Mike Dillon & Punkadelick are set to release their debut LP, Inflorescence, a 10-track, 42-minute exploration of instrumental rock, on Jan. 17. The expansive, focused offering shows the trio–comprised of Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos, Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals–unified, sharing the “everything fits” ethos of acid-punk blended with the erotic and exotic inclinations of the freak-funk of Parlament.
The trio came together in 2020 and 2021, while many venues had shuttered doors. Dillon and Haas composed songs during quarantine writing sessions and locked in gradually onstage as the live music scene reopened. When their live audiences began to regrow as doors reopened, the newfound hair-raising energy was apparent–especially to the three road-tested live music veterans.
Today, we premiere the video “Pandas,” a cut off the much-anticipated Inflorescence, which follows Dillon through his daily routine of performing in New Orleans while shedding light on the grey area many overlook as they enjoy the city. The video was directed by Dillon’s wife, Peregrine Honig, and filmed by Chadwick Christopher. Together they showcase New Orleans’ ornate and beautiful architecture and nightlife backdropped by open industrial areas, cardboard cities and temporary shelters created by the city’s impoverished.
“The video speaks to the state of the creative class in the United States who are a hunted and endangered species,” explained Honig to Relix. “Artists bring eight hundred billion dollars into the economy, but struggle to afford health care, own property and avoid addiction as independent contractors. Talent is garnered and caught in pursuit of fiscal worth but rendered when the audience fluctuates.”
Listen to and watch the beautiful video for “Panda” by Mike Dillon & Punkadelick below.
