about
Our 2nd LP and first on THIN WRIST Recordings: LP version of WMPPRR available via their bandcamp page (
thinwrist.bandcamp.com).
"It’s hard not to slip into ridiculous hyperbole when it comes to 75 Dollar Bill. Best band in New York City? Best band in the USA? Best band in the universe? Whatever conclusion you come to personally, you’re gonna love the instrumental duo of guitarist Che Chen and percussionist Rick Brown. They’ve definitely nailed down a thrillingly original sound, centered around Chen’s specially designed quarter-tone guitar — something about his tone cuts right to the quick, with North African riffs blending into juke-joint boogies into more avant territory. Brown’s impressively minimalist setup (he mostly plays a wooden crate) is a perfect fit, adding a hypnotic thump to the mix. The whole thing is a little hard to describe, but trust me on this: 75 Dollar Bill is amazing. On the band’s latest release, Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock, the group expand the lineup — baritone saxes, droning violas and contrabass — and deliver their most powerful music yet. Things feel a bit more composed and fleshed out as opposed to the improvised feel of some of their earlier recordings, but it works just fine: four mindbending tracks, each one a delight." -- Tyler Wilcox, Aquarium Drunkard
www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2016/07/21/75-dollar-bill-wood-metal-plastic-pattern-rhythm-rock/
"...[A] gloriously mind-frying, ritualistic splatter of Zen blues and Arabic and African music-influenced riff-rock repetition that shows Brown and Chen expanding their lineup with sax, violin, bass and second guitar. The sound may be bigger with a sweeter shine yet it remains unmistakably 75 Dollar Bill: epically shambolic, thrifty and jazzy guitarscapes dripping of ecstatic hypnotism." -- Brad Cohan, The Observer
observer.com/2016/06/the-best-experimental-albums-of-2016-so-far/
"Whether you’re hearing about them for the first time, or one of the many that have danced at their feet, Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock is a scorching adventure into where Rock & Roll should be. It’s unfamiliar, laden with risk and rebellion, and embodies the cross cultural collision that we should all hold as an ideal." -- Bradford Bailey, The Hum
blogthehum.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/on-75-dollar-bills-woodmetalplasticpatternrhythmrock/
"The second LP from guitarist Che Chen and percussionist Rick Brown is an absolute stunner; incorporating influences ranging from Arabic and Indian music to Mississippi blues, the sound is forcefully hypnotic as saxophones, trumpet, bass, and viola augment the core. Featuring a short piece, one of medium length and two longer numbers, the grooves are psych-inclined but never meandering. Fans of desert blues, Sun City Girls, Endless Boogie, and RL Burnside take note." --Joseph Neff, the Vinyl District
www.thevinyldistrict.com/the-tvd-record-store-club/2016/07/graded-on-a-curve-new-in-stores-july-2016/
"...[H]ere you have them working with other musicians and outboard effects to accomplish a vertical array of sounds that reward deep listening as much as full-body engagement. The riffing exchanges between sax, double bass and viola add layers of interlocking rhythm, crosscutting melody and swirling texture to “Beni Said,” and a laconic, effects-laden trumpet nudges “I’m Not Trying To Wake Up” towards dub territory. Still, the hardest-hitting tune is also the shortest. Brown’s insistent shakers, Chen’s distorted guitar and Carey Balch’s archetypal floor tom beat on “Cummins Falls” reaffirm 75 Dollar Bill’s allegiance to Bo Diddley and confirm their status as the party band to beat." -- Bill Meyer, Dusted
dustedmagazine.tumblr.com/post/145859847169/75-dollar
credits
released June 2, 2016
Rick Brown: plywood crate, maracas, shakers, bells, a drum
Che Chen: 12 and 6 string electric guitars, bass, shakers
w/
Carey Balch: floor tom (tr.3)
Rolyn Hu: trumpet (tr.4)
Cheryl Kingan: baritone & alto saxophones (tr 2 & 4)
Andrew Lafkas: contrabass (tr.2)
Karen Waltuch: viola (tr.2)
"Earth Saw." & "I'm Not Trying to Wake Up" recorded by Rick Brown at The Mule Yard, Brooklyn, NY. Fall 2013 - Summer 2014
"Beni Said" recorded by Tony Maimone at Studio G, Brooklyn, NY. January 4, 2015
"Cummins Falls" recorded by Scott Minor & Carey Balch at Wild Chorus, Knoxville, TN. May 4, 2015
"Beni Said" & "I'm Not Trying to Wake Up" mixed by Tony Maimone at Studio G, Brooklyn, NY. January 2015
"Earth Saw" & "Cummins Falls" mixed by Rick Brown at The Mule Yard, Brooklyn, NY. Summer 2015 w/ help from Sue Garner on "Earth Saw" and Che Chen on "Cummins Falls".
Artwork: Che Chen
Additional Design: Rob Carmichael / SEEN Studio
Mastered by: Pete Lyman / Infrasonic Sound
Thank you: Sue, Chen family, Cheryl, Karen, Andrew, Rolyn, Steve Maing, Tony, Richard Salino, Scott, Carey, Josh, Gerald and everyone at Other Music, John and everyone at Troost, Damian Calvo & Linda Pugliese, Peter K., Steve L. and Park Detail's Band. Shout out to Love Layers!
Thin Wrist Recordings catalog# TW-J
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