RSS
Help
Cart
Friends of Mescalito Biography
The psychedelic rock outfit Friends of Mescalito is the pet studio project of guitarist, bassist, singer, songwriter Scott Prato (aka Mr. Starry Night). The group's sound is anchored in archetypal psychedelia and includes elements of garage rock, raga rock, and sonic exploration derived from the free jazz of Sun Ra. Each album features a different cast of musicians.
Upon the dissolution of his group the Thundering Lizards in 1995, Prato took a two-year hiatus as a bandleader. By 1997, he had a string of songs inspired by the story of Australian schoolgirls disappearing while on a picnic and wanted to record them. He brought into the studio a handful of musician friends, presented them the songs, and proceeded to record. This unrehearsed approach gives the material a fresh, slightly dangerous or uncontrolled feel. Of course, for it to work it takes superior songwriting skills, which Prato undoubtedly possesses.
Picnic at Hanging Rock, the group's first CD, came out in spring 1999 and included contributions by such N.Y.C. underground free musicians as Bonnie Kane (W.O.O. Revelator, World of Tomorrow), Ray Sage (W.O.O. Revelator), and Mike Rose. Subsequent albums were produced in the same way, a process the leader refers to as "improvisational composition."
For Dark, Darker, Darkest, Prato kept the lineup slimmer, concentrating on a psych-pop garage sound. Bassist Rose and Action Adventure Systems/World of Tomorrow drummer Cliff Ferdon formed with the guitarist a basic, more trashy trio. The same lineup, with extra guests, also recorded the 2001 release Nagual Music for Tonal People, the music of which the leader wrote during a hiking trip in Nepal. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
Upon the dissolution of his group the Thundering Lizards in 1995, Prato took a two-year hiatus as a bandleader. By 1997, he had a string of songs inspired by the story of Australian schoolgirls disappearing while on a picnic and wanted to record them. He brought into the studio a handful of musician friends, presented them the songs, and proceeded to record. This unrehearsed approach gives the material a fresh, slightly dangerous or uncontrolled feel. Of course, for it to work it takes superior songwriting skills, which Prato undoubtedly possesses.
Picnic at Hanging Rock, the group's first CD, came out in spring 1999 and included contributions by such N.Y.C. underground free musicians as Bonnie Kane (W.O.O. Revelator, World of Tomorrow), Ray Sage (W.O.O. Revelator), and Mike Rose. Subsequent albums were produced in the same way, a process the leader refers to as "improvisational composition."
For Dark, Darker, Darkest, Prato kept the lineup slimmer, concentrating on a psych-pop garage sound. Bassist Rose and Action Adventure Systems/World of Tomorrow drummer Cliff Ferdon formed with the guitarist a basic, more trashy trio. The same lineup, with extra guests, also recorded the 2001 release Nagual Music for Tonal People, the music of which the leader wrote during a hiking trip in Nepal. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide
Buy
