Manny King John
OOLALA: A cosmic Rock ‘n’ Roll daydream.
R
ecently, Philadelphia-born trio OOLALA released their debut EP: The New RockRoll Cosmology. Its new take on funk-rock is both fun, and introspective. A cosmic rock ‘n’ roll daydream, The New RockRoll Cosmology, takes you to far away galaxies and back. All in the comfort of heavily distorted blues rhythms, and funky drums.
The EP builds slowly into the heavy-hitting “Falling Out of the Universe.” Quickly, it reverts to the more emotional “Whatever Can Be.” In the latter, frontman Rumi Kitchen takes us to church and showcases his impressive vocal range. The track sounds as if he and the guitars are engaged in a heated lover’s quarrel. Interestingly enough, it is the subject of the band’s third song “Get Yo Ass in That Space Camaro.” I’d say it is the most experimental song of the project and the catchiest. I’m still trying to figure out if the music video is SFW or not.
No doubt, it’s questionable but simultaneously hilarious and unique. The EP closes with its heaviest track, Universal Travel, with guitar riffs. It reminds me of Southern stoner rock bands like The Sword, but with more space sounds.
The coolest part about this project is that 50 percent of the proceeds will go towards MusiCares, an organization that serves as a safety net for musicians in times of need. MusiCares helps out when, for example, a band gets all their gear stolen on the road; something OOLALA is all too familiar with, unfortunately. Besides just helping out artists in need, MusiCares also provides musicians with educational services, to help them learn how to handle finances, as well as addiction-recovery courses and services.
If you haven’t heard it yet, you should give OOLALA’s “The New RockRoll Cosmology” a listen. If you’re going to be in Pennsylvania, make sure to catch them at one of their last two stops on tour.
8/13/17: Germantown Kitchen Garden, Philadelphia, PA
8/30/17: Ortlieb’s, Philadelphia, PA
Words by Oliver Manifest
