Hedvig Mollestad Trio- devastating metal-fusion-prog

[Dana5140]

I put this on the off-topic board but was asked to post it here, which I am happy to do. I was unaware of this group until earlier today, and it has been years since I have heard anything quite as exciting. Mollestad is clearly influenced by people like Rypdal, Hendrix and Sharrock, among others, and her bass player (a female save for this clip here) works wonders on both electric and upright bass. I am not sure I have ever seen an upright played quite like I saw it in one of the longer concert clips. Mollestad uses huge overdrive and sustain. Furious stuff! Play this loud. REAL loud

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I don't find them terribly devastating...at least on the releases I've heard.

Not bad though. Firmly in the pretty good camp for me.

[frippster]

I've only got Enfant Terrible, but I dig it quite a bit. Need to pick up their other albums. As proof they're probably more rooted in metal than jazz, YouTube has clips of them covering Black Sabbath and The Melvins. So, yeah, they're A-OK in my book. If you're into the heavier end of things I'd definitely recommend them.

[jkelman]

Count me as a big fan; you can read my reviews of her last two records here, as well as her Molde Jazz Festival show in 2013 (scroll down to the July 20 header In bold).

[Scrotum Scissor]

I put this on the off-topic board but was asked to post it here, which I am happy to do.

Great guitarist, composer and performer, with a GREAT band and very good-to-excellent releases on the inimitable Rune Grammofon label. Catch her in concert or miss out on one of the most exciting live attractions from Norway in a long time. She never disappoints.

Check Hendrix, Sonny Sharrock, John Fahey, James Blood Ulmer, Robert Fripp, Henry Kaiser, Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, LedZep and beyond.

[revporl]

Oh yeah, I like that. Laughing John reminds me of Amplifier a bit, too

[BobM]

Don't know why, and it shouldn't be true, but it is wierd seeing a woman in a sequence dress playing metal riffs. I mean, where are the leather pants?

On the other hand, the bass player should be wearing something more flattering and less "shape defining".

[Scrotum Scissor]

Don't know why, and it shouldn't be true, but it is wierd seeing a woman in a sequence dress playing metal riffs. I mean, where are the leather pants?

On the other hand, the bass player should be wearing something more flattering and less "shape defining".

Perhaps you should concentrate on the music, dude. You wouldn't expect/hope for Steve Howe to appear wearing a cockpiece, right?

We're not talking some stupid Lita Ford wannabe here.

[jkelman]

Don't know why, and it shouldn't be true, but it is wierd seeing a woman in a sequence dress playing metal riffs. I mean, where are the leather pants?

On the other hand, the bass player should be wearing something more flattering and less "shape defining".

Sexist pig

Hedvig is clearly looking to be a rock star in her appearance, in her own way; the bassist has no interest in appearance....and, imo, that's totally fine. She's a great player, and that's what counts.

Any who have seen this trio live know that, for the most part, all eyes are on the charismatic Hedvig anyway....

[Zeuhlmate]

I'm glad Leslie West made it ...

[Sean]

I don't find them terribly devastating...at least on the releases I've heard.

Not bad though. Firmly in the pretty good camp for me.

Took the words out of my mouth. It's not bad though!

[Dana5140]

I was so hoping that people would focus on the music, not on the physical appearance of the musicians. Both Hedvig and Ellen are tremendous musicians, which is all that matters.

YMMV, clearly. But I found this music as exciting as anything I have heard in a long, long time. Hedvvig's sustain is incredible, and some of the music on the beach, when played loud, is almost physical. Great stuff!

[Phlakaton]

Perhaps you should concentrate on the music, dude. You wouldn't expect/hope for Steve Howe to appear wearing a cockpiece, right?

We're not talking some stupid Lita Ford wannabe here.

Perhaps some more Teri Gender Bender is needed in the diet. hehe.

[No Pride]

I don't find them terribly devastating

Ditto. Interesting, yes; devastating, not so much.

I like that she's interested in playing outside (I mean harmonically free, not playing outdoors ), but for my tastes, she doesn't have enough chops or musical vocabulary to make it all that exciting. It was kind of cool though.

Funny, I hear a little bit of "surfer" in her style; maybe it's just that Bigsby vibrato and the way she uses it.

[Scrotum Scissor]

but for my tastes, she doesn't have enough chops or musical vocabulary to make it all that exciting.

I've played the damn instrument for 32 years, and believe me - Mollestad has chops enuff! As with other prominent female guitarists of our day though /Janet Feder, Mary Halvorson and Marnie Stern, for instance), Mollestad only displays what she feels is right for the context immediately at hand.

All three Hedvig Mollestad Trio releases are great. But IMHO she was almost a wastaway on that El Doom album, where she was supposed to participate in a "proggy-prog" setting as second guitarist.

[Bake 1]

To me the whole package is cool, (sure isn't visually what you'd expect)... this band and Bushman's Revenge kinda hit the same neurons. They make shit work, it's not vapid generic wankery and isn't supposed to be the most innovative or technically advanced music around. Anyway both bands can generate riffs that'll smash dump trucks and stick in the head for days.

[Zeuhlmate]

Anybody remembers 'Unknown Gender' a woman funk/punk band form the 80'ties ?
They were great - saw them a couple of times in Copenhagen.







Lynne Messinger - Guitar & Vocals
Cindy Rickmond - Bass
Vivian Stoll - Drums & Gluckenspiel

[100423]

I think this song is more becoming of her abilities:



Laughing John had more of a Motorpyscho vibe to it.

[nosebone]

Ditto. Interesting, yes; devastating, not so much.

I like that she's interested in playing outside (I mean harmonically free, not playing outdoors ), but for my tastes, she doesn't have enough chops or musical vocabulary to make it all that exciting. It was kind of cool though.

Agreed.

I'm sure this stuff works better live.

[No Pride]

I think this song is more becoming of her abilities

I do too; thanks for sharing, John! My opinion of her just went up a few notches! I should know better than to make hasty judgments.

[Baribrotzer]

Don't know why, and it shouldn't be true, but it is weird seeing a woman in a sequined dress playing metal riffs. I mean, where are the leather pants?

It might be partly to take attention away from her plain and rather grouchy-looking face, which is very apparent in the photo with the white sweater.

On the other hand, the bass player should be wearing something more flattering and less "shape defining".

Sexist pig

the bassist has no interest in appearance....and, imo, that's totally fine.

I'm not so sure about that: One, Ellen matches her upright bass in shape and size, which gives her and the band a fairly cool overall visual image; and two, I suspect that guys who like fat girls find her plenty hot. And there is something appealing in her being absolutely unapologetic about her largeness.

[Dana5140]

Una mas- more pure metal-ish.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

To me the whole package is cool, (sure isn't visually what you'd expect)... this band and Bushman's Revenge kinda hit the same neurons. They make shit work, it's not vapid generic wankery and isn't supposed to be the most innovative or technically advanced music around. Anyway both bands can generate riffs that'll smash dump trucks and stick in the head for days.

Since you mentioned them, I find Bushman's Revenge much more satisfying and interesting...especially when they go all out.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I like both fat, skinny and mid-size female bassists, but with Ellen I tend to focus on her musical talent.

[jkelman]

I'm not so sure about that: One, Ellen matches her upright bass in shape and size, which gives her and the band a fairly cool overall visual image; and two, I suspect that guys who like fat girls find her plenty hot. And there is something appealing in her being absolutely unapologetic about her largeness.

Didn't mean to suggest she's a slob or there's anything wrong with her appearance; only that, unlike the coiffed Hedvig, clearly the bassist is not trying to look like a star.....

I doubt, however, that her girth had anything to do with being recruited for the band