NUCULTURES – BUTTERFLIES, ZEBRAS, AND MOONBEAMS (1K)
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–ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 2007-JOHN DILIBERTO
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
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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, Deee-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