Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Release Hilarious New Video
RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS RELEASE CONTEMPORARY VIDEO
New CD, Contemporary, Set For September 20 Release
"Hugely entertaining, intelligently conceived and executed roots rock with a wickedly cool and otherworldly twist on tradition. Estrin’s harp work is masterful."
–Living Blues
"Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all of bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter."
–DownBeat
Award-winning San Francisco Bay-area blues band Rick Estrin & The Nightcats today released a hilarious video for Contemporary, the title track from their decidedly unpredictable new album, which will hit stores on September 20. Watch the video here.
The video, directed by band guitarist Kid Andersen, is a funny, mind-blowing Zappa-esque mashup of Chicago blues, uptown funk, rock 'n' roll and tongue-in-cheek rapping. The full album is packed with originals that combine memorable, savvy songwriting and world-class musicianship, creating a potent and powerful modern blues sound.
Contemporary is the band's fifth album for Alligator Records. With Estrin's virtuoso harmonica and sly, soulful vocals, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen's wildly inventive guitar, Lorenzo Farrell's masterful keyboards and Derrick “D’Mar” Martin's funky, creative drumming, the band takes Estrin’s ingenious, original songs to new and unexpected places. With these musically fearless players kicking everything up a notch, Contemporary explores some different sounds, instrumentation and grooves from their previous releases, as they continue to reinvent traditional blues styles.
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen and Estrin and recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California, Contemporarydelivers twelve surprising, wise-cracking, foot-stomping songs, including nine by Estrin (one co-written with Andersen), one each by Andersen and Farrell, and one obscure cover. According to Estrin, “Contemporary is the most fully realized expression of who Rick Estrin & The Nightcats really are and what we’re capable of as a band. Recording at Greaseland, we all had so much fun and were so relaxed, the ideas just started pouring in from all sides. I really expect this record to blow some minds.” The UK’s Blues & Rhythm says, “Rick Estrin & The Nightcats have crafted an instantly identifiable sound. They serve up insightful, original blues combined with tough rock ’n’ roll. This band is superb.”
