymous brainchild of Geggy Tah co-founder Greg Kurstin. Released on the Verve label, long renowned for its outstanding jazz catalog, this debut album combines elements of both genres in one of the most flawless crossover efforts since US3 raised the roof - and the bar - with "Cantaloop" in 1993. Unlike that dynamite dance cut, however, which sampled every single note from recordings within the Blue Note pantheon and then overlaid the whole with hip-hop lyrics and sensibility, Action Figure Party takes only its cues - not its identity - from the jazz greats of the past.

Reading like a guest list from the after-hours party at an alternative rock festival, this album boasts the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea, Buckcherry's Yogi on guitar, alumni of Garbage, No Doubt, Air, Soul Coughing, and, not least, Sean Lennon (cutting wax, no less). Normally, all-star casts have all-star egos with which to contend, but all seems to be in harmony on these twelve tracks, only two of which feature vocals from multi-instrumentalist Kurstin. Instead, the writer/pianist/producer chooses to share the spotlight with the bevy of outstanding talent that he has assembled, including a two-piece horn section, four drummers, five bassists, and Kurstin himself helming the operation at either the piano or an organ that sounds fresh from the ballpark. The result hovers somewhere between Medeski, Martin & Wood and Bootsy Collins on the fonk-meter.

Right from the opening cut, "Everybody Ready," which sets the tone for the entire album, Action Figure Party cuts loose a deluge of dance ready jazz licks, unaided by electronic drumbeats or rap-star cameos. The two vocal cuts, "Action Figure Party" and "Clock Radio" deliver nonsense lyrics in a manner as upbeat as the music behind them. The couple of down-tempo numbers are as well orchestrated as anything on the disc, but they lack the immediacy and vivacity of the rest of the record and are, ultimately, dismissible. The closer, "Flow," comes closest to the golden age of cool jazz (think 50's and 60's Blue Note releases), while the rest seem to meld the hot jazz of the twenties and thirties with the soul funk of the seventies. The tracks are fully realized and executed and, though arguably overproduced, they still manage to carry a spirit of improvisation in their notes. The limited use of samples (both vocal and instrumental) on the album serves the music, rather than detracting from it; no Moby-esque "look-at-the-cool-samples-I-found" showboating here, just a jazz outfit that knows how to rock. Moby's music is great for what it is, but if you want a band that bares its own soul rather than borrowing someone else's, you might be better served by this record. So the question still stands: Jazz? Rock? Where does one end and the other begin? Join the Party and find out.

I can't even describe this music. I've never heard anything like it. If you mix jazz, funk, Beck, rock and soul in a blender, then you might be able to grasp a category for this wonderful music, but it's like trying to describe the taste of sugar to someone who's never tasted it before.

I just happened to stumble across this album one night when I did a search on the Internet for my favorite drummer, Gary Novak. It brought me to a page that had some of the albums that he played on and this was one of them. I played some of the sample clips and I was hooked from the very first second of the very first song. EVERY song that I heard was just too cool.

If you're a music fan, you've got to check out this album. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Well, I'll be entirely honest and say that I absolutely *love* this CD.

I adore the combination of jazz, funk, the "off" guitar times, the wah-wah pedal as well as the the flat-out playing that this group of muscians has done.

Yes, "Clock Radio" is the hit, but "Everybody Ready" is probably the *best* thing that's hit an ear in a *long time*. "Everybody" is the first track on the CD and yes, you *will* groove with the rest of this CD.

It's just great stuff. Enjoy!

There are a few tracks that you can really jam to, and others such as "Clock Radio" that are wickedly catchy. Surprisingly, this album has a strange unifying sense to it, even though there are so many different genres thrown into the mix. The diversity is what the groove thrives off of, and is more than worth checking out.

I have heard all of the comaprisons - "like Steely Dan" - I suggest to leave all of that alone. This is a band that is getting way too little exposure. The mixture of jazz, rock, ska, and fun MUST be heard to be appreciated. While some of the tracks are just plane fun (title track, clock radio) others are pure listening enjoyment. Give it a try - a worthy addition to your collection.

This is one fantastic piece of work...Having never heard of Kurstin or this collaboration, I stumbled upon Action Figure Party at a local concert on the B-stage and have been spinning this disc ever since. A grooving mix of funk/jazz/rock, Action Figure Party will keep your party dancing all night (or just you on your sofa). It's really refreshing to hear something so original and different among the banal sounds of Britney Spears, N Sync, and various rap/r&b artists that dominate the radio waves. If you're looking for something new, different, and totally groovin', buy this disc.

I saw Action Figure Party open for Barenaked Ladies and bought the cd before concert was even over. I was definitely not disappointed. Granted some of the songs are better than others but as a whole the album is a great listen. I've owned it for almost 2 years now and it's still one of my top 10 most played. I've bought several copies for friends. Go out and get this cd, you won't be sorry!

This CD is one of my favorites. from jazz songs like "The Clapper" to techno filled romps like "Action figure party" ("he shakes her down with kung-fu grip... the sun beats down, he melts to the seat") this CD is an all-around good buy. The ony reason it dosen't get five stars is because a few of the songs are slow and boring.

When I first saw this cd on Amazon.com, I listened to some of the tracks, liked them, but didn't think anything else about the cd. However, a couple weeks ago as I entered the Tweeter Center for a Bare Naked Ladies concert, low and behold, none other than Action Figure Party was playing in the concourse. I was taken by this great funky, jazzy sound and the next day bought the cd. To say it hasn't left my player would be an understatement. I hope Action Figure Party takes off because they have a really original sound that's missing from alot of today's music.