@hooyoosay - blog

"The wrong kind of people" by hooyoosay now also on compilation CD - @hooyoosay

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 19:27:05 -0500

"The wrong kind of people" by hooyoosay has been included on WOA Records' compilation CD "Independent No.1's, 5th Anniversary Edition".
http://www.woarecords.com/

hooyoosay: “The Wrong Kind Of People” may be their strongest release yet, song for song! - @hooyoosay

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 09:03:45 -0400

In an era where artists are categorized into a million and one genres and twice as many sub-genres, along come hooyoosay. What exactly do you call them? Part of the magic of this band is that you can’t label them with anything that exists at this time – they’re far too retro… or far too futuristic, depending on which side of the timeline your tastes are coming from.

So who would enjoy this band right now? Well, probably “The Wrong Kind Of People”, which is also the ironic title of their latest 4-track EP, and described on one of the band’s webpages as: “The overall vibe is feelgood and fun, the word “wrong” merely being ironic, for the message simply is that nothing is wrong, on the contrary all is absolutely fine.”

Lyrically hooyoosay speaks to our times, it concerns itself with how we treat this rock we call home, and how we value each other each day. Musically the band just keeps getting better and more complex. With the combination of great lyrics and great musicians writing together how could you go wrong?

This may be their strongest release yet, song for song. There are no dead spots. And they don’t even need to push the envelope or 'experiment with new sounds'. They continue to please their fans and acquire new fans along their musical journey, just doing what they do, because they do it so well. It’s very refreshing to witness this band staying true to their form and genre.

You could listen to “The Wrong Kind Of People” today, in 10 years’ time, or you could have listened to it 30 years ago already. This is exactly how it does, would have, or will sound… always. hooyoosay have a timeless sound, like the Beach Boys or the Mamas and Papas – clear-cut folk-pop sensibilities and lush harmonies… with a twist. And when I say twist, I also mean tango… because that is how far they stretch their rhythms on the instrumental “Illusionist at work”.

But it is the title track, “The wrong kind of people”, together with “The right kind of friend”, that forge their invigorating, take-no-prisoners blast of chirpy creativity into the tired and dull pop wasteland. hooyoosay refuses to accept the boundaries or mainstream constraints of fossilized genre music. They just manage to sound as great as everything that’s come before and nothing that’s out there now. And that’s a mean feat in itself.

Clean, vintage sounds and beautiful melodies, without any pretentiousness, are hard to come by today. If you’ve never heard of hooyoosay, or you’ve never listened to their music, you are missing out. I strongly suggest you give “The Wrong Kind Of People” a try.

By Rick Jamm, Jamsphere, October 2015.

Original online publication:
http://jamsphere.com/news/hooyoosay-the-wrong-kind-of-people-may-be-their-strongest-release-yet-song-for-song

hooyoosay: the wrong kind of people? - @hooyoosay

Sun, 17 May 2015 16:41:35 -0400

hooyoosay have a new EP, " The Wrong Kind Of People ", delivering four upbeat and essentially poppy tracks, influences however ranging from rock to country.
The overall vibe is feelgood and fun, the word "wrong" merely being ironic, for the message simply is that nothing is wrong, but on the contrary all is absolutely fine.
The title track is the main song, cheerful and happy, abundant with male and female lead vocals and harmonies.
It is followed by " Illusionist at work ", a relaxed instrumental, and then further by what could be seen as a couple of bonus tracks. The one is " The wrong kind of hello " and takes an even more humorous approach to the title track in the form of comedy-rock, the other is " The right kind of friend ", being the second instrumental.

Alex Faulkner reviewed and concluded:
"Overall, this is an excellent E.P. that is joyously free of all commercial considerations and rammed full of musical imagination. If you are bored with the predictable pop of the mainstream, hooyoosay are here to save the day and show you that music is so much more interesting when you veer off the beaten track. Long may they continue."
http://hooyoosay.com
https://thefaulknerreview.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/e-p-review-the-wrong-kind-of-people-by-hooyoosay/

Cheerful, joyful, positive and absolutely feelgood, that's the vibe in hooyoosay's electro-pop infused EP "Googly Goo". - @hooyoosay

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 18:35:11 -0400

hooyoosay is a peculiar music recording project, having a variety of unnamed and constantly changing collaborators.
Hence a wide diversity in styles is arrayed, which makes hooyoosay rather hard to categorize.
Previous releases were the full-length " In dekay ", and the single/EP's " My obsession ", " Don't you lie to me ", and " Come on ".

And again hooyoosay have a couple of new contributors. One of them is a young boy. A very young boy actually. From the start he insisted on having a lead vocal. So some of the veteran bandmembers put aside their drumkit, guitars and harmonica, and plugged in their synths to create a couple of electro-pop infused fun songs, resulting in the EP " Googly Goo ".

The EP offers four tracks, all of them radiating a joyful, cheerful vibe and an intense feelgood mood.
Containing titles like " Googly Goo " and " Tare Too Te Rut Te ", one might expect a mere bit of nonsense going on, but there is no absurdity here at all, on the contrary, there is this continuous expression of fun and happiness.
In " Googly Goo " the young kid utters his excitement about all the wonderful things he gets to see when touching a pc tablet.
And " Tare Too Te Rut Te " is no more than another way of saying "we feel fine"!
Played in sequence, the tracks evoke an evolution from early childhood with the happy Googly Goo kid, along the younger teenage years with the innocent "na na na" chant when " Tare Too Te Rut Te " opens, towards a more mature stage of being a teen when the guitar solo comes in by the end of " Tare Too Te Rut Te ".

Find it on http://hooyoosay.com and in online stores.

hooyoosay "Come on" EP Review - @hooyoosay

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 19:57:48 -0400

Few artists are able to provide listeners with a full semblance of the band’s nuance in the course of two tracks. hooyoosay has stuffed each track on this single with enough passion and aplomb to keep things lively.

"Come On" is a track that touches upon the sixties and eighties with a bouncy beat and a surfish vibe that permeates all points of the song. There is a tautness to the different elements of hooyoosay that make for a single-worthy track. For those that are more concerned about the quality of the instrumentation, the band is able to create something dense and detailed without losing the friendly sound that is present here. Throw in a sizzling guitar line at points and one will be provided with a track that will get people up and dancing. Tapping out before the three-minute mark, "Come On" is a highly energetic track that allows the band ample opportunity to introduce themselves to listeners.

"The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" is the B-side to "Come On" in name only; the track has hints of country and western along with southern rock. With a honky-tonk cherry that is at the top of this musical sundae, hooyoosay are able to create something that is decidedly different from other tracks in their repertoire. The inclusion of a harmonica into the mix provides additional nuance and layers which listeners can further dissect. The vocals/guitar/drum dynamic is still extremely sweet, but the band is able to keep things fresh and interesting with this minor change. The band ends up 2 for 2 on this EP, and will undoubtedly make converts with this release.

Visit the hooyoosay website for more information about the band and for ample samples and photos of the act. Let us know what you think about the "Come On" / "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" single.

Rating: 8.3/10
http://hooyoosay.com
hooyoosay - Come on & The under assistant West Coast promotion man

Original online publication:
http://neufutur.com/2014/03/hooyoosay-come-on-ep-review/
James McQuiston, NeuFutur, March 2014.

hooyoosay – Not your average rock 'n' roll band - @hooyoosay

Thu, 02 Jan 2014 17:19:39 -0500

hooyoosay is not your average rock 'n' roll band: no faces, no names, no credits, no touring… just a handful of great songs on iTunes and Amazon. Or to put it in a different way: this is music with no ego. The founding artists, all of them busy with other musical projects, once got together by way of a casual jam, celebrating their common fondness for rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, retro pop and the cultures of the past decades. There was no advance plan at all, but however the outcome of the session was an online distribution and the shaping of an accidental concept into a formula-based project. Since then many more have contributed, all firmly respecting the initial anonymity principle.

Their latest single presents a remake of Chuck Berry 's " Come on ", and gives another twist to sixties rock 'n' roll and yesteryear's pop melodies. It is modern retro, creating a sonic pastiche that connects the band's trademark British Invasion sound with elements as diverse as new wave, post-punk, euro pop, garage and Japanese techno. It has thumping bass and staccato drumming, phoney keyboards and snotty vocals, and of course that indispensable "let's rock 'n' roll" fuzzy electric guitar solo.

The lyrics evoke a peculiar feeling of nostalgia. Not that sort of tacky souvenir-store nostalgia, but that feeling that might arise when staring at a yellowed polaroid or when playing a record you relished throughout the years: you may have seen or heard it a million times before, and it may be suffering from a few cracks by now, but somehow it has kept its appeal.
At the same time " Come on " is a vivid illustration of the lyrical merriness that characterised 60's pop, as it makes a break-up themed song into something rather light-hearted and entertaining.

The EP release of " Come on " can be seen as a digital 45, B-sided by " The under assistant West Coast promotion man ", a hilarious parody of the figure of the emphatic but thwarted music promoter.
Once on the B-side of The Rolling Stones ' smash hit " Satisfaction ", this song is all about British Invasion blues bands coming to tour America during the sixties, where they found themselves escorted by some Mr know-it-all type of local tour promoter. Clearly these young bands, having discovered American music only just shortly, did not render those country, boogie and blues standards in the established American ways, instead creating their own interpretations. Find both EP titles combined into one video, to be viewed on YouTube: hooyoosay - Come on & The under assistant West Coast promotion man Or visit hooyoosay 's official website http://hooyoosay.com

hooyoosay Feature - @hooyoosay

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 18:29:47 -0400

By James McQuiston, NeuFutur, June 2013.

"Don’t you lie to me / Yooplaaa!" is the band’s latest EP, and it showcases a certain eclecticism to hooyoosay. It is this certain undefinable quality that will bring listeners in by waves. Hints of They Might Be Giants, XTC, and Devo can all be heard in this introductory track. The funky electronic-infused style of the band during this effort will burrow deeply into listeners’ psyches, while there are enough twists and turns in this song to keep its replay value high. "Yooplaaa!" builds off the goodwill that was created during "Don’t you lie to me", and keeps things rosy and catchy even as an instrumental.

To understand the sheer variety that hooyoosay brings to the table, it is necessary to delve into the band’s discography. "My Obsession / Pain in my Heart" allows listeners to hear a different facet of hooyoosay, providing the band with the variety of styles, sounds, and influences that they need to easily shift into a future LP (the band’s debut full-length, "In Dekay", was released in 2011). While the track opens up with a peppy percussion, the vocals move into Momus territory. The more elegant and less full production of "My Obsession" establishes hooyoosay as an act that can spin off in a variety of different ways. "Pain in My Heart" is a more sorrow-filled and morose track, with the narrative qualities of the band shining through brightly.
Make sure to check out hooyoosay’s website and the entirety of their discography. I love the fact that the band creates digital 45's of their music; each EP comes with an A-side and B-side, which can be purchased from a wide variety of online retailers.
There may only be a few tracks present on the disc, but the unmatched skill and ability of hooyoosay is shown perfectly in each effort. http://hooyoosay.com www.youtube.com/watch?v=s09ofKTVD_o Original online publication:
http://neufutur.com/2013/06/hooyoosay-feature/

hooyoosay: "Don't you lie to me" - @hooyoosay

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:06:51 -0400

By Baxter Labatos, Spheremusic, May 2013.

hooyoosay is a remarkable band making happy tunes. The only thing that bothers me is that I could not find the country of origin from this awesome project. At first listen, the tracks sound like jingles with electronica meets country kind of style, but then again it doesn’t sound so. It is hard to categorize their music, but they surely make catchy tunes rooted in the beauty of pop music.

My rule of thumb when listening to albums is just to listen. No need to analyze, but just enjoy the music for music’s sake. This seems to be the principle behind the album "Don’t you lie to me". But, like I said, who knows? The title track is catchy with hints of chanson, vintage and vaudeville pop. ”There’s two kinds of people that I just can’t stand, and that’s a lying woman and a sneaking man, so don’t you lie to me.”… The chorus is easy to singalong and the instrumental arrangement is excellent.

Another notable track in this release is the instrumental "Yooplaaa!". Um... again this is hard to categorize, but it is beautiful. I love the mixing of the bass and drums because they really sound full. The overall sound design is slick, clean and glossy. Oh, did I already mention slick? No need to argue. Just grab the album.

Original online publication:
http://spheremusic.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/hooyoosay-dont-you-lie-to-me/

Summer is here! Things are getting better! – Introducing hooyoosay! - @hooyoosay

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 13:40:05 -0400

Aurovine blog, July 2013.

Bluesy, quirky pop with a touch of vaudeville is a somehow inadequate stab at describing the wonderful and slightly eccentric world of hooyoosay.

Listening to the new EP, consisting of "Don't You Lie To Me" and "Yooplaaa!", you could be forgiven if you assumed hooyoosay were happy-go-lucky comedy pranksters, but rather this EP marks a slight summery departure from a more guitar blues orientated band that shuns new technology in preference for vintage analogue gear and an earthier recording process.

There's a colour-faded 60's retro feel, which, like their penchant for segueing videos and songs, seems to fit perfectly with an innocent take on counter-culture. At times reminding me of Squeeze and Flipron and yet on songs like "Time Is On My Side" and "Whos Been Sleeping Here", from their album of lesser known Rolling Stones material, you can appreciate the earthy blues valve amp sound that permeates their catalogue.

The latter tunes are from the French band's full-length "In Dekay", a veritable treat for fans of sixties flower power and further reworkings of the more obscure Rolling Stones songs. You are transported back in time to a simpler world when guitars were guitars, vocals were vocals and coolness was invented! A range of styles from country, rock and roll and blues across 22 tracks will interest Stones aficionados and lovers of back-to-basics blues-rock alike.

Aside from their material, little is known about hooyoosay. My guess about them being French is purely based on speculation. Furthermore, no contributors are mentioned (hence the name) and the polish suggests that this project could be one big secret!

Listen to more hooyoosay at http://hooyoosay.aurovine.com/
Visit the hooyoosay official website http://hooyoosay.com

Original online publication:
http://www.aurovine.com/blog/2013/07/summer-is-here-things-are-getting-better-introducing-hooyoosay/#.UdyKIm15frY

hooyoosay: "Who's been sleeping here" - @hooyoosay

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:36:47 -0400

Strange, elusive, quirky hooyoosay.
An absurd joke?
The guy singing in the local bar.
The tattooed truck driver.
The lady tramp and her dog.
The solitary scientist.
The old pervert.
The runaway kid.
The Angel biker.
The drunken sailor.
The frustrated cop.
The born loser.
The dandy solicitor.
The baggy-eyed alcoholic.
The unemployed language teacher.
The under assistant West Coast promotion man.
All in the band. And many more. At some point.
Who was there then?
Who was singing?
Who were playing?
Who was pushing the buttons? Totally irrelevant.
Who's been sleeping here? Nailed! Got it!
Some schizo just sober enough to safeguard the MP3.
Bluesy country soft-rock vaudeville-pop. Cheesy. Comedyish. Confusing.
What is this? The alternative to alternative. Finally.
The lyrics. What's the tale? What's the guy trying to say? Written by Jagger.
Good. Some nonsense makes sense.

"My obsession": hooyoosay release new single and video - @hooyoosay

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 09:24:19 -0400

hooyoosay released the single "My obsession", a fresh and innovative, catchy and intriguing approach to a rather obscure sixties Stones' track.

The recording blends a vintage pop-rock atmosphere with a contemporary dance-feel.

For the so-called b-side, they chose to do Naomi Neville's "Pain in my heart" as an intimate, melancholic, acoustic jazzy blues ballad.

hooyoosay's new single release is available in 2 different packages:

"My obsession" (disKcovermusic 445975 / UPC 885767078291),

and "My obsession" with "Pain in my heart" (disKcovermusic 445976 / UPC 0885014195108).

The accompanying video displays a series of silhouettes, occasionally emerging from an anonymous crowd. In the second part of the video, a lonely figure is depicted in an empty-feeling house.

The video can be viewed right here at MixPosure.

hooyoosay also boast a brand new artist website

http://hooyoosay.com

where the new single can be streamed and downloaded, and where many more other recordings, artwork and videos by hooyoosay can be found.

New versions of early Rolling Stones recordings - @hooyoosay

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:05:45 -0400

With their album "In dekay", hooyoosay have undertaken the adventurous task of presenting 22 new versions of songs that were also recorded by The Rolling Stones during the mid-sixties.

As The Rolling Stones actually were a coverband themselves in the early days, and then soon developed to be their own songwriters, a wide variety of composers and musical styles is on offer, ranging from Chicago blues, rhythm and blues, Chuck Berry rock 'n' roll, guitar pop, top 40 pop and classic rock to acoustic folk pop.

The idea of doing an album that brings a collection of fresh renderings of older songs, is certainly not new at all. Similar projects have been done by B.B. King, Jimmy Rogers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Susan Boyle and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings to name but a few.

One difference might be that hooyoosay is a studio project only, so no gigs nor tour dates are to be expected.

But what sets hooyoosay a little further apart, is the fact that hardly any credits are mentioned for the loose contributors for guitar, piano, organ, harmonica, vocals, bass, drums and percussion, which in a way explains the project's chosen bandname.

Of course the authors and composers are credited for their magnificent songwriting, and so is hooyoosay as a performing collective, but no further details for bandmembers nor technical staff can be found.

As for hooyoosay, who, when and where are of minor importance.

What matters most is the question: how do these new renderings stand up against their originals?

And this you can easily find out yourself by searching hooyoosay on the likes of YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, iTunes and Amazon.

hooyoosay's album tracklist includes:

I can't be satisfied (Morganfield), Mercy mercy (Covay - Miller), Connection (Jagger - Richards), Down home girl (Leiber - Butler), Time is on my side (Meade), Not fade away (Hardin - Petty), Sittin' on a fence (Jagger - Richards), If you need me (Bateman - Pickett - Sanders), Hitch hike (Gaye - Paul - Stevenson), Grown up wrong Unplugged version (Jagger - Richards), The last time (Jagger - Richards), I want to be loved (Dixon), Talkin' 'bout you (Berry), Little by little (Phelge - Spector), Play with fire (Phelge), I'm movin' on (Snow), All sold out (Jagger - Richards), Congratulations (Jagger - Richards), Bye bye Johnny (Berry), Who's been sleeping here (Jagger - Richards), Heart of stone (Jagger - Richards), Grown up wrong Electric version (Jagger - Richards).

hooyoosay's "My obsession": vintage pop-rock with a contemporary dance-feel - @hooyoosay

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:08:17 -0400

Mainstream indie-dance-pop seventies-rock with a post-punk twist: hooyoosay's new single "My obsession" cannot easily be labeled with a simple one-word tag.

Their rendition of the song brings a fresh and innovative, catchy and intriguing approach to a rather obscure 1967 Rolling Stones track.

Contrary to the coarse and roaring Rolling Stones signature original, hooyoosay's whispery and sensual lead vocal interprets the song lyrics in such a way that a slightly humorous but definitely light-hearted undertone is added.

The overall sound is reminiscent of late seventies rock, a good dose of Ian Dury-like characteristics being injected.

At the same time the hypnotic drum beats give the track enough of a contemporary dance-feel to possibly also appeal to listeners of Rihanna, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and the likes.

Still the whole package breathes a gentle softness, clearing it from the fatiguing impact that some stellar productions occasionally might impose.

For the so-called b-side, hooyoosay chose to record Allen Toussaint's "Pain in my heart" in a modest arrangement, as an intimate, melancholic, acoustic jazzy blues ballad.

If you'd have missed to notice their full album "In dekay" before, this new single, combining the verve of "My obsession" and the gloominess of "Pain in my heart", makes for a compelling introduction to hooyoosay.

A playful techno riff in a rock 'n' roll fun song - @hooyoosay

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:06:00 -0500

"Don't you lie to me" is hooyoosay's cartoony new single.
It evokes comedy, crazy movies and video games.
The fun vibe is felt straight from the intro, which is a sort of chiptune techno riff that sounds like an electronic super kazoo.
When the vocal comes in, its cartoony character is felt immediately, and the playful spirit of the song is confirmed further on by the cheesy but amusing toy organ solo, almost saying "Me? Lie? No... or maybe ... just a ... just a little white lie".
The production evokes this old school europop sound, reminiscent of the early days of MTV, and perfectly fits the context of marrying a modern dance beat to a standard 12-bar rock 'n' roll scheme.
For "Don't you lie to me" is in origin a blues song, written by Hudson Whittaker.
Eh, blues, ... for a fun song?!?
Yep! These old blues lyrics often did have an underlying sense of humor! Really.