Photo by Robert Huskey
Gracing the stage at the Becker Amphitheater on Wednesday, is The Spell. A band whose soul, funk and dance rhythms are unlike anything else out in the music world today.
The weekly show at Becker Amphitheater, located just outside of the Titan Student Union and the campus bookstore, will take place from noon to 1 p.m.
The Long Beach-based group is comprised of Josh Brown (lead vocals), Andrew “Andy” Kiddoo (guitar and keyboards), Branden Murray (drums), Tone Blair (bass), Steve Mathews (guitar and backup vocals), and Amanaka Yancey (backup vocals and hand percussions.)
The Spell came from the ashes of a former band, On Blast, which included members Brown, Kiddoo and Blair. On Blast, which disbanded in late 2010, was heavily hip-hop influenced and did a lot of sampling.
In early 2011, The Spell united and set out on a new musical mission. The Spell has created a sound that literally refuses to be defined and cannot fit neatly into a single musical genre.
Instead, the band’s sound seems to have its toe in every musical pond imaginable, which has turned out to be very good for the fans.
Although all the members seem reluctant to label their music for the sake of simplicity, their sound can best be described as a blend of “electro hippie blues rock,” according to Kiddoo.
When you see the band perform at the amphitheater you will have a feeling of déjà vu during each song that they perform. “Heartless” can be described as a mixture of Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin all mixed into one song. Still other sounds lurk in their music.
“Never Hurt You” is much more tame as far as the sound of the blues guitar goes, but instead it has an explosion of dance beats that will make almost anyone want to move around.
“Some (songs) are very bluesy and some are electronic, some are ‘70s funk soul stuff,” Blair said.
The band will perform the 11 songs that make up their EP, HA HA VWAH LAH, as well as some of their personal favorites that they like to perform.
If you are not familiar with The Spell, you soon will be. Along with their upcoming show at the amphitheater, the band’s savvy business sense has landed them an upcoming web-based Intel commercial which will feature one of their songs as the background track.
The band has also made headway playing at musical hotspots like the Viper Room in Hollywood, The House of Blues and even at art galleries in San Francisco.
Of all the stages they’ve played on though, Yancey said that the House of Blues was by far her favorite.
“The sound quality was just ridiculous,” she said.
Adding to the quality and diversity of the group’s sound is the fact that they all collaborate during songwriting.
Unlike some groups with a designated writer, The Spell bounces sounds, ideas, and lyrics off of one another. The whole process is a team effort.
From the remains of On Blast to all the sounds that make up The Spell, one thing is certain: the group will continue to grow and evolve musically.
“The only constant is change, it will be natural progressions and growths,” Yancey said. “People will get better.”
From their time mixing hip hop beats, they have developed a talent for sampling and being influenced by different types of music, which is likely why they are so hard to define in their newer manifestation that is The Spell.