With The Bribes, singer-songwriter Philip Toscano distills the majesty and drama of classical music and jazz, and the urgency of early rock n’ roll into an aesthetic that’s both earthy and elegant. For Philip, the primal punch of Chuck Berry is just as valid as the ornate compositions that makeup the Baroque music canon. “People like John Lee Hooker and Chuck Berry were unabashedly themselves—you don’t need music theory as long as you have essence and color,” Philip, who is a self-taught musician, shares.
Previously, the trio have released three albums, and toured and performed regionally in the Northwest, the Bay Area, and beyond. The Bribes have been featured in The Bay Bridged, The Deli San Francisco, Bay Area Music Magazine, Windy City Times, WXRT Local Anesthetic, and Midwest Action. Prior to its latest album, Philip relocated The Bribes from Chicago to San Francisco, and the band is now rounded out by a Bay Area lineup, including Jesse Strauss on bass (who mixed and engineered the record) and Anthony Puducay on drums.
The Bay Area-based trio’s upcoming album features songs created during a time of intense change. In the last few years, Philip relocated and experienced a transformative visit to his ancestral home; and processed the passing of his father.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the album’s evocative first single, “Wawona Ranch”. Showcasing imaginative arrangements alongside a feisty garage sound, the melancholy 1960s garage-ballad is reminiscent of acts like Cake, The Strokes, and The Black Keys. Where it gets especially interesting is the way the band inserts Eastern-flavored musical modalities into a more traditional rock sound, with odd tempo changes and meandering grooves that veer in unexpected directions. This soundtrack suits the lyrics, which present an emotionally candid dialogue between Philip and an imaginary friend named Felix.
Philip Toscano describes the inspiration behind the song:
“My writing style has progressed to where I can I say I’m making the music I’ve had in my head for many years. My ability had to catch up with my imagination. Speaking of imagination -‘Wawona Ranch’ is about an imaginary friend named Felix. I had conjured him up while pacing back and forth in my yard and during long nightly walks to the ocean. The song is largely an analogy for the silly ideas and illusions we lean into when the sun goes down.”
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