Search - E.S.G. :: South Bronx Story

Where's the pfunk?

ChrisWN | Santa Cruz, CA | 06/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I started collecting music in the disco era & moved into punk & new wave as a teen. I was quite into Gang of Four, New Order, PiL, Paul Haig, The Slits. I was also into the early minimalist rap (Doug E Fresh, Beastie Boys' "Cookie Puss", Strafe/Harlequin 4's "Set it off"). I also got to see The Bush Tetras in concert in my hometown (Allentown, PA). However, this group completely passed me by. Never heard them in a club, nor on college radio, until around 1990 when I heard a more current (house) version of "Moody". So it was quite a surprise, when I finally bought this, to hear how consistently good the tracks here are. My only disappointment is that they didn't record more over the years.



As others mentioned, they are analogous to the other groups that get lumped into the funk punk genre (the aforementioned artists), however they do still sound distinct from the others in the genre. The lead vocalist sounds very similar to Neneh Cherry. Hopefully they will still record with current resurgence in popularity of the early 80s genres. This release sounds very good, it sounds like it was mastered from original tapes. The liner notes give some helpful info on the group itself, however more detailed info on the individual tracks (including a track listing), like what the original releases were, would have been helpful."

Wow!

Carla D. Marschall | New York, NY | 12/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So I just listened to this record and all I can say is WOW. This album is SO much fun. The best way I can compare this record to other stuff out there / music genres (because it's so different than a lot of stuff out there) is to say that ESG is doing a 60's Motown record in the time when rap and funk were emerging in America as valid and popular forms of music. That means you've got great little yelps and backing vocals from the lead vocalist's sisters a la The Supremes, while a strong bass line rocks in the background. This is DEFINITELY something to buy. Great for dancing or for just bringing the energy level up in the room. So glad I discovered them...!"

A triumph of pure innocence

mianfei | 01/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having caught the attention of this from reading a Pitchfork review, I though about checking this out on amazon.com for some time, given that it was the only ESG recording available when I bought it.



Though I have always been repelled by punk's thuggishness, "A South Bronx Story" was the fruit not of thuggishness, but of pure childlike innocence that I had never heard before. The rhythms were indeed rather uncalculated but never noisy, and the vocals of Renee and her sisters possessed a beauty that can only come out of simplicity, as well as a romantic feeling that was could seemingly see both sides ("up, high, down low" being typical) rather than being sentimental.



The songs themselves are distinctly minimalist, chiefly relying on basslines and percussion, but the occasional guitar line is most distinctive because it is so untrained, notably on the famous "UFO", which really does need to be heard in its proper setting rather than as a sample. The dramatic, if not fiery, "Moody" is bound to give any listener an upbeat feeling with its almost real-life description of a girl looking for a lover: Renee never feels guilty of what she wants to say, she just says it. The same feeling permeates all of the first ten songs on the record, with the other highlight being the distinctive beat/minibeat rhythm of "Tiny Sticks" that yet again shows the way thuggishness is so opposed to expression. "My Love For You" might be purely a dance number, but never has something this accessible sound so charming, yet the voices of the Scroggins sisters seem able to bounce back and forward effortlessly and without strain. Even on more conventional numbers in the latter half of the record, like the funk-rock "Erase You" and "Get Funky," ESG failed to lose their trademark na?vete.



Like later trip-hop groups, ESG showed how beautiful simple rhythms can be for listening pleasure. This was not really something to dance to; it was music that shows the beauty of innocent simplicity. The pictures of the Scroggins sisters on the back cover are really charming and should be seen."