Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set "a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music" (Afropop Worldwide).

Since forming in 2005, the magnetic instrumental quintet has won a diverse and devoted following at performances everywhere from Bonnaroo to the legendary Festival of the Desert in Essakane, Mali, the most remote festival in the world. The band developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with luminaries.

But the group has its roots in Asheville, NC, where many of its members were childhood friends and long-term musical collaborators. It was at home in the Appalachians, where the band recorded their sophomore album, Live at the Orange Peel. Produced by Grammy winning producer Steven Heller (who also produced the band's debut), the new album captures their outstanding 2008 New Year's run.

All of the songs are previously unreleased and continue to mix American rock with the West African musical traditions the band fell in love with on their travels. Along the way, they explore the worlds of surf and zydeco, fusing it all together into what the Village Voice describes as "a futuristic, psychedelic, neo-griot frenzy" and Honest Tune hails as "one of the most innovative voices in music today."

The new release features collaborations with legendary spoken word artist Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets and fiddler Rayna Gellert of Uncle Earl.

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For over five years, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad's live show has defined the band. Touring relentlessly, the Rochester, NY-based group is sustained by its passion to reinterpret, explore, and expand its music night after night in cities throughout the country.

Now, 767 concerts since the 2006 release of their debut album "Slow Down," GPGDS is set to release a new album, "Country," on January 31, 2012, on the California-based label Controlled Substance Sound Labs. With this release, the quintet has charted new territory and put together a lyrically-driven roots Americana album.

Combining acoustic instrumentation including slide guitar, banjo, harmonica, upright piano, percussion, and bass, the album showcases songs as they were first created: on the road, riding in the van, and jamming backstage. The production of "Country" taps into that spontaneous rhythm, allowing the music to wash over listeners like a conversation between old friends. James Searl, Dylan Savage, and Dan Keller trade off lead vocal duties, with back up vocals provided by drummer Chris O'Brian, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Lipp.

"Country" is an immensely personal album that balances the themes of love separated by distance, while also inspiring reflection on the tumultuous times that we live in. On songs such as "Country" and "Kids In The Square," James Searl explores elements of the social unrest and Occupy movements that have defined 2011. These emotions are evident when he sings "Time to get living is now / YouTube the moment try to teach us how / Run to the square with the people you know and you gotta get moving cause the movements been slow" (Kids In The Square).

"Country" was recorded at Scanhope Sound, the Colorado studio owned by the band's longtime sound engineer Joel Scanlon. Searl says the album was born unexpectedly last summer when "we walked into Joel's studio and he just pressed record. This is what got laid down. It was unplanned, fun, and real." The album kept moving forward when Atlanta-based producer Billy Hume (Nas, STS9, Ludacris, Josh Ritter) mixed the tracks shortly after meeting the band at The Festy, near Charlottesville, VA this past October.

Later this spring, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will release a full electric album, "In These Times." The psychedelic roots sound will be more familiar to fans who have gotten to know the band through their concerts and live recordings. Controlled Substance Sound Labs will release "Country" on January 31, 2012, and "In These Times" on April 10, 2012.

QUOTES
"Like early Wilco, with a healthy powdering of the stuff that made Gram Parsons' music so deeply moving, "Country" is a gorgeous collection of Americana ditties." - The Buffalo News

"On their newest album "Country," Giant Panda unplug the dub machines and pour out their souls on a special collection of songs that reveal the true heart of this band. It is acoustic roots music at its finest, and it amounts to a major statement of purpose from a group who truly embody the spirit of their music." - CBS Street Date

"Honestly, it's as if GPGDS had always been a country band in the vein of, say, The Flying Burrito Brothers. Though the punch wasn't quite the same - not better or worse, just different - the intensity and harmonic layering at the show was simply beautiful. This just furthers my prediction that this band is going to be huge." - Rochester City Newspaper

"The band's five masterful musicians weave layers of complex music within a reggae framework and may be one of the most diverse bands in the genre." - JamBase

"Giant Panda sounds more than at home live onstage and the band knows it, filling the live set with musical segues and extended, improvised jams throughout the night. This spontaneous approach to a live performance, along with instrumental excursion, comes as no surprise considering the band has played 500 shows in the past three years alone." - Reggae Movement

BAND MEMBERS
James Searl: Bass, Vocals
Chris O'Brian: Drums, Vocals
Dylan Savage: Guitar, Vocals
Aaron Lipp: Hammond B3 Organ, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Harmonica, Vocals
Dan Keller: Guitar, Vocals
Joel Scanlon: Sound/Dub Engineer

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ALESSANDRO ZANELLI (vocals)
MATT JALBERT (guitars)
CHARLIE DOLAN (bass)
ALRIC "A.C." CARTER (keyboards/organ)
ADAM AKPINAR (drums)


Montauk, Long Island, is known by conspiracy theorists, monster buffs, military historians, sport fisherman, the vacationing elite and, yes, even music fans - the Rolling Stones wrote a song about "Memory Motel," a local estate owned by Andy Warhol and frequented by the band, and Billy Joel waxes nostalgic about the Montauk Sound in his song "The Downeaster Alexa."

Now, prepare to meet Tauk (yes, short for Montauk), a band that deliver a unique blend of funk, jazz, pop and rock with a fresh, experimental spirit. Since forming earlier this decade, the Long Island-based quintet have built an impressive DIY buzz, scoring opening gigs for O.A.R, earning slots at top festivals like Gathering of the Vibes (alongside Buddy Guy and Bob Weir and Ratdog) and being featured on Fuse TV. Their profile is only going to grow with the release of their first full-length album, Brokedown King.

On their debut, Tauk have crafted eleven gems that dip into everything from soaring rock anthems ("Eye to Eye") to knotty, jazz-funk odysseys ("Snoopy's Revenge") to gorgeous, breezy ballads ("Turn Me In"). But don't peg Tauk as a jam band: cuts like "Hiker" and "Does It Matter" show these five gifted musicians have a talent for mixing in atmospheric, boundary-pushing experimentation not all unlike their influences Radiohead, Wilco and Phish.

"Everyone thinks music is easy, because technology has taken us to a point where anybody can create it. It's taken for granted, and nobody is taking the time to listen to musicians like Frank Zappa anymore," says singer Alessandro Zanelli. "We feel passionate about music, and we care about music. How we've all gotten to where we are as a band is completely different, but what we all say together is very important to us - we want to share that the best we can, and connect with as many people as we can."

Grammy-winning producer Robert Carranza [Jack Johnson, Mars Volta] helped Tauk harness their eclectic vision, collaborating with the band for three months split between three studios - Jack Johnson's solar-powered Solar Plastic Power Plant in Los Angeles, historic Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, CA, and One East Recording back home in New York. "We try to do songs that are concise and then we try and do songs that are more experimental," says Zanelli. "We definitely don't stick to a formula - we're willing to air things out a little bit." Adds Carranza, "What's compelling is the raw power of the band, from their light moments to full-out jamming. Music is a language that some feel and others speak - and Tauk do both very well."

Tauk's tunes are adventurous in scope, but the band's origins are humble. Bassist Charlie Dolan, keyboardist-organist Alric "A.C." Carter and guitarist Matt Jalbert met as teenagers in middle school and instantly connected over a shared passion for music. "We'd finish lunch really quickly and then run off to the school's practice room and jam," says Carter. "We'd be jamming and then realize, 'Shit, we're missing class!'" adds Jalbert with a laugh. When the band moved on to high school, they met Zanelli and, soon after, drummer Adam Akpinar, who previously logged time playing in a punk band.

While most high-school bands break up when they head off to college, Tauk's musical bond survived over long distances. All five members majored in music in college, and Tauk regularly performed over school breaks. They hit the road in the summer of 2007 to play nearly 40 shows in the nation's top concert markets (including Boston, Philadelphia, New York) along with more out-of-the-way spots like Central Pennsylvania. Zanelli knew they were on the right track when, after opening for O.A.R., the band gave them big props. "They told us, 'You guys are ten times better than we were when we were your age,'" says Zanelli. "They said, 'Keep playing. You can absolutely make this happen.'"

Lyrically, Zanelli explores ideas of youth and love with heartfelt, poetic introspection. "I'm exploring themes of growing up," says Zanelli. "I've gained this awareness that sometimes you'll have difficult things going on around you but you have to learn how to deal with it and I do it with my lyrics." No matter where he is, Zanelli, whose classically trained voice ranges from a gentle lilt to a ferocious bark, is always fine-tuning his craft. While backpacking across the world - including a harrowing trip from Southern Argentina to Peru - he came up with the key melody to "Eye to Eye" on a boat ride in the middle of the Amazon River. "I just started singing the words," says Zanelli. "It just sort of popped into my head." Spontaneous creative bursts like those happen to every other member of the band. "Every moment, we're always thinking about writing music," he says. "We're ultimately inspired by different moments in our lives - that's where all of our music comes from."

For Tauk, that's where the music comes from... and the connection begins.


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