Spoonfed Tribe's music has served as a master class; a kind of Bob Villa-esque how-to in creating nebulous sounds within the infinite possible combinations of ethnomusicology and American pop genres from the last 15 years. Their sound throughout that timeframe has evolved and shifted, maturing and nodding to accessibility while simultaneously flipping the bird to convention.
And while one might be able to compare them to other genre fuckers like Secret Chiefs III, Sun Ra, Mr. Bungle or, at times, even the more mainstream System of a Down (a rare brush, to be fair), they maintain their proclivities toward danceable chaos within their own poetic vision. Simply put, their music will still kick your ass.
This year in June, the Tribe is releasing their eighth album, Enjoy the Ride (produced and engineered by Alex Gerst), after a long running Kickstarter campaign that finally came to fruition, netting them just over their goal of $10,000.
In reference to their new album, the band's lead singer, percussionist and flautist, Egg Nebula, says, "A good friend told me once that life is not a race to the finish line, it's about enjoying the ride. You don't need a destination to create an amazing moment that you can remember for the rest of your life."
Though Nebula says that their newest album and first since 2010 is a more mature work, and probably contains more universality than their previous records, it still maintains the signature Odysseusian adventure of past Tribe outputs.
"I guess you could say this album is a little more digestible and catchy, but you never know til you put it out there and people start hearing it," Nebula said.
Spoonfed is touring the Midwest on the strength of this new album all throughout April and May, and will return home to DFW (though the band was born in Fort Worth, they now consider all of DFW; Arlington, Dallas, Denton, etc., their home base) in June to officially release Enjoy the Ride at Trees.
The Trees show, which is scheduled for June 8th, features local stalwarts the Effinays, and a possible appearance by the always brilliant Yells at Eels. In the typical, visually captivating fashion of the Tribe, they also plan on having DJs outside the venue in the smoking section, Circue du Soleil style arialists, and a daunting visual laser display. Following their CD release show at Trees, the band will play the family friendly Levitt Pavilion in Arlington on June 14th, and that show happens to be free and BYOB.
Spoonfed Tribe is a definitive DFW treasure. Their music has carved out a niche in the area scene that is both aurally arousing and serenely complex. Their resume is staggering, the band having shared bills with behemoths the likes of The Red Hot Chile Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and The Flaming Lips at iconic festivals such as Wakaroosa (where this year they will make their fourth appearance), The Voodoo Music Experience and Lollapalooza.
It bears saying that if you've never seen Spoonfed Tribe and live in the area, you should take at least these couple of opportunities to see them. No matter what genre(s) of music you happen endorse, you won't be disappointed.
See also: -The 100 Best Texas Songs: The Complete List -The Ten Most Badass Band Names in DFW -The Best Bands in DFW: 2012 Edition -Photo Essay: The Tattoos of Dallas' Nightlife Scene
