Singles Spotlight:
Sugar Bomb –
“Eli Special”

Hello reader,

How are you today?

Today, we’re excited to introduce another group that is making some fabulous music: Sugar Bomb. They’re an Asheville-based groove-Jazz trio consisting of keyboardist Jacob Bruner, bass guitarist/guitarist Eli Kahn, and drummer Joe Enright. After making a name within a few music scenes in different groups – according to the band’s press release, “Keyboardist Jacob Bruner, (best known around Asheville for his trombone playing in the monstrous party funk ensemble Empire Strikes Brass and his baritone playing in the Turkish psych troupe Black Sea Beat Society) and bassist/guitarist Eli Kahn (best known for his fusion duo After Ours and his solo lo-fi electronic project)” – they’ve all come together recently to make some memorable music as Sugar Bomb.

Recently, Sugar Bomb made two EPs, Sweet and Explosive, with the intent of combining them into their debut, Sweet + Explosive. Their Explosive EP will be out in September. Kahn played bass guitar and engineered the album, drummer Enright mixed it, and the band enlisted Ed Brooks (Minus the Bear, Russian Circles) to master it at Resonant Mastering (Seattle, WA). Several tracks also featured saxophonist Dylan Hannan, in that his instrument did more talking in specific ways that a vocalist could not. Jazz heads, you know what I mean.

The Sweet + Explosive album is instrumental and improvisational at times, showcasing the guys’ composition skillset and musicianship. And in SWT’s opinion, one of the best songs is “Eli Special.” Which made it an easy choice as the single that we’re going to spotlight today. We’re so stoked to share it with you. It’s a song with everything you seek: a good groove, some excellent drum work, and funky keys from the first note! Keys that also run up and down the board wonderfully, and there are a few great riffs on the guitar. The band comes together perfectly on this track. Everything together will have you boppin’ and dancing along to it, listener.

The bands’ press release had this to say about the song, “I am mostly known for playing a 7-string hybrid guitar and 6-string guitar, but when I moved to Asheville, NC, from the Midwest 3 years ago, I started playing more bass. I wasn’t finding as much work as a guitarist, and bassists are in high demand. ‘Eli Special‘ is the first original tune I wrote on bass, and it is influenced by a lot of the funkier types of music that get played here. To me, what sets it apart from the Sweet EP is the insane drop that happens after the second chorus — it features sounds that aren’t ordinarily heard in modern jazz and really shows off our drummer Joe Enright’s skills as a producer and mixing engineer.”

Without further ado, our favorite song, “Eli Special” from Sugar Bomb’s Soundcloud page:

Jason Chrisman did the artwork for Sweet + Explosive.

The Sweet + Explosive Tracklist:

1. Rubber (5:42)
2. IDK (6:21)
3. Kerosene (4:12)
4. Lullaby (3:59)
5. Frenzy (3:39)
6. Issa Vibe (6:07)
7. Eli Special (3:19)
8. Dance Tune (4:18)

You can follow and listen to Sugar Bomb at the following links:

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com