Moon’s Falling Down Fun
Bruce Von Stiers
Irreverent and immense fun. That is what I thought while listening to an album titled Moon Falling Down. This album is from a Seattle area band that calls themselves Eva Moon & the Lunatics.
From the name you might guess that this was a whacked metal band, a strange ambient band or just a goofy pop band. But none of those are correct. I don’t even really know what category Eva and her band falls into. They have a bit of pop, but their music falls more into the jazz and light funk modes. Oh, also comedy. The songs on the album are tongue-in-cheek, innuendo filled or just downright irreverent. You just know that they were having fun recording this album as you can almost hear the laughter in the vocals and music.
The members of the Lunatics are Ferko Saksmanoff, Dave Quick, Mike Gordon and Sue Niemann. Mike is on bass. Dave plays guitar and keys. Sue is the band’s drummer. Ferko plays the flute, saxes and does percussion. As for Eva, she does the vocals. She also does some keys work. And with tongue planted squarely in her cheek, Eva lists “charm” as another thing she brings to the band. And all of the members except Dave play in a regional Eastern European Gypsy music band called Balkanarama.
For the first song we have a hoodoo jazz mix tune called Mr. ESP. It has fun lyrics, solid vocals and great horn music.
Hard For Me has a soft samba styling with terrific guitar and sax music.
Fat Chance has a concrete jazz base. Eva sings about this flashy guy trying to get next to her. She sings about the extraordinary steps he’ll have to take for her to go be with him. Things like winning the Tour de France and scaling the highest mountain. In other words, “fat chance.” The song has a really tough guitar solo in it.
Don’t Answer Yet is a fun torch singer styled song. At least at first. Then it moves into a kind of toe tapping smile bringing jazz beat.
For all of you fufu coffee drinkers out there, Eva sings a tongue-in-cheek tune called Mr. Barista. It the song kind brings back the girl group sound of the ‘60’s.
Super cool jazz and guitar permeates another hilarious tune called Snap On Girl. Use your imagination about what the song is about.
Boomerang Boy has a Reggae feel to it. The song’s about a son leaving home only to come back home again. A lot of parents can definitely relate to this song.
Eva and the band do a wonderful job of capturing a Brazilian flavor in the amusing tune Brazilian Wax.
Personal Ad begins as a light R & B tune then moves into a slight funk mode. A sort of scorching lament, the song is about the unrealistic content of personal ads. As Eva sings, “the odds are good that the goods are odd.”
Another samba styled song is Circle of Stuff.
The band ends the album with the title track, Moon Falling Down. Beginning as a soft lullaby, it transcend into an almost otherworld sound.
Eva Moon & the Lunatics have a really great sound. Their music is top notch, mixing several different styles for an eclectic sound the fits well. And the lyrics are fun; filled with innuendo and biting commentary.
The King Country Journal called the band “the musical equivalent of stand-up comedy.” And the band’s own description of their music combines comedy shtick, a smidgeon of Amy Winehouse, a shot of Fiona Apple, one part Bette Midler chutzpah and tops it with the flaming red hair of Tori Amos. Yes, Eva is a redhead. Anyway, I more than agree with the Journal’s view of the band. And more. They are irreverent, comically in-your-face and just plain fun to listen to.
To hear some music from Moon Falling Down, or to even see some of the band’s videos, check out their official site. That site can be found at www.evamoon.net. You will also find Eva herself on MySpace at www.myspace.com/evamooon.
© 2009 Bruce E Von Stiers