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"We've been around for quite a while." Mark Calabio checks in by phone from L.A. His band, Platypus Egg, is readying for their CD release party in San Diego in September.
"Most of our shows have been in the East County. We used to play Second Wind twice a month." He says they also play acoustic shows at the Lazy Hummingbird in OB.
"We have a small following there."
He describes the band, which a listener will likely find insanely creative and eclectic as a joint effort between himself and his brother Kris, who is the Egg's guitarist and one of the vocalists as well.
From their own press release: "In addition to the standard rock instruments, we also incorporate melodica, contrabass, concertina, and hand drums. The end result is a hodge-podge of funky slap bass lines, sweet vocal harmonies, classical interludes, death growls, and metal guitar riffs."
"I play bass in half the songs," says Calabio, "and concertina in the other half," a concertina being one of those little hand accordions favored by gypsies and pirates of old.
And don't forget the flute, which stands out like a Hawaiian shirt at a formal wedding. But still, the flute does have its place in rock and roll.
Has Calabio ever listened to Stand Up?
"I have not."
Stand Up, Jethro Tull's second album, was first released in 1969. At the time Tull was a little- known British blues rock band fronted by a nappy-headed flautist wearing a bath robe. After Stand Up and its metallic hash of Celtic folk and classical-ness, everything changed -- that is, if you were a fan, or a woodwind musician, or both.
Flute, and in a hard rock band! It was as if all wind instruments (saxophone being the exception) had suddenly grown a pair over night.
But critics? Not so much. Robert Christgau, Dean of American Rock Critics gave Stand Up a grade of B-: "People who like the group think this is a great album. I don't like the group. I think it is an adequate album."
"I would expect a lot of people to compare us to Jethro Tull," Calabio says, "because of the flute." Instead, he lists sonic influences such as Ween, video game music, and the Beatles. "They're a big influence on our vocal harmonies.
"And the Zombies."
The P-Egg line up includes Michelle Louden on vocals and flute, Andre Beller on melodica, contrabass, guitar, bass, and vocals, and Bonjo (Michael Bongiovanni) the drummer.
"We want to make music that's unique. And we want to write about anything, even the mundane." For example, Calabio says, "Lemonade."
"It's about being hot in the suburbs."
Calabio, who currently lives in San Carlos says they once released a six-song EP of material they no longer play. Therefore, officially speaking, Platypus Egg's debut release is Little Street of Happiness, a name taken from a street they once lived on in La Jolla, Calle Felicidad.
I ask if he's grown weary of being asked to explain the origin of Platypus Egg. Not at all.
"I'm not sure if you're familiar, but the platypus is an amalgamation of many different animals," he says. "It's part reptile, part mammal, part duck. It's a good analogy for the band."
And Egg, he says, because there already was a band named Platypus.
Platypus Egg: CD release show, Saturday, Sept 8 at Electric Ladyland, 4944 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach, info 619 222 0836
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/01/30676/
"We've been around for quite a while." Mark Calabio checks in by phone from L.A. His band, Platypus Egg, is readying for their CD release party in San Diego in September.
"Most of our shows have been in the East County. We used to play Second Wind twice a month." He says they also play acoustic shows at the Lazy Hummingbird in OB.
"We have a small following there."
He describes the band, which a listener will likely find insanely creative and eclectic as a joint effort between himself and his brother Kris, who is the Egg's guitarist and one of the vocalists as well.
From their own press release: "In addition to the standard rock instruments, we also incorporate melodica, contrabass, concertina, and hand drums. The end result is a hodge-podge of funky slap bass lines, sweet vocal harmonies, classical interludes, death growls, and metal guitar riffs."
"I play bass in half the songs," says Calabio, "and concertina in the other half," a concertina being one of those little hand accordions favored by gypsies and pirates of old.
And don't forget the flute, which stands out like a Hawaiian shirt at a formal wedding. But still, the flute does have its place in rock and roll.
Has Calabio ever listened to Stand Up?
"I have not."
Stand Up, Jethro Tull's second album, was first released in 1969. At the time Tull was a little- known British blues rock band fronted by a nappy-headed flautist wearing a bath robe. After Stand Up and its metallic hash of Celtic folk and classical-ness, everything changed -- that is, if you were a fan, or a woodwind musician, or both.
Flute, and in a hard rock band! It was as if all wind instruments (saxophone being the exception) had suddenly grown a pair over night.
But critics? Not so much. Robert Christgau, Dean of American Rock Critics gave Stand Up a grade of B-: "People who like the group think this is a great album. I don't like the group. I think it is an adequate album."
"I would expect a lot of people to compare us to Jethro Tull," Calabio says, "because of the flute." Instead, he lists sonic influences such as Ween, video game music, and the Beatles. "They're a big influence on our vocal harmonies.
"And the Zombies."
The P-Egg line up includes Michelle Louden on vocals and flute, Andre Beller on melodica, contrabass, guitar, bass, and vocals, and Bonjo (Michael Bongiovanni) the drummer.
"We want to make music that's unique. And we want to write about anything, even the mundane." For example, Calabio says, "Lemonade."
"It's about being hot in the suburbs."
Calabio, who currently lives in San Carlos says they once released a six-song EP of material they no longer play. Therefore, officially speaking, Platypus Egg's debut release is Little Street of Happiness, a name taken from a street they once lived on in La Jolla, Calle Felicidad.
I ask if he's grown weary of being asked to explain the origin of Platypus Egg. Not at all.
"I'm not sure if you're familiar, but the platypus is an amalgamation of many different animals," he says. "It's part reptile, part mammal, part duck. It's a good analogy for the band."
And Egg, he says, because there already was a band named Platypus.
Platypus Egg: CD release show, Saturday, Sept 8 at Electric Ladyland, 4944 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach, info 619 222 0836
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/01/30676/