The New Mongrels are a band that’s based in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, and is named after the Smythe County Mongrels’ Society that was formed by one of the band members’ great-great grandfather in 1866. The group doesn’t have a ton of information on them online, but the little information that there is seems quite interesting. It seems that the members are constantly rotating, with the album I’m listening to tonight, Big Cup of Empty (1998), featuring 23 different members on instruments ranging from drums, banjo, french horn, and even more. This band seems to breathe Americana, and I’m pretty excited to give the album a listen. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Guy Lombardo” starts out with some super interesting clarinet that sounds like it might be from an old Guy Lombardo recording. I really dig the beat in this track, which has a really interesting lo-fi quality that mixes with clarinet in the beginning in a really interesting way. Oh wow, the track breaks through to a chorus that features some distorted guitar work. I really dig the acoustic guitar strumming that comes in with some earthy flavor right as the track begins building up to the chorus. Oh wow, the pedal steel guitar adds some super interesting country flavors. You can almost hear the vast and deep roots of the instruments in pure Americana, and I’m really digging it. Oh wow, the lo-fi drum beat plays alone to end the track. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Holy smokes, “Skin and Bones” has a really interesting feel that feels like pure late 1990s and early 2000s singer/songwriter rock with the vocals, bass line, and beat, which all remind me of Barenaked Ladies and possibly even U2. Oh wow, the sweet violin really adds an almost cloud-like layer around the distorted guitar that pulls me in even more. Holy smokes, there’s some really groovy piano accentuations for a moment during the bridge. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Big Cup of Empty” starts out with some acoustic guitar, a really interesting beat, and some vocals that all seem to fuse raga with American folk music. Holy smokes, the distorted electric guitar comes in and somehow pulls me further into the soundscape as the track evolves into something like a modern roots rock tune. Holy smokes, it sounds like a mandolin comes into the soundscape to further elevate the folksy flavors from the beginning. Holy smokes, a moog synth comes into the soundscape and seems to introduce some psychedelia. Oh wow, it almost sounds like there’s some bagpipes or perhaps a hurdy gurdy for a moment. Wow, awesome track.
“48 Hours” starts out with some really sweet piano accompanied by a slow, but big sounding beat, and some gentle melody from a mandolin. Holy smokes, a combination of sweet and plucky folksy acoustic guitar and some swirling organs come in, which have somehow hooked me further into the listening experience. Holy smokes, I’m really digging this track. The melody almost reminds me a bit of a Bert Jansch song from the British folk revival being served with an American musical palette. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Jumpers Landing” starts out with some punk rock sounding distorted guitars, a strong beat, and a big, low bass line that seems to churn the song about from underneath. It sort of reminds me of a song by The Psychedelic Furs minus the British parts plus a little bit more punk rock flavors, and I’m really digging it. Holy smokes, the little guitar solo near the end of the track feels a bit dissonant in comparison to the other melodies in the track, but is very interesting and has pulled me in even further. Oh wow, the song seems to take a bit more of psychedelic turn as the track comes to an end. Great track.
Oh wow, “6:15 Diesel” starts out with some gently grooving acoustic guitar set to a sturdy and reliable beat while the bass line strings the soundscape along. Oh wow, the song seems to have a really sweet singer/songwriter feel reminiscent of the early days of Simon and Garfunkel. Holy smokes, the song goes into this earthy instrumental movement with what sounds to be a bagpipe, accordion, or possibly a synth of some sort. Holy smokes, the distorted guitar that comes into this movement nearly takes the song into psychedelic territory. Wow, great tune.
“April Fool” gets grooving with a big bass line, a strong beat, some earthy acoustic guitar, and some folksy lyrics. Oh wow, I really dig the clean electric guitar chords that ring into the soundscape. The track borders on math rock at times, which is a genre that I haven’t really delved too much into. Holy smokes, the guitar in the instrumental jam at the end of track has such a mellow feel with a nearly country style that I’m somehow pulled further into the track. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “Company Store” starts out with some classic tremelo guitar and a bit of acoustic guitar accentuations set to a steady and spacious beat, accompanied by some really sweet vocals from the female vocalist. Holy smokes, the track started out as something that reminds me of the Los Angeles psychedelic rock scene of the 1960s, then momentarily goes into some anti-folk territory reminiscent of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and then finally into a bluegrass Americana movement with some folksy acoustic guitar and some plucky and twangy banjo. I’m really digging the way the piano, bass, and drum beat all come on at the same time, making the soundscape sound even more massive. I really dig the resolution to that strange, tremelo guitar playing. Wow, great track.
“Lower Depths” has a really twangy, bluesy feel with the different acoustic guitar work. Holy smokes, the beat sounds like it’s what you’d hear if you were driving a wagon on a dusty trail with one big flat spot on one of the wheels. The vocals seem to drone along with the different stringed instruments, creating a really dark, yet folksy harmonization that I’m really digging. The beat almost reminds me of “Disgustipated” by TOOL off of their album, Undertow (1993). The different stringed instruments all seem to evoke this dark, bluesy, country, western, and folksy feel, which has somehow hooked me further into the listening experience. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Shooting from the Sky” starts out with a seamless segue in from the previous track. Oh wow, the instrumentation in the form of what sounds to be different synthesizers and keyboards take the soundscape into spacey territory. The female vocalist has a really relaxing quality at the start, but seems to pick up in intensity as the different synths and keyboards pick up intensity. There’s some distant, super crunchy electric guitar for a moment that I really dig. Super sweet track.
“Talked” starts out with a really interesting combination of rootsy and folksy flavors that seem to span the globe with elements of American, British, and even Indian folk music. I really dig the big strums from the acoustic guitar that seem to get strung together by the bass line, piano, and percussion in the track. Wow, super sweet track.
“Room 19” starts out with some sweet acoustic guitar that has a classic singer/songwriter feel. I’m really digging the gentle approach from the vocals, which seem to nearly strain as the singer tries to sing softly. Oh wow, the violin comes in with some really sweet and rootsy flavors that still seem to pull me further into the listening experience, even as the softened playing seems to suggest the end of the album. Super sweet track, and a great way to end the album.
Holy smokes, this album was a super sweet listening experience. The combinations of different Americana flavors with different folk and rock genres continually pulled me further into the listening experience. At times the song hits some raga and folk sounds that remind me of the British folk revival of the 1960s, then at others there’s a mashup of psychedelia and punk rock that sounds like an Americanized version of The Psychedelic Furs, and at others there’s a classic folksy, bluesy, country and western. If you’re into mixes of Americana and singer/songwriter music with a wide range from folk to rock, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A