Short Reviews [Moon Men - 2017 - "Amazing Science Fiction Stories"]

Moon Men is a band put together by Dave Newhouse (horns, keys, harp, accordion, percussion), Bret Harold Hart (guitar, keys), Jerry King (bass guitar, guitar, trombone, trumpet) and Bill Jungwirth (drums, percussion). This 2017 released was the debut by the guys, and is progressive rock music which is just that, refusing to accept any “normal” sub-genre and busting into RIO, free form, krautrock, esoteric and experimental. Unlike many of their contemporaries in the scene, they are also not afraid to have shorter numbers, so much so that no less than 5 of the 14 are less than 2 minutes in length. Imagine some of the more experimental styles of King Crimson being mixed with VDGG, and then served up with a solid dose of Art Zoyd and one may just get close to what this album is all about. For many this will be music which is pretty much unlistenable, in the way they change time signatures and have multiple different melodies taking place at the same time which may, or may not, have a connection with what else is going on. Then there are the weirdos like me who find this incredibly compelling, intriguing, and interesting. They are creating a whole new world out there, refusing to conform to what otherS expect from musicians, but instead really progressing. There are two brass musicians within the quartet, just how many times do you come across that in a prog quartet? The multi-instrumentalists make full use of their talents to build music which takes the listener on a journey, from old fashioned blues with a steel guitar into something far more alien, and one never knows what is going to happen next. This is what makes it so interesting, as it is music which demands attention, and should only be played when the listener has the time to really devote themselves to it.