Alternative band Penny Fusion, from Arizona, is the duo of Jonas Maya and Sebastian White. They met in middle school and, both already having dabbled in music, they eventually began playing together. From 2013 through 2017, they played under an assortment of names, eventually settling on Penny Fusion (for now). Though they describe themselves as Alt Rock, they clearly aren't limited to that and, in fact, I quite appreciate how they "fuse" different sounds and styles together. "First Snow, Last Day", for example, begins with an Alt Country beat, segues into an Alt Folk Talking Blues, then shifts (for what is essentially the chorus) into a more Alt Rock vibe, sweetly seasoned with Country Rock and just a sprinkling of Psych before finishing with a synth orchestral flourish--all that in under a minute and a half.
A lot of Penny Fusion's music is like that, it seems. They move comfortably through genres and styles the way I like to think it should be done...as if there are no different genres and styles...as if it's all just music. Jonas plays most of the instruments and always likes to experiment with new ones. Sebastian, or "Bash" as he's known, plays acoustic guitar, but is also the primary vocalist, songwriter and producer for the group. Bash's vocals have a touch of Bob Dylan twang without being too tangy (yes, I meant for the first word to be twang and the second to be tang...but you're not wrong to ask).
"Heater Season", from 2017, is Penny Fusion's third annual Christmas EP. Or at least that's what they say. But they also say their 2016 Christmas EP, "Christmas Special", is their third annual Christmas EP. And, alas, I've been unable to find a third (or a fourth, or a fifth). "Christmas Special" has a bit more bite than "Heater Season", and includes an hilarious take (if you like dry humor, which I do) on "Twas The Night Before Christmas" as sort of a hidden track at the end of "In From A Blizzard". The Hard Rock "Winter Storm" (coming in at just 32 seconds) and the Ambient Pop "For Lonely Old Mrs. Claus" (43 seconds) are both brilliant, IMO, proving you don't need a song to drag on for 7 minutes to be "epic".
Both EPs are "name your price" downloads at Bandcamp and we'll give you the track lists and covers right after I play my favorite track from Penny Fusion's "Christmas Special". It's "White Christmas", but it's not that "White Christmas".
A lot of Penny Fusion's music is like that, it seems. They move comfortably through genres and styles the way I like to think it should be done...as if there are no different genres and styles...as if it's all just music. Jonas plays most of the instruments and always likes to experiment with new ones. Sebastian, or "Bash" as he's known, plays acoustic guitar, but is also the primary vocalist, songwriter and producer for the group. Bash's vocals have a touch of Bob Dylan twang without being too tangy (yes, I meant for the first word to be twang and the second to be tang...but you're not wrong to ask).
"Heater Season", from 2017, is Penny Fusion's third annual Christmas EP. Or at least that's what they say. But they also say their 2016 Christmas EP, "Christmas Special", is their third annual Christmas EP. And, alas, I've been unable to find a third (or a fourth, or a fifth). "Christmas Special" has a bit more bite than "Heater Season", and includes an hilarious take (if you like dry humor, which I do) on "Twas The Night Before Christmas" as sort of a hidden track at the end of "In From A Blizzard". The Hard Rock "Winter Storm" (coming in at just 32 seconds) and the Ambient Pop "For Lonely Old Mrs. Claus" (43 seconds) are both brilliant, IMO, proving you don't need a song to drag on for 7 minutes to be "epic".
Both EPs are "name your price" downloads at Bandcamp and we'll give you the track lists and covers right after I play my favorite track from Penny Fusion's "Christmas Special". It's "White Christmas", but it's not that "White Christmas".
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HEATER SEASON (2017) 1. First Snow, Last Day 2. Gingerbread Man 3. Heater Season 4. Save Christmas Day 5. Colors Changing |
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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (2016) 1. Intro / Sleigh Ride 2. Winter Storm 3. For Lonely Old Mrs. Claus 4. White Christmas 5. In From a Blizzard |
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