Revered composer and soundtracking innovator Ennio Morricone turns 80 on Monday, so Listening Post is celebrating his legacy all weekend. Why not start with his latest disciple Spindrift, which has upgraded the master's spaghetti sonics for the new millennium on its imminent full-length debut The West?
If the title didn't give it away, the Los Angeles-based band chose the day after Morricone's birthday as its release date. No wonder, given that Morricone's marriage of Fender guitars and atmospheric orchestration revolutionized film and music, after catapulting Clint Eastwood and his seminal westerns like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly into history. The Italian-born composer has since influenced artists as different as The Ramones, Calexico and Mr. Bungle to Jay-Z, DJ Shadow and The Orb.
And that's just in music: His influence on cinema is simply immeasurable.
Spindrift certainly wouldn't argue with that. The brainchild of Kirpatrick Thomas, who once served hard time as Brian Jonestown Massacre's touring guitarist and grew up on a steady diet of Morricone and Spacemen 3, Spindrift hopscotches across the porous borders of surf, folk, klezmer, rock, drone, flamenco, blues and more without losing its way.
Take a listen to "The New West" below to see its bizarro homage in action. Other tracks are as ambitious and starstruck. "Frozen Memories" sounds like something out of Bauhaus' closet. "If You Don't Like It (Get the Fuck Out)" is a dose of helter-skelter electronica with a fuzzbox chaser. Meanwhile, "The Wind" and "Goin Down" are raunchy stomps that might make Larry Norman blush.
this audio or video is no longer availableSpindrift celebrates its record release party in Los Angeles on November 11 and blazes up the west coast in search of psychedelia and trouble shortly after. For his part, Morricone continues to tour, record and teach music worldwide. Listening Post will bow down to The Maestro on his birthday.
Photo: Spindrift @ Myspace
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