Bottles to the Ground – 26 May 2023
Fishbone has recorded new music! Fishbone!
It's been six years since the last new music to come from the iconic Fishbone. What began pre-pandemic, was put on hold as original members of the band talked of returning for the Fishbone EP (not to be confused with the 1985 Fishbone EP). The lineup on this EP features four of the original six members of the group, with keyboard/vocalist Chris Dowd and trumpet/vocalist “Dirty” Walt Kibby rejoining mainstay members John Norwood Fisher (bass/vocals) and front man Angelo Moore (vocals, sax, percussion, theremin). Rounding it out on drums are John Steward, with Mark Phillips on guitar.
The first track “All We Have Is Now” was released in February as a single and if you have not heard it yet, I recommend you stop reading this and go listen to it now. I know I have played it at least 100 times and it never gets old. This song gets the full blown batshit crazy Fishbone party treatment, and Chris Dowd's rolling organ sounds puts it over the top! It is a soul funk skankin' number that reminds you take in the present, sort of a psychological sense of being to live in the now. This one is sure to be a Fishbone classic and maybe best new song of the year, did I mention that organ?
Jumping ahead to the third track “Estranged Fruit”, a collaboration with Fat Mike of NOFX, completely flips the party vibe to a political angry song about the current state of racism, fascism, and bigotry. It is Fat Mike's updated version of Billie Holiday's 1939 “Strange Fruit”, written by Abel Meeropol, which addresses the lynchings of the Jim Crow era. The track starts out very Fishbone-style with Angelo crooning out the lyrics and Dirty Walt's trumpet wailing out. The ending of the song is where the NOFX influence comes on strong taking the song into full punk mode.
The other tracks fill in the EP nicely, but I wouldn't just call them “filler” tracks. “I Don't Care” with Chris Dowd taking care of the lead vocals is a fun song about the youth punk attitude. If you want a song to put your knees up to and kick your legs out, then check out the fast paced skank tune “Cubicle”, one that you can probably guess the lyrical theme of.
Rounding out the EP is “Wake Up My Child” a jazzy little swing jingle about growing up in Los Angeles.
This release comes out just after the 40th anniversary of the group's very first paid gig, May 21st, 1983 at Madame Wong's Chinatown. Fisher states “It was the night of Angelo's prom and we got paid $25. So, yeah man we are celebrating.” And now everyone can celebrate: we got new music from Fishbone!
Likes fine beer and cheap cheese. He has been a DJ, sound mixer for commercials and television, and currently designs motorcycle parts. He also has a habit of creating pastiche style cover songs and changing the chorus to incorporate “Jeff” or “Sorley.” (sigh… it's true – Jeff)
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