Post-Punk Roots Rockers Rip It Up And Start Again
‘‘Mama Rosin are a rare band that combine familiar influences in subtle and striking ways to achieve a wholly unique and very personal form of music’’ – Jon Spencer
Long celebrated as a seminal live band, Mama Rosin’s unique vision – Louisiana swamp grooves meet New York’s CBGB white heat/white noise! – found legendary American rocker Jon Spencer embracing the band. Matching Mama Rosin with Jon Spencer proved a marriage made in rock’n’roll heaven: rich in texture and flavour, Bye Bye Bayou stands tall as 2012’s most uncompromising album.
Jon Spencer started out as guitarist in NY punk Pussy Galore and is leader of leftfield Americana bands Blues Explosion, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash. As a producer he has helmed definitive albums by “punk rock blues” veterans’ RL Burnside and Andre Williams.
Mama Rosin first encountered Spencer when they opened several European shows for Blues Explosion. He then invited them to record at Hed Analog Studio in New York City. Across eight days Mama Rosin recorded take after take with Spencer insisting the band kick out the jams. Shattered from playing to their utmost abilities the band would then be instructed by Spencer to overdub while he mixed so splintering each song’s sonic texture. The result is Bye Bye Bayou, an album that rips up the rulebook on how to play punk and Cajun.
Bye Bye Bayou is Mama Rosin’s breakthrough album: here the Swiss trio create a sound unlike any other band on earth. This is rock’n’roll at its most primal, warped and obsessive, where Lower East Side hustlers go alligator hunting. Put simply: Bye Bye Bayou is bad-ass.
Mama Rosin on recording with Jon Spencer: “In the studio Jon pushed us. He is a music encyclopedia and a fantastic musician. Jon and Matt Verta-Ray played on some songs, spontaneous contributions, wild stuff. Recording with Jon was the best eight days of our lives!”
Mama Rosin on Bye Bye Bayou’s title: “We feel that, to some degree, Bye Bye Bayou reflects the way our music has been evolving, we have outgrown our Cajun/zydeco roots.
Mama Rosin on Bye Bye Bayou’s songs: “The 13 songs are originals except for a version of the old blues tune ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ which we reinvent and sing in French (‘Assis Sur Le Sommet Du Monde’)”
www.mamarosin.com
