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The New Deal are one of the founding fathers of the “Livetronica” movement and are with out question one of the genres most influential groups. For nearly 10 years these three Canadians have continued to not only push their sound to new extreme heights but has also expanded the minds of crowds from all over the world on what can and is being accepted at legitimate electronic music! They rely on the old time tested jazz trio ensemble with Jamie Shields on keys, Dan Kurtz on bass and Darren Shearer on drums. Yet don’t be discouraged these guys don’t use turntables. From the moment this live-electro band hits the stage to the moment they play their last note, they bring such a non-stop intense energy performance that it leaves the crowd completely drained and speechless! Their sound is beyond grandiose, bursting in your ears like a massive stadium rave on PCP! The bands evolution and out of this world sound have never been more evident than on their newest record “Live: Toronto 7.16.2009″ which is set to be released on December 17th 2009.
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The new album does not waste a single second of time to get the party moving and literally never gives you a moment to breathe in between songs. The record starts off with an epic keyboard riff that simply lets you know your about to be smacked right in the face, then with a brief build up the whole band kicks in and the party begins! As I said, you truly won’t hear another pause until the record is over. The band is perfect at creating a larger than life motif and then dropping out all but one instrument, only to create another beautiful build up that culminates into a completely new idea with even more ferocity than it’s predecessor. There is really not much you can say after listening to this record besides “Damn”! After 700 shows and nine records, it is obvious The New Deal has really taken their sound and performance to a whole a new level that is just absolutely insane. The record only has six tracks, but with five of the tracks stretching past the 10 minute mark, it is more the enough sonic bliss to take you on a musical adventure. The album is one hour and six minutes of a pure high octane dance party, and after several listens in two days I can tell you it has already become one of my new favorite albums!
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I highly recommend that anyone who is a fan of finding new electronic music go buy this album on December 17th. It will be a record you will play for years to come! The New Deal are becoming increasingly rare to catch live, so as a band who incorporates a great deal of improvisation and energy into every show they play, I would make a big attempt to go see them on their winter tour of the US this January.
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John “The Grizz” Grisanti