Not only is it becoming increasingly hard to find an album that runs the gamut of several different musical styles, but all-encompassing double albums are even more of an anomaly in this day and age. But the Philadelphia collective Nucultures is not your average, ordinary band. On their 2007 two-disc set, Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams, the group (which is comprised of lyricist Ellie Perez, guitarist/producer Tim Motzer, and bassist/songwriter Barry Meehan — all of whom also contribute vocals) issues a true musical potpourri. With a largely laid-back feel throughout and a mixture of electronic and acoustic instruments (additional players lend a hand), many of the songs sung by Perez are equally jazzy and sultry — and slightly Portishead-esque — especially such standouts as the album opening “Night Is Beautiful” and “Behind the Moon.” But even Nostradamus couldn’t predict the group’s next move, as they manage to touch upon electro-acoustic-folk (“Think I’m Losing It”), breezy meditations (“Mind Dunes”), and soundscapes (“Amorphous Lake”) — all the while managing not to lose the listener. If it’s laid-back but unpredictable pop that is equal parts jazz and trip-hop that you’re after, Nucultures’ Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams will most definitely not disappoint. — ALL MUSIC GUIDE Review by Greg Prato

ECHOES TOP 25 AIRPLAY
TOP 25 on ECHOES – a nationally syndicated radio show hosted by John Diliberto on over 130 radio stations across the United States and streaming on the internet. Sept 2007
www.echoes.org

TOP 10 ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2007 – John Diliberto, Host Echoes Radio
TOP 10 ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2007 – ECHOES RADIO STAF

it’s a masterpiece that sets up us nicely for the third cometh of Portishead later this year.
STRAIGHT NO CHASER UK

it holds a top spot on my list of phenomenal down-tempo albums of the year. 
…a truly sublime aural experience. Ross Solomon — SLUG MAGAZINE

At times, Butterflies, Zebras and Moonbeams could stand as a testament to the budding mystique of a great Miles Davis masterwork such Kind of Blue. But it exists in a post-Portishead era, encapsulated in its own time and entity. There’s that gorgeous block piano chord tinkle on the standout track, “Babylon is Crying (Tigris).” Like a good Davis cut, “Babylon is Crying (Tigris)” fills the room with its ubiquity, changing everything in the room with its seismic wake. — NIKKI STYLE

Silky smooth but never sleepy, Nucultures have arrived to fill the gap left after Kruder and Dorfmeister failed to follow-up their landmark K & D Sessions. This is unabashed trip-hop, a descendent of Tricky, Morcheeba and, on the more bootilicious bangers, Dee e-Lite. Where Nucultures expands on their ancestry is in the bedrock musicality and undeniable melodic grace of this ultra creamy double-disc offering, an endlessly shifting landscape spread over 21 tracks that never drags or falters. Nice. — JAMBASE

It’s a strong outing in the downtempo realm and boasts one of that subgenres more distinctive personalities of late. — review by Kristofer Upjohn — RAVES.COM

At times evoking images of Portishead, Postal Service, and even Pink Floyd… Unlike other releases flirting with the trip-hop sound, however, “Butterflies, Zebras, and Moonbeams” transcends existing as sheer ambience, or a hot bedroom soundtrack. Songs like “Head,” “Babylon is Crying,” and “Think I’m Losing It” all prove the serious chops behind the songwriting talent. — RIFFIN

available in Philadelphia exclusively at:
AKA MUSIC
27 N 2ND St
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2214 
(215) 922-3855

in Cincinnati:
SHAKE IT RECORDS
4156 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45223
(513) 591-0123
www.shakeitrecords.com