The modern world is full of dark roads… but the key is to be truly awake to each of them. A time of self-indulgence, decadency, and induced addiction to social media, drugs (legal or illegal), gambling, and more, perhaps the most destructive product of society today is the division we have been sold. A crop reaped by politicians, corporate branding, and media, it is an ugly place to be when in our hearts we know that we are all more the same than different. Heavy concepts to deal with when it comes to artistic expression, thankfully some musicians find a way to tackle all of this in a very feel-good fashion that reminds us the world does not need to be as bleak as we think. A truly powerful dose of what we really need as people, one such artist who is spreading the word is Tano Jones.
Jones – a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer – is the leader of the Detroit based band The Tano Jones Revelry, and together over the last couple of years they have been striking up a lot of interest. Looking back, in 2021 they hit it big with streamers with their cover of the holiday favorite “The Little Drummer Boy.” In fact, it earned over 2.2 million Spotify streams alone! Not too bad at all, since that time the band has trickled out original tunes between 2022 and 2023, amassing millions of streams, but now they look to put it all together for their debut album.
Entitled Spinning North and due out on February 16, 2024 via Vere Music, the album has plenty of cool attributes worth mentioning. First and foremost, it features lead vocals and guitars from key creator Tano Jones, but also a lineup of solid musicians. Breaking it down, you have talented Drummer Jason Hartless (who has performed with everyone from Ted Nugent to Joe Lynn Turner), the accomplished Katelynn Corll on bass, Daniel Peter on guitar, Nick Calcatera on percussion, Conner Williams on keyboards, plus Alyssa Simmons, Tosha Owens, and Monica Notaro on backing vocals. Beyond this, the album is co-produced by Sponge Guitarist Andy Patalan, and even features some drumming from Vinnie Dombrowski (the lead voice of Sponge).
Interested yet? You should be, because this album is eclectic and filled with pure musicianship. What this all means is if The Tano Jones Revelry unify Rock-n-Roll, Country, Blues, R&B, Soul, and more into one pot of music that is very easy to consume. And if you are looking for some points of reference, those who enjoy the music of artists such as Toad the Wet Sprocket or even Sister Hazel, will certainly dig what The Tano Jones Revelry have to give.
With this groundwork laid out, Spinning North is complete with ten songs in total with plenty of intrigue. Each taking on a life of their own, and beaming various styles, nine of the tracks have actually been out there for streaming for a little while now, as mentioned, earning millions of listens since. Of those nine tracks, the newest is “Clairvoyant.” Looking at this for a moment, “Clairvoyant” is a smooth piece with catchy hooks and memorable texture.
Beyond this, Spinning North is full of other enjoyable moments; including “Bite the Apple,” the addictive, groovy “Psychodelic,” and the impossible to deny coolness of “Light It.” As stated, each offering something a bit different, but the main message of these songs is – life is so much more clarified, happy, and worth living when we stop putting up walls around us. It is about humbling ourselves to realize, that while we may be special in our own ways, this does not mean we should put ourselves on an island outside others. Truly an uplifting collection of songs that the world could use right now, Cryptic Rock gives The Tano Jones Revelry’s Spinning North 4 out of 5 stars.
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