Like two long-lost twins separated at birth, Michael Jost and Michael MacDonald have reunited to form a musical force they have dubbed ‘Buddha Shakers’, ten years after their L.A. Rock band ‘Venus Pumping’ called it quits.
Meet The Band
Michael MacDonald: Music, Lyrics, Vocals, Acoustic guitar
Michael Jost: Electric, Acoustic, Classical guitars, bass, mandolins
Andy Kravitz: Drums and percussions and REMIX
Matt Demerritt: Horns and Keys
The Buddha Shakers sprang up organically while MacDonald was working on his solo project. “While composing, I could hear Jost playing guitar and knew he’d be a perfect fit, so I looked him up,” he says. “My wife says he and I are musical soul mates.” This was the beginning of the musical journey and exploration of the Buddha Shakers.
The Buddha Shaker’s sound is unique, and the maturity of the reunited Rock brothers’ music shines through. Gone are the trippy day-glo videos and the circus-like craziness of their shows – it’s the now the new sound of the two friends producing music that will make children laugh, women dance and men play air guitar.
Key tracks like “Too Beautiful” and “Love Is” show the two artists still retain the amazing musical connection they forged in Venus Pumping. The music they create is driven by deep emotion, intuitiveness and sincerity, “Often times we use the first take of a performance because it has that raw, honest emotion. Over the years, I have found that the more times I try to perfect something on a recording it becomes sterile and cookie cutter, something I can’t stand. We prefer letting the initial instincts drive the productions.” Jost says.
As the two Michaels completed their Buddha Shaker debut album, “Release My Soul” with Grammy winner Andy Kravitz on drums, acclaimed horn/keys player Matt DeMerritt and singing sensation Lisa Battle, they say their new music is less like a reunion and more like two wayward friends finding their way back.
“We’re of the same musical minds chasing those same creative strings,” Jost says. “This is new and exciting but kind of safe, too. We know each other so well that this has become a quest to make the best possible music.”
That ‘best’ music that Jost speaks of is a mystical, rhythmic fusion of alt-rock vibes, classical-tinged acoustic guitar, Mediterranean ambiance and insightful lyrical maturity that will make you ponder your existence in the universe, inspire you to create some art of your own, or curl up with your lover, and maybe all three at the same time.
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