Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 31

Thread: Moetar

  1. #1
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    16,529

    Moetar

    Just read about Moetar in PROG. Do you guys like them? Why is the name Matt Lebofsky familiar? Is he on PE?

    Sorry for the cluelessness. I've seen the band's name mentioned often but wasn't interested till reading this profile.

  2. #2
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Northern Virginia
    Posts
    4,379
    'From These Small Seeds' their first album is excellent. The new one , 'Entropy of the Century', is pretty good too.
    They are great live. They played at RoSfest 2013 to pretty good reviews.
    I was lucky to see them at Orion with miRthkon. Was blown away.
    Some folks find it an acquired taste. ( that is so weird in prog, ya'know)
    Moorea's voice works really well with their material.
    High energy stuff.
    I hope they can get to the east coast again.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  3. #3
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Madison, WI
    Posts
    11,318
    Since there is a PE member whose PE name is Lebofsky, what do you think?

    MoeTar (band named for 2 people, hence the two caps) is, in a word (or 2), f*****g incredible!

    Superb musicians, and a lead vocalist who imo is as good or better (and different) than ANY other female vocalist in prog. Kyree from Half Past Four is a good reference point, but Moorea's singing is otherworldly (in a very good way).
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  4. #4
    Member Lebofsky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Oakland, California
    Posts
    113
    Ha! Thanks for the kinds words and yeah Lebofsky is me, Matt. And currently I play keyboards in MoeTar, bass in miRthkon, keyboards/guitar in Secret Chiefs 3, and have a whole bunch of solo recordings including one with my latest project Bodies Floating Ashore. And I post here occasionally about these and other things.

    There will hopefully be some east coast action with MoeTar in the fall of 2015. That's the current vague plan, anyway. We shall see....

    - Matt

  5. #5
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    16,529
    Quote Originally Posted by progeezer View Post
    Since there is a PE member whose PE name is Lebofsky, what do you think?
    Yeah, I just couldn't remember if PE is where I knew the name from. I'll try to find some camples.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kalamazoo Michigan
    Posts
    9,578
    Saw them at ROSfest and was impressed. I only have the first album, but like the majority of it (“Butchers of Baghdad” is a killer tune). They are unique for sure, I can’t really think of any other band that sounds like them.

  7. #7
    Just got the latest release, and it's excellent, quirky, energetic, brainy, refined and semi-wacky rock/pop of the highest order. Missing Persons the way they COULD have turned out - if they stumbled upon Thinking Plague.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Lebofsky View Post
    There will hopefully be some east coast action with MoeTar in the fall of 2015. That's the current vague plan, anyway. We shall see....
    That'd be nice.
    rcarlberg: Is there anything sadder than a song that has never been played?
    Plasmatopia: Maybe a song in D minor that has never been played?

    bob_32_116: That would be a terrific triple bill: Cyan, Magenta and Yello.

    trurl: The Odyssey: "He's trying to get home."

  9. #9
    Member rapidfirerob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    near Berkeley, Ca.
    Posts
    1,194
    MoeTar is excellent. Everyone should own their two albums. Very lucky they're local Bay Area folks. Saw them in Fairfax in Marin recently.

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kalamazoo Michigan
    Posts
    9,578
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Just got the latest release, and it's excellent, quirky, energetic, brainy, refined and semi-wacky rock/pop of the highest order. Missing Persons the way they COULD have turned out - if they stumbled upon Thinking Plague.
    Good description. They are accessible enough that a lot of mainstream prog fans like them, but also quirky enough that fans of more out there stuff like them too. They fit a unique niche.

  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    1,865
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Missing Persons the way they COULD have turned out - if they stumbled upon Thinking Plague.
    I'm not so sure how good a description that is, although I'd be pressed to come up with a better one off the top of my head. First off, Moetar don't quite have the self-conscious "quirkiness" of Missing Persons, plus Moorea can sing Dale Bozzio (and quite a few jazz or classical singers) into the ground. Also, I wouldn't quite agree about the Thinking Plague comparison: MoeTar have a large and very clear jazz influence, from scat-like vocal lines to extended chords to a sort of fusion-y flashiness - whereas what jazz you might seem to hear in Thinking Plague is mostly a coincidence, or perhaps something in Matt Harris's tone and phrasing.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Galifrey
    Posts
    145
    Is it true that Moetar will be performing at The NJ Proghouse Homecoming Weekend 2015? Since I live in NJ, I will probably attend that.


    Library Jon

  13. #13
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    10,223
    Great band, I love both their albums, saw them live in Chicago couple of years ago, very good live, they're due to play NJ Homecoming in 15, see them if you get the chance, quirky, catchy, fun with great vocals.
    Ian

    Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
    https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/

    Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
    I blame Wynton, what was the question?
    There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.

  14. #14
    Member Yeswave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Glasgow, Scotland
    Posts
    59
    I've been enjoying Moetar since their new release. One of the very fine new breed of fusion influenced bands I seem to be into these days (Plank & Hi-Science Fiction being another 2). I even shared their video for Entropy of the Century with several "non-prog" friends and got some positive responses.

  15. #15
    Highly recommended, one of my favorite finds from the past few years.

    -noisynoise
    -noisynoise
    www.polarizedguru.com - 5-piece jazz fusion group
    www.incandescentsky.com - inventive improvisational instrumental ensemble

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
    I'm not so sure how good a description that is, although I'd be pressed to come up with a better one off the top of my head. First off, Moetar don't quite have the self-conscious "quirkiness" of Missing Persons, plus Moorea can sing Dale Bozzio (and quite a few jazz or classical singers) into the ground. Also, I wouldn't quite agree about the Thinking Plague comparison: MoeTar have a large and very clear jazz influence, from scat-like vocal lines to extended chords to a sort of fusion-y flashiness - whereas what jazz you might seem to hear in Thinking Plague is mostly a coincidence
    Yesyes, I know - BUT: I wasn't actualy thinking the Plague-analogy in terms of "sound", but in the level of inert creativity and individual identity as far as the role of the female vox was concerned. Parallels to Half Past Four or Finneus Gauge or Fluttr Effect might be stronger as regards the actual "sound". But the Plague comparison was exclusively motivated by acclamation.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  17. #17
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    1,865
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    inert creativity
    I'm not sure what that means - those two words seem like near-opposites. Is it maybe a misprint?

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
    I'm not sure what that means - those two words seem like near-opposites. Is it maybe a misprint?
    Overt creativity. Sorry, I just had a sudden slip of the insula.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  19. #19
    And just for completeness sake and because i think he's very good - you really should check out Matt's solo work, which i think is wonderful:
    http://mattlebofsky.bandcamp.com/

    Ok then. Carry on
    And the code is a play, a play is a song, a song is a film, a film is a dance...

  20. #20
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    16,529
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Yesyes, I know - BUT: I wasn't actualy thinking the Plague-analogy in terms of "sound", but in the level of inert creativity and individual identity as far as the role of the female vox was concerned. Parallels to Half Past Four or Finneus Gauge or Fluttr Effect might be stronger as regards the actual "sound". But the Plague comparison was exclusively motivated by acclamation.
    Well, you've got me intrigued...

  21. #21
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Madison, WI
    Posts
    11,318
    Matt says to tell you "the check's in the mail", Kim.
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Overt creativity. Sorry, I just had a sudden slip of the insula.
    I read it as "inate". "Overt" makes much more sense.
    rcarlberg: Is there anything sadder than a song that has never been played?
    Plasmatopia: Maybe a song in D minor that has never been played?

    bob_32_116: That would be a terrific triple bill: Cyan, Magenta and Yello.

    trurl: The Odyssey: "He's trying to get home."

  23. #23
    Member MoZo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Idaho, by way of Pluto
    Posts
    7
    This is just one killer band. I do not think there are a lot of singers out there who can pull off the vocals Moorea does. I liken her vocal style to a jazz vocalist at home with the vocalese style of jazz singing. The unique ability she has to sing the words with those angular melodies. I have heard the band live twice, and she is every bit as good live as on record (by the way, check out her other band, The Riviters, a female a capella vocal group. They have an EP out on bandcamp which is quite excellent). And let's not get started on the music. Good Lord, the things the band plays behind her vocals. Just sick. Incredible musicians in the band. Perhaps a little out there for some, but is that not what progressive music is all about (pushing it a little out there). And I need to give a nod to their guitar player, Matthew Charles Hewlitt. When he is not playing with MoeTar, he's in Narada Michael Walden's band, and is featured on the most recent Narada CD. Just a fantastic guitar player.

  24. #24
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    1,865
    Incidentally, the best description I could come up with - and it's not all that good - is:

    "A cross between Steely Dan and Gentle Giant, with Ella Fitzgerald on vocals".

  25. #25
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Sunset Blvd.
    Posts
    385
    Quote Originally Posted by Lebofsky View Post

    There will hopefully be some east coast action with MoeTar in the fall of 2015. That's the current vague plan, anyway. We shall see....
    You should look into ProgDay! I (and I'm sure many other ProgDay regulars), would LOVE to see you there! MoeTar OR that other M band ...

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •