MARINADE  

 

blues  funk   soul  reggae

 

Marinade blends styles for music that hits spot

By Autumn Thatcher

 

For The Salt Lake Tribune

First published Feb 07 2011 01:01 AM
Updated Feb 7, 2011 11:22 AM

 

Marinade calls itself a “juicy” band that gets fans moving to the beat.

Members of the local quintet — which travels from show to show in a sparkly, green van — are Talia Keys (vocals, drums, mandolin, guitar), James Trevino (bass, vocals), Jimmy Rockstar (lead guitar/vocals), Spencer Kellogg (saxophone, guitar) and Matt Pizza (percussion).

Keys recently filled us in on the group’s history and music.

 

Describe your music.

A juicy and succulent combination of many different music styles, blues, funk, soul, jazz, reggae and rock. It’s very danceable and entertaining.

 

What makes the band unique?

A female lead drummer and vocalist. We put the drums right out front and give it to you! We also have a percussionist, so both drummers feed off of each other. We also all come from different backgrounds and vary in age from 25 to 46, making our musical influences range as well. Jimmy and Spencer both studied jazz at the University of Utah, and Jimmy used to play in many metal bands. Myself, bass and percussionist are all self-taught.

 

How long has the band been together?

More than a year in this configuration, but some members have been a part of the band for two years.

 

Any albums?

Yes, an EP called “It’s Juicy.” It’s a five-song EP with all originals recorded early on. It’s rough and raw but it gives you a good sampling of what we have to offer. The first song is “Roses.” It’s a blues heartbreak into redemption song. Then “Voodoo Maya,” a jazz-tinged two-step. “Mother Earth” is our funky dance song. “Downtown Digs” is a high-energy instrumental. And the EP ends with “Take Over,” a political reggae-tinged inspired by the Bush administration.

 

How has the band evolved?

We feed off of our live shows and we try to do new things each show and challenge each other live onstage. Many of our songs are written and practiced once or twice and it’s in playing it live where it really grows into something.

 

Where has the band performed?

Desert Rocks, Powellapalooza, Park City Arts Fest and many Sundance gigs including the House of Blues. We traveled more than 10,000 miles last year in our green sparkle van playing in Colorado, Idaho, Arizona and all over Utah.

 

Do band members have any side projects?

I play solo with a looping pedal once a month at the Hog Wallow. I call it my “Gemini Mind.” Jimmy Rockstar plays in Miles Beyond, a jazz fusion band; Spencer Kellogg plays in many other sit-in projects, but also a band called Chasing Zen.

 

 

 

 

 

Utah in this Week

(In depth article of The Salt Lake Tribune)

 

 

Local Sounds: Marinade

 

Posted 2011-02-01 14:50:19 by Autumn Thatcher

 

 

Marinade, as a whole, has been making music together for more than a year, but the individual band members have made the art of music-making a full-time job.

The quintet is made up of musicians who have done everything from study music at the U. to playing in a variety of bands. All of these individual careers have enabled the group to come together as Marinade, the self-described “juicy” band that gets you up on your feet and moving to the beat.

Their preference to cross musical genres while playing has allowed the members of Marinade to create a sound that is entirely their own and has provided them with a supportive fan base and has them constantly on the move in their sparkly, green van.

How long has Marinade been making music together?
Marinade has been making music for over a year as this configuration. Some members have been a part of the band for two years.

How would you describe your musical evolution?
Spontaneous. We feed off of our live shows and we try to do new things each show and challenge each other live on stage. Many of our songs are written and practiced once or twice and it’s in playing it live where it really grows into something.

How would you describe the music of Marinade?
A juicy and succulent combination of many different music styles, blues, funk, soul, jazz, reggae and rock.

What makes Marinade different from other bands in Utah?
The main thing would be a female lead drummer and vocalist. We put the drums right out front and give it to you! We also have a percussionist, so both drummers feed off of each other. We also all come from different backgrounds and vary in age from 25 to 46, making our musical influences range as well. Jimmy and Spencer both studied jazz at the University of Utah, and Jimmy used to play in many metal bands. Myself, bass and percussionist are all self taught.

What opportunities has Marinade had as a result of your music?
We have played music festivals, Desert Rocks, Powellapalooza, Park City Arts Fest, many Sundance gigs including the House of Blues, and traveled over 10,000 miles last year in our green sparkle van playing in Colorado, Idaho, Arizona and all over Utah.

Are the members of Marinade working on any side projects?
Talia Keys plays solo with a looping pedal once a month at the Hog Wallow, calling it her “Gemini Mind”; Jimmy Rockstar plays in Miles Beyond, a jazz fusion band; Spencer Kellogg plays in many other sit-in projects, but also a band called Chasing Zen.

Does Marinade have any albums out?
Yes, an EP called “Its Juicy.” We also give out many live samples too.

How would you describe your EP?
It’s a 5-song EP with all originals recorded early on in our forming of the band. It’s rough and raw but it gives you a good sampling of what we have to offer. The first song is “Roses.” It’s a blues heartbreak into redemption song. Then “Voodoo Maya,” a jazz-tinged 2-step. “Mother Earth” is our funky dance song. “Downtown Digs” is a high-energy instrumental. And the EP ends with “Take Over,” a political reggae-tinged inspired by the Bush Administration.

How would you describe a Marinade live show?
A highly energetic ride through long jams of original material, and select choice of cover songs that we really do make our own. Each member can rotate through the instruments, and each member really gets good solo time. Our music is very danceable and entertaining.

Why should people check out Marinade?
We provide a very unique and entertaining show. Utah has many different styles and we are just another flavor to try out. If you’re in to blues, funk, reggae, soul and jam, then we’ve got something for you.

Where can locals see Marinade live?
All over. Hog Wallow, Green Pig Pub, Johnny’s On Second, The Owl Bar, Fats Bar and many other great venues. We have our full schedule up on our Myspace page and website.
                                       

 

 

Slug Magazine presents

Localized

 

 

Friday November 12

@The Urban Lounge 10p 21+

                                                                                                  

 

 

This month’s Localized features the female-fronted, male-backed stylings of jammers Marinade, funky-rockers Uncle Scam and opening band The Vision. Come check it out on Friday Nov. 12 at Urban Lounge for only $5.

Marinade
Talia Keys - Vocals, Drums, Mandolin, Guitar
James ‘The Minister of Meat’ Trevino - Bass, Vocals
Jimmy ‘Rockstar’ Lauscher - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Spencer Kellogg - Saxophone, Guitar
Matt Pizza - Percussion, Dreadlocks

Marinade wants to get you wet. As guitarist Jimmy ‘Rockstar’ Lauscher puts it, Marinade will go “wherever we can go and marinate people ... soak ‘em, make ‘em all wet and juicy.” After over 100 shows in 2010 alone, it’s safe to say that many people reading this have already bathed in Marinade’s melodious musical mixture.

About two years ago, Talia Keys, James Trevino and Matt Pizza got together to play a house party. They realized that they had a real rapport together after that first show, and decided to book a few more shows to see if what they had was as good as it seemed. Lauscher, a graduate from the jazz program at the U and an all-around heavy metal guy, loved Marinade’s bluesy-jammy vibe. He says, “They invited me to come sit in one night. I was thinking it would be for two or three songs, but three hours later I realized we had real chemistry together.” Spencer Kellogg says, “I was just free,” to an eruption of laughter from his bandmates.

When Keys was nine years old, her mom bought her a drum kit from Sears. She says, “I was hitting everything else, and my mom thought, ‘How about we get you something to hit that’s not going to break.’” At 16 she learned to play guitar, then at 21 she picked up the mandolin. There aren’t a lot of drummers on lead vocals, but for Marinade it was a natural choice. For Keys, singing and drumming was just more natural than singing and playing guitar. She’s sort of a Phil Collins, except with hair and soul—Phyllis Collins, maybe.

The members of Marinade are all multi-instrumentalists. Lauscher can play just about anything with strings, as well as the didgeridoo, which he picked up during a month of unemployment and TV-watching. Kellogg plays basically any woodwind instrument. Keys says, “He blows a lot of things.” The band laughs again, proving that they are all good-natured and really enjoy each other, which translates to their great musical chemistry. Pizza garners a lot of respect for his percussive aptitude, but it’s in his wielding of dreadlocks where he really tries to shine. He says, “Turn up the dreadlock? It’s up to 11 all the time.”

It’s not all jokes and jamming for Marinade. This band works hard. You can regularly find the band playing around the state at places like Woody’s Tavern in Moab, the Park City Arts Festival and the Hog Wallow, as well as at nearby festivals like Desert Rocks, Powellapalooza and Boulder’s Big Hootenanny. All of this gigging has helped them accumulate over 10 hours of material, so they can play a different set every night. Yet, their musical relationship is so strong that they really could play the same set differently every night. They say they just play whatever happens, and they make it work.

Speaking of the local music scene, the band agrees that there are a lot of great reggae, psych rock, jazz, blues and jam bands in Utah. Keys says, “I feel like we add bits of each of those genres and just jam all of that out.” Marinade has hopes to tour the northwest next year, but in the meantime, they are reinforcing Salt Lake by playing shows, as well as going to shows, which they feel is really important.

Some of their favorite acts to see and/or share the stage with are Stonefed, Wisebird, The Vision, Dead Horse Anonymous and the Desert Rocks homegrown bands. The band released an EP in May, and has sold all but 12 of the 500 pressings. The band is currently working through their material to find the best songs for their upcoming full-length release.  Keep up with Marinade on their Facebook where all of their shows and plans are continually announced. Keys says, “I whore the shit out of our Facebook.” Realistically though, the band works so hard and plays so often that you’d probably need to put effort into missing Marinade these days, and that’d be wasted effort for sure.

 

 

 

 

Marinade

Local blues/funk band shares recipe

By Austen Diamond

 

 

July 28,2011 -

 

Every prominent chef has something that sets him or her apart from the crowd. Emeril Lagasse shouts “Bam!” when he adds some heat to a dish. Paula Deen uses excessive amounts of butter. And Giada De Laurentiis is simply hot.

 

To cook up delectable, genre-bending tunes, Talia Keys blends the talents of herself and a mishmash crew of four musicians as diverse as ingredients in a spice rack. Salt Lake City-based Marinade’s recipe, however, isn’t secret, like Colonel Sanders’ 11 herbs and spices are.

 

There’s Keys (vocals, drums), James Trevino (bass), Jimmy Lauscher (lead guitar), Matt Pizza (percussion) and Spencer Kellogg (saxophone). As with culinary experimentation, they’ve tried different recipes to various degrees of success.

 

“At one point, we had eight members, but gigs were just too complicated,” Keys says. “A three-piece would be ideal, money-wise, but sound-wise, we need everyone.”

 

That’s especially true for live shows—how their music is best experienced. “We’ve had to play without someone several times, and when we get everybody back, it clicks and we’re like, ‘Ahhh.’ ” And the audience is like “Mmmmm,” because their sound’s scintillating, multi-flavored kick—with its spicy funk, salty blues, savory reggae and chill jazz—is finger-lickin’ good.

 

After seeing them a year ago, I caught Marinade in July at Pat’s Barbecue. They’ve come a long way. With Keys at the helm, playing drums and letting her pipes soar to epic heights, Marinade is tight.

 

Keys calls that their tame, “PG,” all-ages show, even though they still sold their “Soak Your Meat in This” T-shirts. Folks bobbed their heads and ate ribs as Keys’ howls filled the small main hall. The location is fitting for two reasons: It strengthens this meat-centered metaphor, and it’s where the band got started.

 

In October 2007, Keys took that stage with blues stalwarts Tony Holiday and Jordan Young—both now living in the South—for a Thursday night open-mic gig. After a year, the group, Blue Route, disbanded, thus paving the way for Marinade.

 

Keys is the band’s fulcrum. She met Trevino while working at REI, where they jammed fireside at company barbecues. With loose jams at their core, the duo found Pizza; the rest of the band soon fell into place. A gig at Johnny’s on Second around Christmas 2009 got the ball rolling and, after a string of shows during Sundance 2010, the final five-piece was set in place.

 

In concert, Marinade plays songs from their EP, Juicy, a five-song disc released in April 2010 featuring all originals. Keys, however, calls that effort outdated. The band has written seven songs since, prepping them for a debut full-length. To flush out extended sets, they pull from more than 25 covers, spanning the spectrum from the Grateful Dead to David Bowie, Bob Marley to Etta James.

 

Keys, a full-time musician—rare in this town—is the band manager and booking agent. Through serious playing nearly every weekend, they congealed as a band, and they’re booked solid through the fall, which includes their first-ever extended tour. They have just returned from a two-week jaunt where they travelled as far east as Denver.

 

Making the jump from weekend gigging to hitting the open road is a pivotal moment for a band. “It’s like having a make-up-or-break-up dinner: We’ll know after this if it’s going to work long-term or not,” Keys says. “We’re going to spend nine nights together in one tent or one hotel, basically 24/7. We’re going to learn a lot about each other.”  

Local Sounds: Marinade adds flavor to Utah music scene

 

Local sounds » Psychedelic jam-band to have record-release party Wednesday.

 

By david burger

 

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Sep 07 2012 12:47 pm • Last Updated Sep 11 2012 05:18 pm

 

Talia Keys, the lead singer of Salt Lake City jam-band Marinade, was asked a simple question, to compare her band to another one so listeners have a sense of what its music sounds like.

 

Her response wasn’t so simple: "Janis Joplin rolled with some Zeppelin, topped with some Franti, mixed with some Marley, a pinch of Bowie, a tablespoon of Stones, some juicy mix of Pink Floyd, set aside for a couple of hours to marinate, then popped into a hot oven for four hours."About four years ago, Keys started playing drums in the first incarnation of Marinade, which initially was an eight-piece ensemble of musical friends, but has slimmed down to a five-piece who have been playing together for almost three years. "Big thanks to those previous band members for helping this dream of mine come true," Keys said.

 

Keys is joined in the band by bassist James Trevino, guitarist Jimmy Lauscher, saxophonist Spencer Kellogg and percussionist Matthew Pizza.

 

After releasing a five-song EP called "It’s Juicy" in 2010, the band has recorded a new album and will release it at a party on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at The State Room.

 

Keys was asked email questions about the psychedelic band’s journey, its new album and how assassination can be different from just plain murder.

 

How did you get started in music? How did the band get started?

 

I personally started music at a very young age. My mom listened to really awesome music and generally had it turned up loud. At the age of 9, Santa brought me my first drum set, and it was on from there. At 16, I picked up my uncle’s guitar, at 21, played the mandolin, and most recently, about four years ago, started playing drums again

 

for Marinade. James and I played in a couple of other bands together, and when they disbanded we decided to start Marinade with Matt. It started as an eight-piece disjointed jam band with friends. The more shows we played, the more support we received, but also it made me realize that I want to take this thing seriously and try to make it.

 

What can we expect from your new album?

 

If you had heard our last album — growth. If you are a new listener and have seen us live, then you are in for a treat. We recorded this album mostly live with little overdubs. So it doesn’t lose that interaction and flow. We worked really hard on this record, as well as our master sound man Mike Sasich, who did the actual recording, mixing and mastering of the album. He has such a great ear and puts out quality product. The eight songs are all original material and are a very eclectic mix of rock, blues, funk and beyond.

 

If Gov. Mitt Romney asked you about your band, what would you say?

 

I would recite lyrics from our song "Con Man" to him: "You’re a congressman, a businessman, an oilman, with the plan, for every man. When you stack your hand, you steal our land, ’cause you are the con man. Everyone should supply the funds, for your fun, ’cause what’s done is done. We’re in the red, too many dead, in over our heads ’cause you made your bed." He would probably smile and nod, and then buy a CD. Ignorance is bliss.

 

If President Barack Obama asked you about your band, what would you say?

 

I would tell him first things first, our sax player is way better than [Bill] Clinton. Then I would thank him for having one of the hardest jobs on the planet, especially following Bush. Then I would ask to throw a concert at the White House. Why not try?

 

What is the most memorable experience you’ve had in music?

 

Playing Desert Rocks Music Festival for the first time with my band. I’ve attended many music festivals, and from the crowd have wished that one day I would be up there. So when it actually happened, I was overwhelmed with joy, pride and accomplishment. That first time was just so significant for me, because it proved that with hard work, perseverance, support and talent, anything can happen. In just a few short years of playing music professionally, I have played several festivals, toured all over Utah, Colorado and Idaho, lived and played in Northern California, and played shows in Paris, France, and Zermatt, Switzerland. Not bad seeing as my first show was not too long ago.

 

How important does a person have to be before they are considered "assassinated" instead of just "murdered"?  I guess it depends who you ask. If you put it that way, it makes me feel like all people who are murdered should be considered assassinated. It’s not a matter of importance, I feel like everyone is really important to someone. Yet I do not think that’s what you’re asking with this question. To me, I think people are assassinated because they pose a threat to someone else. Usually those that order the assassination are the true threat.

 

Do you think Emily Maynard and Utahn Jef Holm of "The Bachelorette" will stay together and get happily married?

Who?

marinade press

City Weekly

 

Local Releases: Marinated Music Cooked Just Right

by Gavin Sheehan

 

And then finally moving on to Tuesday this coming week, we'll see the debut album from Marinade. The five-piece funk-rock band out of SLC have been busy as hell, being a frequent club band with a show almost every week of the year. Led by the sassy drummer Talia Keys, the band is a combination of experienced hands and passionate upstarts who have found a great balance for awesome live shows. Or, as they would put it, the meat of the band was soaked just right. The group have been working hard the past few months to crank out their debut album, Soak Your Meat In This, which, from what few tracks I've heard, does a fine job of capturing their live show. Well, maybe not Keys speeches to the crowd, but the music is mighty fine; it's at least worth checking out. The band will be releasing their album at The State Room on Sept. 12 as they play with Brian Ernst and The Pour Horse.

City Weekly

 

LOCAL CD REVIEW

By Jordan Wallis

 

Marinade, Soak Your Meat in This … * * .5

 

Every track on this spicily titled album is soaked in a thick layer of reggae, blues and jam. With passionate lyrics peppered on top of meaty American rock, Marinade sounds confident. Admittedly, the release doesn’t quite capture the power of Marinade’s live performances, a feat that proves out of reach on many jam-band records. Still, the five-piece has put out a strong collection of tasty and flavorful grooves to whet fans’ appetites. The album’s opening track, “Me,” showcases a punchy sense of rhythm. Vocalist Talia Keys’ stylings are especially saucy on “Gemini Dream” with strident vocals as she leads her band in a grooving rhythms—the band is always deeply in the pocket. It’s a noteworthy debut for the burgeoning local musicians who have played for years without a proper release. CD Release Show: w/ Brian Ernst, The Pour Horse @ The State Room, 638 S. State, Sept. 12, 8 p.m., $10.