The critically acclaimed kaleidoscopic 21-song double album featuring vocalist Ellie Perez, guitarist/producer Tim Motzer, and
songwriter/bassist Barry Meehan along with some of Philadelphia’s finest musicians.

Recording as the collective “NuCultures” — ‘Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams’ is a collaboration between Philadelphia lyricist/vocalist Ellie Perez, acclaimed guitarist/producer Tim Motzer, and bassist/songwriter Barry Meehan. Each contributes vocals, songs, words and music to this ambitious 2 CD album project.

At a time when artists and labels are downsizing, this group of Philadelphia artists have ramped it up and released an ambitious 2 CD set — “Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams” on 1k recordings. This adventurous collection of music is a kaleidoscope of songs and sound blending shapes and hues with vocals, horns, strings, piano, drum machines, vocal loops, guitars, bass, and left-field electronics into a brilliant textured soundscape of modern pop music.

From three perspectives, lyrically and vocally, “Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams” delves into questions of love, war, darkness, despair, light, and hope. musically it’s an eclectic 21 song journey with acoustic guitars ruminating over electronic and tabla beats; the shimmering vocal downtempo tone-poems of Ellie Perez; the dark foreboding jazz of “Babylon Is Crying”; upright pianos floating over languid grooves of “Think I’m Losin’ It” and the wind swept desert guitar musings of “Mind Dunes.”

“A masterpiece” – Straight No Chaser (UK)
Top 200 Essential Albums (20th Anniversary List) – Echoes
Top 10 Essential Record of 2007 – John Diliberto – Echoes

credits
released 04 July 2007

Ellie Perez – vocals, piano, voice, loops
Barry Meehan – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, kalimba, lapsteel
Tim Motzer – vocals, guitars, bass, beat programming, piano, rhodes, wurlitzer, synths, organ, shorwave radio, boombox, walkie talkie, loops, samples, laptop

with guests:
John Swana – trumpet
Chris Cuzme – saxophones
J Davidson – wurlitzer
Marc Scafidi – source drum loop
Helena Epsvall – cello
Ian Vos – upright bass
Phil Yaeger – trombone and drumming
Jeremy Carlstedt – drums, brushes, mallets
Tony Catastrophe – drums, percussion

Produced, recorded, and arranged by Tim Motzer at Nautica, Philadelphia, PA USA
Mixed by Tim Motzer and Jeff Chestek at the Attic and Nautica December 2006-February 2007. Assisted by Barry Meehan.
Mastered by Pete Humprhries at Masterwork Phladelphia
Cover Design and Art: Thomas Schmid