Burbank, CA based multi-instrumentalist, sound-designer / supervisor / composer, singer-songwriter, and President of TFK Studios LISLE ENGLE showcases his alt-rock polish with his music video for “Experts,” off of his newest LP, Medicine Man.
“Experts” is a timely take on all of the political punditry surrounding the evolving attitudes toward the Covid pandemic and the shadowy forces that push fear and ever changing science narratives into popular culture daily. Recorded at TFK Studios in Burbank, CA, this second single release from the album Medicine Man features Lisle Engle questioning the supposed truths from society’s traditionally accepted information sources. The song “Experts” pulls back the curtain for the listener and leaves reality to be decided by themselves… thinking outside of the normal news feeds and ranting talking heads. As time has passed, many have noticed that what was taken for unshakeable truth at the beginning of the pandemic turned out to be not as rock solid as everyone thought.
Lisle has something to say about it. Once again, his killer lineup of amazing lead guitarists for Medicine Man album doesn’t disappoint. Enlisted on “Experts” as well as two other songs on the album is Chris Rife, an accomplished composer in Hollywood, who throws down with lots of tasty licks in the vein of the recently passed Eddie Van Halen. Another notable aspect of this track is the use of a simulated “news report” in the middle section of the song where Lisle includes his assessment of how the systems of government in California failed him and millions of other citizens caught up in the throes of the Covid lockdowns. It’s both hilarious and sadly accurate in calling out the multiple screw ups that Californians and others experienced at the hands of the “Experts”.
The music video, built from stock footage and edited by Engle, compliments the lyric and helps to expand the conceptual nature of the song and the rest of the Medicine Man album. Have you ever thought that the powers that be aren’t exactly looking out for you and your family? Have you noticed that the government narrative around Covid is constantly changing? Are you sick of watching the “Experts” back track and recalculate their mandates for your life when there’s a clear track record of their own hypocrisy, second guessing and constantly moving goalposts? If you answered yes to any one of these, then this new single is something you should hear!
Track List: 1. Can You Call Me 2. Do Or Die 3. Experts 4. Medicine Man 5. Sick of Shining the Lights on You 6. Disengaged 7. Painted On
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“At the end of 2020, I had a couple of weeks off and decided to turn my thoughts about this crazy Covid Pandemic into a collection of songs. Everything poured itself out of me during sessions at home and at my studio and hiking in the mountains above Burbank. These songs cover the gamut of emotions from trying to connect with loved ones in the hospital, to feeling disengaged from life, to hoping for a vaccine, to dealing with people wearing masks, to listening to experts and Instagram pundits talk and talk with conflicting messages, to the political landscape that seemed to intensify the harsh political divisions we are seeing in our country these days. Medicine Man hits all of those things.” – LISLE ENGLE
Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Lisle Engle has been writing and performing for 35 years. He began in the early 80’s, honing his vocal abilities in the local club scene of Savannah with his cover band The Vital Signs. He founded his first original band, The Promise, while attending Boston University. They played many shows on the East Coast, including the Boston clubs The Paradise, The Rat, The Channel, and Bunrattys; as well as NYC dates at China Club, Limelight, and CBGB. After college, The Promise moved to Los Angeles, seeking fame and fortune. They played hundreds of shows all over the city, such as The Whiskey-A-Go-Go, Club With No Name, English Acid, The Roxy, and Lingerie. The Promise later evolved into a project called HEAD, which got very close to the fabled big record deal but ultimately disbanded when they weren’t picked up.
After a short jaunt to Florida to produce a CDROM project, the world’s first interactive, multimedia concept album, Welcome To The Future, Lisle quickly returned to LA to form a new group including the amazing violinist Dorian Cheah, bass player Giuseppe Patane, and drummer Steve Holmes. They played all over the city and had a residency at the Cat Club for a year on the world famous Sunset Strip. They produced an album, California Miles, which garnered critical success but ended as its members pursued other endeavors.
In the last few years, Lisle has played in several band lineups, including a collaboration with well-known LA producer and studio engineer Matt Gruber, which produced the Mad West album, These Are The Terms. Mad West was about to play their first show when the Covid lockdowns arrived, closing all venues. The project ran out of steam over the interim and Lisle decided to once again strike out on his own with his latest solo endeavor, Medicine Man. Inspired by the events of 2020, Medicine Man is a record of observations of humans experience, the media, science, government, and how the events of the pandemic affected and continue to influence our lives.
Medicine Man contains 7 songs and runs 30 minus in length. It is a high-energy, politically and emotionally charged rock record with amazing lead guitar performances from a group of some of the best players in Los Angeles, including Bill Angarola, Reza Moosavi, Jeff Miley, Chris Rife and Richard Dugay, as well as a special appearance from Pete Sjostedt, and vocal appearances by Jenny Lobel and Kristen Kohary; keyboard contributions appear courtesy of veteran Hollywood sound designer and synth collector Charles Maynes. The record was produced by Lisle Engle and mastered at The Manor Studios by Matt Vowels of the goth band Black Angel. If you are looking for some rocking new tunes with insight, social commentary, and emotional power; as well as killer rock production and many “guitar hero” level performances, Lisle Engle’s Medicine Man is definitely an album that you should check out for the new year!
