Illegal Moves by Sunwatchers

Sunwatchers drew a line in the sand with their last album “II”, a powerful statement of the band’s unique brand of spiritual, free-rock, gonzo attitude and a progressive socio-political worldview. “Illegal Moves” is their latest dispatch and second album for Trouble In Mind.

“Illegal Moves” is the band’s most potent blend yet; a heady potion of free-jazz, psychedelia, punk & noise rock that is both tender and ferocious; the perfect soundtrack to smash capitalism and fix our broken system thru sonic catharsis and revolution. Songs like “Everybody Play”and standout track “Beautiful Crystals” insinuate themselves into your brain space with the rubbery synchronicity of bassist Peter Kerlin and drummer Jason Robira, slyly busking for your attention with an appealing melody before rounding onto a sour note, as if to remind the listener that both ugliness and beauty are necessary to the communal human experience. Elsewhere “New Dad Blues” and “Greeneyed Pigmen (Get The Blade)” (despite their cheeky titles) sting with a righteous fury beyond the piercing scree of guitarist Jim McHugh’s electric phin or Jeff Tobias’ saxophone skronks, and the band's cover of Alice Coltrane's "Ptah, the El Daoud" transforms her meditative elegy to the Egyptian deity into a fiery protest march. The songs on “Illegal Moves” crackle with an energy informed by passionate disgust of the status quo, realized on the album cover by Scott Lenhardt's Mort Drucker-esque illustration of the Kool-Aid Man battling the personifications of evil from across the world. A psychedelicized avatar for the general wrath and action that they believe in. McHugh says: “He’s a corporate advertising mascot going rogue and getting wise and turning his knowledge and strength against the Arbiters of Oppression... turning the Psycho-emotional propagation of exploitation and consumption against itself.”

Tracklist

1.	New Dad Blues	6:17

2.	Beautiful Crystals	6:45

3.	Greeneyed Pigmen (Get The Blade)	5:06

4.	Everybody Play	4:50

5.	Psychic Driving	5:00

6.	Ptah, The El Daoud	7:03

7.	Strollin' Coma Blues	5:34

Credits

released February 22, 2019

All songs by Sunwatchers (DRONES AGAINST DRONES MUSIC, BMI 2019) except track 6 by Alice Coltrane (Jowcol Music, BMI). Tracks 2, 4, 5 recorded at Thump Studio by John Thayer. Tracks 1, 3, 6, 7 recorded by Charles Burst at Seaside Lounge. Mixed by Charles Burst and Sunwatchers. Mastering by Sarah Register. Cover art by Scott Lenhardt. Layout by PK & JM. Sunwatchers font by Chelsey Pettyjohn.

"Ptah, The El Daoud" features Jonah Rapino on violin and David Kadden on oboe; Johan also plays on "New Dad Blues". "Psychic Driving" enlists a yawning iceberg, whose sample was taken from freesound.org. Cory Bracken stows away on this album via one-and-a-half mindblowing seconds of bowed vibraphone on "Everybody Play".

DEEPEST GRATITUDE & RESPECT do we extend to our friends, families, collaborators, and supporters. And to those who consider it their mission to manifest, strengthen and render unequivocal the union of the underground arts with radical thought, empathy, and action; we dedicate this music to you, and we continue to create, perform and record with you as inspiration.

SUNWATCHERS STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE DISPOSSESSED, IMPOVERISHED AND EMBATTLED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD.

**Sales proceeds from this and all our other albums go to benefit prison-abolition and anti-carceral-state advocates and organizations.**

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