Melt Away

Regina's "The Buzz Trouts" have been rocking the Queen city for ten years with their unique dual vocal stylings and tight live performances. With roots in guitar rock, reggae, punk, funk, they put on an energetic live show that is always groovin, and have captured that feeling on their latest CD 'Pickles from India?' The album title reflects on the absurdity of global economics that make it economical to ship and sell locally available foodstuffs, from the other side of the planet!

The Buzz Trouts sound has been compared to Mark Knopfler, Ian Dury, Bob Dylan, Santana, Frank Zappa, Madness, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, all rolled up into one. ... Or unfunky white guys, as one garageband critic lamented, but please check us out for yourself!


Published Reviews....

Catch Trouts' new album
The Leader-Post, Regina SK.
Published: Saturday, January 26, 2008
PICKLES FROM INDIA?
The Buzz Trouts
Independent

Rating 3 (out of five)
The playful members of The Buzz Trouts deserve kudos not just for their abilities as songwriters and musicians, but also for song arranging -- not a finer self-made CD you'll find.
The Regina jazz-ska-blues-pop outfit likes to boogie as much as it likes to rock, which means The Trouts are all about diversity and depth. Put all that alongside a mandate that's self-effacing and you have one of Regina's best working bands -- whether they make it beyond performing Saskatchewan pubs on the weekends is a moot point; embrace them while you can.
My favourite song is the opening number "People." And there's a part of "Melt Away" that sounds like an old Rush song. That's a good thing.
My only complaint? Only nine songs.
-- Andrew Matte

Review -- THE BUZZ TROUTS -- Pickles From India
PICKLES FROM INDIA
The Buzz Trouts
Independent
7.5-out-of-10
Wow, another great band emerges from Regina, a city which seems to produce some very diverse music, with bands going off in various musical directions.
The Buzz Trouts call themselves a rock/reggae/funk band, so they bring together some hot styles, and they do it darn well too.
From the lead cut People, this band puts together a solid-nine song CD, their first effort in the studio.
The band is Dave Fries and Brad Uhrich on guitars, Patrick Andrews on bass, and Robb Homenuk doing the drum work. All four add vocals. Fries also pens all but one of the nine songs here.
Musically, you can hear elements of all three genres the band professes to follow, and they even toss in some electronica on a cut like Serious About You.
They do a very good job of mixing their musical influences.
The Buzz Trouts are another band that would probably be killer in concert. This music, thanks to the reggae feel that permeates through several cuts, has a great beat. The rock adds a raw energy, and the funk adds a depth.
This is another Saskatchewan band really worth seeking out. There are a number of very solid cuts here including; Just The Way It Happens, Melt Away, and Secret.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/thebuzztrouts
-- CALVIN DANIELS

-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper May 21, 2008 - Yorkton, SK. Canada



GarageBand.com song reviews about the funk influenced track "People", far more good then bad!!


Yeah
Nice intro. The male vocals sound a bit like Ian dury, just singing different music. It is a catchy song and the performance is tight. Perhaps a little bit of a dire straits sound, sort of.
- DJ_Steel from Perth, Western Australia, Australia on 9Mar2008

Great Buildup!
This song really Travels along, I like the Frank Zappa like vocals, this song is very well excecuted, the production is pristine. The chord changes are very engaging, great dynamics.
- JakeCurtis from Decatur, Illinois on 4Mar2008

Not funk but...
I didn't really consider this a funk song; it sounds like rock/groove rock to me. I liked the song in general, but thought the vocals didn't need to be doubled, and didn't think so many background vocals were necessary. I thought a crisper vocal sound would be better for the song.
Pretty subdued guitar solo, not bad. Song is short and sweet, and doesn't get boring, it moves and paces well.
- davinarobinson from Osaka, Japan on 28Feb2008

Vocals aren't as strong as the instruments
Performance seems steady and solid, the song is ok, who do we sound like can be answered by saying a variety of jam bands in the American Heartland, but I hear some Mark Knopfler-style guitar and lead vocals. Also, the vocalist could be influenced by Bob Dylan, with the roughness. The band seems decent; the vocals are probably not as strong.
- Marcus1 from Hollywood, California on 28Feb2008

Strong drive
Performance? Strong wall of rhythm Section lays a great foundation for your lyric.. Everybody plays in time and seems tight to my ear.
Vocals carry a listenable tone and are pitch solid. there is good emotion and tone here... good job..
Song
The song works well with good movement between sections.
Verse and chorus work well however I was looking for a strong bridge section to complement the great work that you are doing.. maybe a modulation to the 4th.. for variation.. It has such a strong drive which is great but it needs more variation to work really effectively..
Good luck
- billnielson from Sydney, Nsw, Australia on 27Feb2008

Pretty Good
This song has a good groove and is pretty catchy, I like the chorus a lot. One thing that I think brings this song down a little is its pretty repetitive and pretty straight forward, meaning there isn't any twists in the form. I'd consider a break down half way through the song then build the energy up again.
- zach_gorrell from Rockport, Massachusetts on 27Feb2008

A good start.
Get the click out of the bassline. I like to hear more of a Jamerson thump. Also less reverb, especially on a funk tune. Good build in the intro.
You might consider bringing in the harmony vocals later on, for effect.
The lyrics seem pretty cliche and don't really create a scene in my mind. It's trying to be profound but it really isn't. The open chords in the guitar on the chorus sound somewhat like an Incubus song. I'm not digging it. It goes from funk to middle-of-the-road rock. More treble in the guitar solo. It's not really cutting. The drum break doesn't work. It needs a big snare hit or something before the break, just so it doesn't sound like the drummer's lost his place.
- jazzguitarboy from Durham, North Carolina on 26Feb2008

STARTED GOOD
NEEDS SOMETHING ELSE
BRIDGE NOOO GOOD
MAIN GROOVE GOOD
VOCALS OK
MIX WEAK
KEEP TRYING
- CLAXTON from Alamogordo, New Mexico on 26Feb2008

drums are rocking
great drum sound,performance sounds really tight,song sounds decent,good bass line,good guitar riffs and solo's.stronger vocals could make this song better,the singer sounds good though,just a little weak for this song.
- Joe_Rowzen from Toledo, Ohio on 20Feb2008

Red Hot
Sounds a little bit like Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The song is cool. You guys also needs to get a little bit better at your editing. It needs more dynamic but good song though!
- petrus250 from Norway on 19Feb2008

funky
Good musicianship and I like the lyrics - I wanted to hear a saxophone somewhere in the mix, but the guitar work was rockin' and worked well for the song.
- stampneak from Homewood, Illinois on 17Feb2008

Philly sound
To me this sounds somewhat similar to the Philly sound of the 70s. Voth the rythms and song itself. The guitar sound could be taken as influenced by Carlos Santano, but it is probably just influenced by the same bunch of people.
- tordenspyd from Unspecified on 16Feb2008

yea baby
your funkyness is sweet and moving. its all good and swinging. very well dong mix. the whole band is clear and clean. good job. you don't sound like any other band.
- jimhill from Crescent City, California on 15Feb2008

Speed Funk
I like this. it gives more of an untraditional feel but it's definitely still funk. good chord progression. guitars fill the mix nicely.
Performance - very well done. I can feel the movement through the track
Song - I like it. not much more needs to be said.
Sounds like - I can't really put a sounds like on you guys. sorry but it's probably a good thing.
- Inseparable from Unspecified on 13Feb2008

Pretty decent
Really good performance, song is good, not sure if I'll remember it in 10 minutes though. I wish the groove of the chorus was a bit more different than the verses. It stays pretty constant throughout the whole song. I'm trying to put my finger on who you sound like, and can't really put my finger on anything other than the groove of the song is very similar to 'Without Love' by The Doobie Brothers.
- HoneyThick from Keyport, New Jersey on 13Feb2008

Santana Baby!
Yeah nice groove and nice mix. The song has a good feel. I think the vocal doesnt really fit this kind of music. It is an original blend of folk/funk. Nice job.
- themagicroundab from Unspecified on 12Feb2008

review
Backbeat is the lifeblood of a true funk vibe
Drummer is kicking until the bridge-evertime the focus is lost for a little bit.
The intro takes too long for no good reason. you want it tight as the groove itself.
Bass is a little to slip-slidey to stand alone in the intro.
I think it's a good song
I feel that it's well performed
overall.
I'd say your sound is between David Bowie and Earth ,Wind and Fire
All the best to you
- beaushelby from Saint Louis, Missouri on 10Feb2008

Nicely done
I love the reversed bass in the intro. Very well played, the vocalist reminds me of Dylan's recent stuff a little. The backing vocals really make the song.
- bennett_young from Ypsilanti, Michigan on 6Feb2008

My Review
Very funky guitar/bass intro. This is like rock-blues-funk. Nice, smokey vocal. I like the lyrics. The mix is good also. Very well produced. Good one.
- LeNora_Jaye from Smyrna, Georgia on 6Feb2008

i dont like it.
doesnt have enough flav to keep me hearing it, im stopping ... right about.... hold it... now
blame the vocals.
- Mario_R496 from Itagui, Antioquia, Colombia on 5Feb2008

Good build
Nice intro section, got me bobbin up and down. I like a track that builds its layers well in an intro.
The track itself is quite cool, the main gets me bobbin (again!) though its a little lost in the verse passages. When it returns after the chorus its very effective.
- Kevin_K288 from United Kingdom on 5Feb2008

groovy baby!!!!!!!!!!!!
this seventies groove is alright wit me. the vocals wre good the music is very commercial and could be used in a movie.production and the guitar work was good also
- JUSTHITRECORDS from Roxbury, Massachusetts on 2Feb2008

Is this Funk?
This is what passes for funk these days? The rhythm guitar sounds tight. The arrangment and production sound lame.
Performance - Whatever
Song - Whatever
Who Do We Sound Like - unfunky white dudes
- soulglo1976 from Nash Vegas, Tennessee on 1Feb2008