Class of 2011 graduate, Mike Farrell, is a guitar player in the jazz-influenced band, Great Caesar. Its most recent Extended Play release, “Scattered Air,” proves that indie isn’t just for hipsters.
[/media-credit]Based out of Brooklyn, the sextet blends jazz-influenced instruments, such as horns and the saxophone, with guitars and drums. Its sound is unlike anything on the radio, let alone among the Brooklyn music scene.
“Scattered Air” is a four-track collection of songs everyone can relate to, including the standard but necessary love song, “Tuned to Break,” as well as one about looking back and moving on, “Rearview.” The EP is beautifully written and leaves listeners wanting more.
“‘Scattered Air’ is a solid representation of the past year for us as a band,” Farrell said. “For me, I went from being surrounded by a ton of amazing people at Quinnipiac’s radio station, WQAQ, to being in Brooklyn. It was a really crazy growing experience and the record shows that.”
The track, “Rearview,” showcases Great Caesar’s unique sound. It’s heavily influenced by its jazzier side, but manages to blend in the rock as well. The lyrics tell the story of packing up your life and moving on, with nothing but memories left behind. This journey can resonate with many people, particularly college kids.
The rest of the record is similar, fusing indie and jazz with meaningful lyrics. “Tuned To Break,” the love song on the record, is anything but predictable. It epitomizes Great Caesar’s fusion, and at first, it’s hard to pick up that it’s about love because of the many directions that the sounds are going. The many different instruments make this track chaotic, but in a good way.
“Great Caesar is unclassifiable,” Farrell said. “Telling people that you live in Brooklyn and play in a band is such a typical answer, so it’s really awesome when people come out to see us and get to hear how different we are. Being the odd band out in the Brooklyn music scene is really awesome.”
Although living in Brooklyn has made an impact on Farrell, as well as Great Caesar’s music, WQAQ opened many doors for him during his college years.
“Being a part of WQAQ was a really cool way to find a pocket of people that shared my interest in music,” Farrell said. “It allowed me to make my mark on campus in a special way, while giving Great Caesar opportunities to open for bands, such as Manchester Orchestra, at the concerts they held. The closeness of the people is really incredible.”
For those interested in downloading “Scattered Air” you can find it at http://greatcaesar.bandcamp.com
For more information on the band, check out http://greatcaesarband.com.
