On their first major label release, Indigenous--four related members of the Sioux tribe--deliver an amped-up set of gruff, ferocious blues rock. Guitarist/vocalist Mato Nanji has the dusky voice of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and ... more »his guitar work bears a striking resemblance to the Texan's poured-silver leads and rhythm parts. Jimi Hendrix is another obvious influence, as Mato captures the guitarist's incisive, psychedelic bluster, layering his guitar over the band's thick, oozing, waist-deep groove in tracks like the album's first single "C'mon Suzie." Heavy yet still fluid, the quartet churns through nearly an hour of blistering, unpolished original tunes, plus a meaty cover of Jimmy Reed's "Shame Shame Shame." --Hal Horowitz« less
On their first major label release, Indigenous--four related members of the Sioux tribe--deliver an amped-up set of gruff, ferocious blues rock. Guitarist/vocalist Mato Nanji has the dusky voice of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and his guitar work bears a striking resemblance to the Texan's poured-silver leads and rhythm parts. Jimi Hendrix is another obvious influence, as Mato captures the guitarist's incisive, psychedelic bluster, layering his guitar over the band's thick, oozing, waist-deep groove in tracks like the album's first single "C'mon Suzie." Heavy yet still fluid, the quartet churns through nearly an hour of blistering, unpolished original tunes, plus a meaty cover of Jimmy Reed's "Shame Shame Shame." --Hal Horowitz
Laura B. from RNCHO CORDOVA, CA Reviewed on 9/18/2009...
I loved this CD and can't wait to hear more from this band.
CD Reviews
As good as it gets!
Another LI Dude | New York City | 10/03/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After reading the reviews on this website, I was really scared that I was going to be picking up a crappy CD. But after listening to it, I have one bit of advice: Don't listen to the naysayers. This CD is awesome and tells me that this group is finally living up to their potential.Up until now, their studio albums have been kind of on the mellow side. Some people like that. Live at Pachyderm Studios however showed you what their live sound is like. They are a very driven blues/rock band with a hard garage/bar type sound. Finally they have come out with a studio album to match. It's incredible music.And for those people who don't like the distortion, it's obvious the band is using a fuzz box or two. This is not new, folks. Jimi Hendrix used to do it all the time. It gives you the feeling like you are sitting in somebody's garage sitting on a broken patio chair, drinking beer out of a can and listening to really good music from a band that nobody has heard of before. It's intentional and it works.If you like Hendrix, SRV, Buddy Guy, etc., this CD will not let you down. If you liked this band's mellower studio stuff (which was good in its own way), you may be a tad disappointed. Base your decision on which group you fit into."
Disappointing
deltapapa | bay area, ca | 04/25/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, I am a huge Indigenous fan. Mato Nanji is simply
incredible. However, this album is a disaster. It is not in the
same league as Circle or Things We Do. The recording quality is
appalling for a modern recording. It is heavily compressed and
distorted. Indigeous should dump the Davey Brothers as their
producers. I have all Indigenous recordings including their EP
CDs and their video DVD. This album is by far the worst of the
lot. Please come back to your senses Mato. P.S. Indigenous is
just great live. Don't miss them if they come to your town."
Stevie Ray fans take note...
pattycake56 | West Haven, CT USA | 04/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A friend gave this cd to me and I went crazy for it. I subsequently ordered all their other cds (circle, things we do, and live at the pachiderm...) but this cd remains my favorite. The guitar work does it for me. And lyrically, [and at the same time] its fun (...). I must confess something though... The first few times I listened to it, it kept taking me somewhere else... somewhere else, then suddenly --holy shiznit! Its SRV! I am a major Stevie Ray Vaughn fan, and it's like he's channeling him through his voice and guitar. But before you mock or say "oh yeah, they're just a rip off", I don't mean he sounds like he is IMITATING, but he has the same quality in his voice and he knows how to make love to his guitar! The similarities are the most noteable in this cd.In any case, if you're a fan of that classic blues/rock mix, this is a cd worth buying."
Fantastic Band... Slightly Disappointing CD
The Electroacoustic Metallurgist | USA | 04/19/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Let me start by saying Indigenous is a fantastic band. I own every CD released by Indigenous and have always been pleased with their offerings. However, this CD is not up to par with their previous work. I have two problems with this CD. The first is that the CD just sounds bad, it sounds as though it might have been recorded in someone's garage; the production quality should have been better. If you can get past this obstacle you will likely enjoy this CD. The second problem for me is the songs, the songs are good but they are not quite up to par with what in the past has made Indigenous stand out far and above the rest in the Blues-Rock genre. If you want to hear Mato & Family at the top of their game buy 'Live At Pachyderm Studio'. Ok, I know what you are thinking.... live recordings $uck, and for the most part you are correct, they do. However, trust me, this one does not. This is an in studio recording with good sound quality, and this music showcases what Mato is capable of on the guitar. I hope that the next time Indigenous is in the recording studio they stop to think what it is about them musically that makes them unique and extraordinary, which I believe is easily made evident by songs like those on 'Live At Pachyderm Studio', which are good songs made great by Mato's unique voice and extraordinary guitar work!"
Breakout cd
George A. Mull | Lake Stevens, WA USA | 09/20/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"gotta agree that the sound quality could be better, but then so could some early stevie ray and jimi. aside from that there is not a bad cut on this album. with good airplay there should be 8-9 hits for the band. i hope they get it. every song has great guitar licks. this band is close to producing a platinum quality record, maybe their next one, but his one will stay in my stack of favorites for a long time!"