Hub Trucker CD

Trucker is advertised as an amalgam of punk, new wave, metal, funk, and free-form jazz improv. There is a renegade attitude in the music, but no real meeting between these styles. The avant-garde sax/bass/drums trio does cover a wide palette of genres, they only do so on a track-by-track basis. Each tune has its left-field passages, but once "2991" displays its disco vamp sound, it sticks to it. The same thing applies to the trashy "Trucker," the funky "Burn It Down," and the jazzy "Gypsy." The first three pieces of this disc strongly recall Seth Misterka's trio projects from the same year (2002), like The Demon and Dynasty, with their punkish funk, riff-heavy distorted electric bass, and screaming alto sax. While The Hub seem to want Trucker to be a mean, dirty ride, they quickly loose their impetus after the truck takes a trip to the car wash. Dan Magay plays a good saxophone, but he often sounds too clean-cut, when the music clearly requires something harder-edged. The rhythm section of drummer Sean Noonan and bassist Tim Dahl are the heart and lungs of the group. They have developed a good level of interplay, and Dahl's compositions feature some neat messing-with-the-downbeat-tricks. If the trio stuck to the avant-trash/punk/funk mixture, Trucker would be a howler, but the "chameleon band" shtick works to its disadvantage. ~ François Couture

"THE HUB, with a growing reputation as undiscovered gems, are rapidly developing a dedicated cult following." BBC Radio 3 THE HUB is a band whose appetite for far flung sounds often defies categorization and whose members, Sean Noonan, Tim Dahl, Dan Magay play with the conviction and ferocity of men on a mission. A look at their recent European tour schedule indicates that they could be on the road as often as AC/DC. After initially shocking audiences with their eclectic array of original compositions, THE HUB have earned a loyal fan base worldwide. HUB fans have even been known to travel up to six hours to see them perform. So who is THE HUB? "Maniacally exhilarating, gripping in its precision and energy, a real breath of fresh air." John Fordham - The Guardian (U.K) THE HUB is creating a new movement in jazz joining diverse music listeners from the hard core/metal, punk, new music, and electronic music scenes.Their latest album release "Trucker" is another existential leap that is described as, "Clearly a totally new form of music with an aggressive heavy metal touch belied by a jazz sensibility and control." Jeremy Hurewitz - Prague Post "Trucker" comes straight out of the Brooklyn underground music scene where they create a sonic amalgam of hip-hop, hardcore, punk, funk, and freeform jazz improvisation. All of these modes lead to music with originality . "Trucker" is now available in record stores worldwide providing an irresistible force for progressive music listeners everywhere. For more information contact seanatthehub@yahoo.com

Audio Mixer: Rich Keller.

Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (07/15/2002/07/16/2002).

Director: Philip Blackburn.

Photographer: Lu Walters.

The Hub: Dan Magay (saxophone); Tim Dahl (bass); Sean Noonan (drums).

Personnel: Sean Noonan Brewed by Noon (drums).