Mandala [Vinyl]

Rx Bandits | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (July 21, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sargent House
• ASIN: B002DU0R8A
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,278 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Double vinyl LP pressing. 2009 album from the Alt-Rock quartet. The songs that make up Mandala highlight a more rock-oriented four-piece, scaling down the use of horns to create a new twist to their constantly evolving dynamic. That focus is illustrated further by the evocative artwork designed by visual artist Sonny Kay. In an age where taking risks and being fearless can make or break you, RX have emerged as a tidal wave, a force that shatters all the boundaries set against them. Over their decade long career, the band have drawn from numerous genres including Prog, Punk and Rock to Reggae and the Blues; reinventing and revolutionizing their persona while retaining their socially conscious lyrics and bravado instrumentation that have kept each musical progression unmistakable RX. This concept has been the catalyst for the band's ever-growing fanbase, which revels in their uniqueness and continue to storm their celebrated, incendiary live shows.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pushing the envelope...., July 15, 2009

By 

Justin Immerman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mandala (MP3 Download)

This band never ceases to amaze me !

I've been a long time bandit fan and I became a little skeptical at first when I heard they were ditching the horns. I wasn't sure how this band could top their last album "...And the Battle Begun" without some sort of horn in the mix. After my first listen of this album in its entirety, I must say they have done the impossible in every facet of the definition. They continue to push the envelope, album after album after album. Upon finishing the first song, I knew this album was going somewhere and I was kept on the edge of my seat to the very last note that was played. These guys know music, in and out, and I just prey that everyone is blessed with listening to this masterpiece !

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good album goes a long way., July 15, 2009

By 

Julian P. Faras - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mandala (MP3 Download)

If you appreciate a good album that flows from beginning to end you will love Mandala.

As a whole this album is as cohesive as Dark Side of the Moon. The songs are perfectly ordered and seamlessly blend together from track to track.

What really makes this album great however is the production. This is not a click track band, everything you hear in terms of the basic song framework was recorded live to analog tape. Even if they just added the vocals and a few overdubs on top of the live recorded guitar, bass, drums and keyboard this album would be amazing... but they didn't... they kept going.

This album is filled with so much ambiance that it creates a world of it's own, you can listen to 100 times and you'll hear something new every time.

If you are a music junkie you will love this, and if you're a REAL music junkie you'll want to pick it up on vinyl to enjoy the full effect of this masterpiece.

And since this band is doing things on their own without a major record label, almost all of the money you spend on their music will go directly to putting food in their mouths... You can't beat that!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning record from RX Bandits - Support Great Music, July 16, 2009

By 

Keller Madison (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mandala (MP3 Download)

This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. I hadn't heard much from RX Bandits, and always thought they they were more of a ska band but to much surprise, Mandala is anything but Ska. The album starts with a building song that sets the tone for the rest of the album. My favorite songs have to be My Lonesome Only Friend, March Of The Caterpillar, and Breakfast Cat. In a year of absolutely great albums from bands like Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups, RX Bandits join the list of bands that surprise with beautiful and thought-provoking music. We all need to support music like this more, so that the world knows that it matters. My biggest fear is that in the near future, it will be harder to find such great records amongst the american idol contestant albums that fill so much space.

Mandala is a fantastic rock record that i hope the world will appreciate. if you believe in promoting art and music with integrity, pick up this album and spread the word on one of the best bands so few people know about.