Moon Hooch

Moon Hooch is an American band from Brooklyn, New York, known for their dance-oriented percussion- and saxophone-based music. The band is a duo consisting of saxophonists Wenzl McGowen, Michael Wilbur, currently touring with drummer Ethan Snyder, following James Muschler's departure in 2019. The original band members met while attending The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and got their start busking in New York City Subway stations.[1][2][3]

Moon Hooch
Moon Hooch in 2019.
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York
GenresJazz fusion, nu jazz
Years active2010 (2010)–present
Websitemoonhooch.com
Members
  • Wenzl McGowen
  • Michael Wilbur

Their self-titled debut album was released in 2013 and peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[4] Their second album This Is Cave Music was released on September 16, 2014.[5] and reached number 5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[6]

History

Early years

The band first started busking in 2010, playing in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The band started out playing mostly jazz, but then moved to dance music after a better audience reception. Later, they decided to busk in the New York City Subway. In the process they were banned from the Bedford Avenue station by the NYPD, who tried to prevent people from dancing on the platform edge.[7] In 2011 they appeared as the house band on the Australian TV series Hamish and Andy's Gap Year where they were re-christened "The Busketeers".[8] Their album artwork is designed by Ari Michael Warner.

2013–2015
Moon Hooch in 2014.

After gaining a reputation from busking, Moon Hooch started to release albums, beginning with their self-titled debut on June 25, 2013. It was recorded in a 24-hour period at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, and most of the copies were sold while the band was still busking.[9] Their second album, This is Cave Music, was released on September 16, 2014 and was the first to use synthesizers, post-production work, and vocals. It received positive reviews, and many reviewers commented on the band's unique style.[10] Their next album, Red Sky, would continue to use the same elements pioneered in This is Cave Music. Moon Hooch has been influential in the “brass house” genre, as well as pushing the boundaries of jazz. [11]

2016–present

The band's second EP, following 2017's The Joshua Tree, was released on April 6, 2018, via Hornblow Recordings. The short three track EP was announced alongside the video for the first single of the album, "Acid Mountain."[12]

On November 5th, 2019, Moon Hooch released the single Candlelight, followed by an announcement of the release of their newest album Life On Other Planets. The album is set to release on January 10, 2020, and will be followed by a large North American tour and a smaller European tour.[13]

Philosophy

The band believes deeply in environmental causes. They are strongly passionate about environmentalism and sustainable living, and use their influence to share this philosophy with others. In 2017, they announced that the band would be carbon neutral. Along with environmental activism, the band is also united in their practice of meditation. They say that it helps to give them focus, something they value in their work. The band also believes that meditation has allowed them to become better people.[14]

Discography
Studio Albums
Extended Plays
  • Joshua Tree – EP (Hornblow, 2017)
  • Light It Up – EP (Hornblow, 2018)
Live albums
  • Live at the Cathedral (Hornblow, 2017)
  • Live in Nashville (Self-Released, 2020)
Singles
  • Mon Santo – Single (Hornblow, 2018)
  • Acid Mountain – Single (Hornblow, 2018)
  • Moon Hooch & Tonio Sagan – Rise (2019)
  • Give Yourself to Love - Single (2019)
  • Candlelight - Single (2019)
  • Nonphysical - Single (2019)

Band members

Former band members
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References
  1. Phull, Hardeep (25 January 2013). "From busking to Broadway". New York Post. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. Hendrickson, Tad (7 August 2013). "A Band Builds an Underground Following". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  3. "Take a drink of Moon Hooch". www.toledocitypaper.com. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  4. "Moon Hooch – Moon Hooch: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  5. Levenson, Max Savage (7 September 2014). "First Listen: Moon Hooch, 'This Is Cave Music'". NPR. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  6. "Moon Hooch Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  7. Phull, Hardeep (25 January 2013). "From Busking to Broadway". The New York Post. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  8. "Meet The Busketeers". Hamish & Andy. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  9. "Moon Hooch". Moon Hooch. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  10. Levenson, Max Savage (7 September 2014). "First Listen: Moon Hooch, 'This Is Cave Music'". NPR. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  11. Haider, Arwa. "How club culture and EDM inspired jazz musicians". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  12. "Moon Hooch Announces New EP & Shares Single". JamBase. 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
  13. Bernstein, Scott (November 5, 2019). "Moon Hooch Announces New Album 'Life On Other Planets' & 2020 Tour, Shares Single". JamBase. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  14. Rees, Thomas (13 August 2017). "Moon Hooch Interview \\"While we were dead the three of us left our bodies and went into an astral world"". Jazz Standard. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
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