Clairvoyance and Panache

Sing Along with The Despotic Hall of Fame is the 3rd installment of the soulful collaboration of like-minded musicians playing from a wide variety of influences and styles including 60’s inspired pop, rock, blues, reggae, mariachi, electronica, and bossa nova. Its intent is to defy comparisons to any other music you’ve heard before while sounding as familiar as the favourite songs from your past.

This album is the all-star group of musicians that record at Populist Recording (PopulistRecording.com) led by Bill Acuña. It compiles a group of songs in a myriad of styles written in 2012. The album starts with the virtuoso drum performance of “A Flag for Destiny,” featuring the duet vocals of Tammy Masau and Mike Nesbitt. This song was written in memorium of loved ones lost to cancer. It transitions into the electronica sounds of “I Am Deliverer.” This song features the first collaboration with inspirational circuit-bender Tom Stephenson, and more amazing drumming by Dan Milligan of the band Libido Funk Circus.

“Clairvoyance” marks the first of what hopes to be many more collaborations with members of the band Davenport Ed – John Perona and Mike Racky. “Life of Crime (the Waiter’s Out of Beer)” is suite with its Phil Spector-inspired “wall of sound” production complete with marimba, strings, horns, fuzzbox guitar, and xylophone and transitions abruptly into a gentle Bossa Nova. Listen carefully . The album then makes a short trip to the Southside of Chicago, with the blues-inspired “I Bought a Cape So I Could Fly,” which features the vocals of Andrew Farah of the band The JoyRyders. It is followed the 52 active tracks (a new record for Populist Recording) of the dub/reggae-inspired “The Drowners,” featuring the first ever steel drum solo on a track by The Despotic Hall of Fame. Side 1 ends with the gritty and rootsy pop of “Psalms,” which will be of special interest to any fans of the Black Crowes.

Side 2 starts with the 2nd collaboration with circuit-bending Tom Stephenson and creatively uses the vocals of Shayne Moore from the outtake vocals of a different song – reversed and looped – to give the song, “Cachidula,”a psycho-circus feel. The following song, “Easier to Stay,” reminds us of the reality of growing older and growing apart from our loved ones. “La Piñata,” the next song, is a song of tradition. It details the cultural significance of the celebration of Spring (and kids birthday parties) with the ceremonial Latin American Piñata. It features Jim Perona, classical guitarist of renown who studies under the great, Eliot Fisk, at the New England Conservatory. “Flight Without End” follows; it’s the kind of song to listen to on your iPod while exercising – straight rock’n’roll with an upbeat positive message featuring the duet vocals of Taran De Pablos of Skinwalker and Tammy Masau. “I’d Give You the Stars” is pure heartbreak in the form of a stax-inspired blues. Mike Nesbitt of Ateliers provides the vocals for the album’s final track “Redrawn.”

James Scott of Populist Recording again deserves to be mentioned for his first-class production. His work made this album possible. Whatever sound that Bill Acuña could think of, James knew how to re-create it instinctively. Finally, Dan Milligan and Brian Doherty deserve additional recognition for providing the backbone of this album by providing the pace and patter on all of the tracks.