The nine-piece San Francisco collective United Brassworkers Front is driven by trumpets, trombone, tuba, drums, acoustic bass, and electric guitar, like many jazz acts. While the group identifies itself as a jazz band, UBF has an affinity for crossing genres, as is apparent from its strong Middle Eastern and Eastern European musical overtones, and the wide range of local acts with which composer and trumpeter Darren Johnston performs: straight-ahead Marcus Shelby Orchestra, drum 'n' bass Realistic Orchestra, and experimental artists like Fred Frith and the Rova Saxophone Quartet. On the collective's self-released, eponymous debut album, UBF effortlessly negotiates seemingly conflicting styles, including bebop, avant-rock, Angolan protest songs, and Romanian brass-band sounds. Opening track "Dawn" previews Sameer Gupta's masterful, deliriously lush drumming, which remains consistent throughout the album, and highlights the adventurous, confident trumpet solo stylings of Johnston and Henry Hung. Echoes of Charles Mingus resonate in "To the Consumer at 78 Prosper Street," with its impassioned horn harmonies by Danny Grewen over Aaron Germaine's head-spinning funky bass and John Finkbeiner's raw, edgy guitar. Mike Rinta's immaculate, flaming trombone and Johnston's Miles Davis-like trumpet on "Song for Boo" will haunt your memory long after you've stopped listening. An emotionally engaging and sonically seductive album. (Kristina Rizga)

Eats Tapes
Eats Tapes (self-released CD-R)

If you need music to pump you up for a night on the town, Eats Tapes is the answer. Bandmates and lovebirds Gregory Zifcak and Marijke Jorritsma bring the jams to a new level of awesomeness. Their self-titled, 14-minute CD-R EP starts off with "Supreme Master," in which the first thing a listener hears is this unbelievably catchy, raw E.Q. blast. It's a cute riff that's dynamically layered with bass drum, a weird industrial dripping and banging sound, bass guitar groove, and an all-out drum-machine dance assault that could get Muqtada Al-Sadr tapping his toes in jubilation. "Animal Minded" is reminiscent of a night when someone has, unbeknownst to you, dosed your drink with hallucinogens, so that you find yourself in an alley booty-shaking with a homeless man around a fire burning in a 50-gallon barrel. And "Knightress" brings you full circle: you're back inside the renegade warehouse dance fest, getting in groove with the pounding bass drum, the blips and bleeps of the shredded E.Q., and the cheeseball hand claps, feeling the coda – a crescendo analogous to the grand finale of a good fireworks show. This EP can take you there. It's self-released, so e-mail nein_oh_nein@yahoo.com to buy a copy, or better yet, catch the duo live. (Ben Valis)

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