From the same cosmic energy perspired by Frank Black and Johnny Rotten, comes a new set of empowered/inspiring individuals with an aesthetic that is anything but dead. The Passionistas are a San Francisco four piece (sometimes just two or three) with a sound that you could compare to whichever little known late seventies punk act you wish to make the comparison to. Yet while I would be the first to argue that the band adheres to an actual "punk" ethic, the band is thankfully not lost in ripped black jeans and Misfits patches sewn into thrift store leather jackets. The band has in fact found solace in the sounds of Beyonce, the Game, Lil' Wayne and Timbaland, minimalist artists who've been the real barrier breakers while traditionalists were busy writing them off. Which leads us to
God's Boat - a punk rock record inspired by modern hip hop and R&B produced by a multitalent who mostly listens to Echo & the Bunnymen and obscure old stuff. Kelley Stoltz caught one of the band's early shows and picked it as one of his top five live moments that year. "They play the way musicians count," he wrote in San Francisco's
Guardian, and he meant it in the best possible way. Subsequently, Stoltz produced their debut, bringing his homemade magic to a band who much preferred to record in their basement. In April, I filmed Stoltz for our video podcast series. That episode would later reach the eyes of the Passionistas who then contacted me, sending a copy of
God's Boat along with a book of brilliant, child-like art. I contacted the band, we dined over soup and discussed several possibilities for their episode. After a series of phone calls and emails, one thing was clear - we certainly had more here than could be contained in one episode. And so it is with great pleasure that I present the next step in the
New and Used Records Video Podcast series - a recurring show, chronicling the present day trials and tribulations, as well as the history, of the Passionistas. This should be coming your way very soon.
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