Bravo Max - Bullfighter Blues (2016)

Bravo Max is an American rock band originally formed in 2007 in Dallas, Texas. To date, they have released one full length album: Dog’s Light, produced by Grammy-winner Oz Fritz (Tom Waits, Mule Variations, Iggy Pop, William Burroughs). Locally, the album was well received and although they did some sporadic touring in the Southwest U.S. to promote the record, they played most of their local and regional dates (300+ shows) from 2007-2012. In 2013 the band released three follow up singles: “Young Gun Slinger”, “Pills”, and “Sleepy Simon”. Later that year the band began writing sessions for a new full length album, splitting their time demo-ing new song ideas between a cedar cabin in Canton, TX and a backyard shed built by fellow Dallas musicians Deadmoon Choir called the “Cathedral of Rock” in Lake Highlands. By April 2015 they had written and fully produced parts on enough new songs to start work at a proper recording studio outside of Denton, TX called Echo Lab. The entire album was recorded directly to two inch tape over six consecutive days in the studio.

The new work is a decisive shift in direction for Bravo Max and it is the culmination of nearly three years of truly collaborative writing. Since slimming down to a trio from the previous release’s line up as a sextet, the band has also taken on a vastly different sound, going from raucous Americana to progressive rock and roll. In addition to top shelf musicianship by the backbone trio, guest performances, including baritone sax, steel guitar, Hammond B3 organ, trumpet, flute, and trombone, help to solidify the rowdy and emphatic style of the November release. Bullfighter Blues is a gritty and triumphant trip; it is a dreamy flash of instrumental psychedelia mixed with easily accessible rock and roll.