Halfway through You Scream I Scream’s show last night at BAR in New Haven, opening for White Arrows, the light sabers came out. Yep, instead of glow sticks, the Hartford based band had people brandishing light sabers and getting into mock fights with each other. It was all part of the fun, party vibe the band exudes.
Led by Floyd Kellogg on bass and vocals, the band laid down a danceable and slightly fuzzed out sound, which was equally influenced by grungy, quiet loud dynamics (especially from the rumblings of Kellogg’s bass), the simple yet effective robotic rock drum beats of Audrey Sterk and the psychedelic tinged keys of Jake Vohs. They delivered an inspired set of indie rock that had all the hipsters dancing, with or without light sabers.
They opened with the new wave gone grunge of “Tiny Reward” and kept the indie kids dancing all the way til their final song “Adios Pantalones”, whose title is a cheeky reference to one of Kellogg’s previous bands.
If I were to describe them I would say they sound mostly like a guitar-less grunge band, in that many of the songs are short, snappy and concise, where they start out slow and build to an anthemic chorus. There is a new wave influence too, in the almost simple, but sublime Kraut rock-like drum beats that feature a lot of cymbal rides from Sterk. It’s uncomplicated and catchy, which is quite a refreshing take from a form a music that is getting more baroque, complicated and pretentious every day. (Do we really need any more hipstercana bands?)
So, it was a fun night of unpretentious indie rock. You should definitely check them out.
Michael Beach is a San Francisco-based musician who writes, records, and performs under his own name, and as a member of Melbourne-based trio Electric Jellyfish. Since 2008, he has put out records on the Thurston Moore/Byron Coley colab label, Ecstatic Yod, and others such as Twin Lakes and Spectacular Commodity.
‘Mountains + Valleys,’ Beach’s latest solo release, comes on the eve of a second US tour for 2011, a year that also saw him tour Europe and Australia in support of his previous single, ‘A Horse.’ This time around, Beach assembled an all-star cast of West Coast musicians, including drummer Utrillo Kushner (Comets On Fire) and Raymond Raposa (Castanets) on guitar and vocals. Recorded by Trans Am’s Phil Manley, Mountains + Valleys will be released as a limited edition cassette to accompany Beach’s Autumn US Tour. Officially out on November 8th, you can grab one early at this show. michaelbeach.bandcamp.com Michael Beach - Straight Spines by CTINDIE
Dwight Smith writes introspective songs that call to mind a stripped-down Sufjan Stevens and Jeff Magnum. His debut single "Plumed Serpent" will be out on Twin Lakes in November (TBD).
Jay Russell of Diamond J and the Rough and Hot Rod Circuit is a local treasure in the New Haven music scene. He says he just likes to play music. Pretty understated, given the depth of his music. www.myspace.com/diamondjandtherough
FINAL FRIDAY is NEBC's monthly tribute to its patrons and local artists. Each month, NEBC has a local musician perform and invites one and all (over 21 years of age, of course) to come by and share the proverbial fruits of their labor.
$5 gets you a few glasses of NEBC beer as well as an opportunity to hear local music and rub elbows with other fellow beer enthusiasts. Both the beers served and the bands change each month, so keep stopping by for a glimpse at what the general New Haven area and NEBC has to offer!
This month's performer:
Local act M.T. BEARINGTON has been performing since 2007. Having released the 'A Cloak of Nouns & Loss' and 'Love Buttons' LPs on local label Safety Meeting Records, M.T. Bearington offers "an upbeat collection of sonic musings on various forms of love - from the traditional to the twisted."
For a look at what M.T. BEARINGTON is all about, check out the title track off their newest release ('Love Buttons') at http://www.mtbearington.com/
Ferocious Fucking Teeth,
Murder Van,
Wrists Like This,
& Wry
Friday, Oct 28th
$5 cover
at the El n Gee
86 Golden St, New London, CT
Ferocious Fucking Teeth http://ferociousfuckingteeth.bandcamp.com/
Heavy Stoney Jams from the New London area! New LP coming this Winter from Safety Meeting. Come check these guys out and get psyched up to grab the record. Bring something put in your ears cause it's gonna get loud.
Murder Van http://www.murdervan.com
Three piece rock n roll. Heavy, sweaty, a lot of fun from start to finish. Murder Van doesn't fuck around and you should know this before getting in front of them.
Wrist Like This https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wrist-Like-This/103543909732061
These guys are in Fatal Film. I love Fatal Film. Even though I don't know much about this new project, I got a good feeling that this is going to be awesome. Also, people who've seen them have raved about them. So leave your socks at home, unless you don't mind having them blown off.
Wry http://wrymusic.bandcamp.com/
Keith used to be in Shiv. Shiv was incredible. Keith is still pretty awesome. The other guys are pretty cool too. This is his newest project. Loud, aggressive, rock n roll for your earhole.
My reputation as a cynical curmudgeon notwithstanding, I take no pleasure in breaking the spirits of aspiring children. So, imagine my concern when I received an email from the fine folks at CTIndie, requesting I review the musical styling of Weston’s own Chillingsworth, a cadre of five teens not yet old enough to drive. Admittedly, I found myself less than enthusiastic to accept this particular review. What if this band – this Chillingsworth – was simply terribad? Could I publicly criticize a cadre of aspiring kids? If I wound up discouraging them completely, could I deal with it?
I can be cruel, but a man has to draw that line in the sand somewhere.
Luckily, the problem solved itself. I listened to Chillingsworth’s four –track EP “Sir Roger”, and, as it turns out, these youngsters from Fairfield County are surprisingly good. So, I’m making an exception here. Today, Rob beats up on kids.
Perhaps it is because I first listened “Sir Roger” knowing full well it was recorded by musicians too young to collect a paycheck in the State of Connecticut, but what was immediately most noticeable to me was the superb sound quality of the recording. The guitars jangle, the vibes glisten, and the drums are full and free of distortion. I can only conclude these kids have access to a professional studio of some kind, and, let’s be honest here, when it comes to reviewing indie music, an album that does not sound like it was recorded with a tin can and a length of string makes the job that much easier.
Still, we all know professional sound does not mean professional music. A noise gate or a compressor won’t fix bad songwriting. In Chillingsworth’s case, whatever newfangled technology they have at their disposal is entirely deserved. Despite their age, they have a keen grasp of songwriting which eludes even older, more established acts. From the opening metallic jangle of “Cloud” to the frenetic, Latin-esque finale of “Stay Fly”, these songs toe the line between the amateur and the professional.
Still, Chillingsworth is a band of youngsters, and like youngsters, they’ve made a few youngster mistakes. Most noticeable amongst said errors are the occasional moments when the band falls out of tempo. This is hardly a deal breaker, however, as the drift is rarely extreme.
Also to the band’s detriment is a noticeable lack of sonic continuity. Chillingsworth draws heavily from indie pop and funk, but rather than fusing the two genres into a cohesive sound, the band recorded what amounts to two indie tracks (“Cloud”, “Settle”), and two funkier tracks (“R.A.C” , “Stay Fly”). A more uniform sound – in either direction – would have made a more cohesive EP, but again, the songs are good on their own merits.
Paramount amongst Chillingsworth’s freshman stumbling, however, is their handling of vocal duties. Despite a dearth of vocal hooks, the lyrics are well composed. The problem is, they are not always well performed. More often than not, the lead vocals are off-key, sometimes, severely so. With an otherwise near-flawless effort, the amateurish singing is somewhat more pronounced. The band would do well to consider vocal training, perhaps taking on a trained vocalist, or at the very least compose vocal melodies more appropriate their skill-level.
Overall, however, Chillingsworth’s “Sir Roger” is still very much worth a listen to anyone who favors pop over experimentation. They can write, they can record, and they can perform. With a few years more experience, and a little practice, these kids are going to go places.
Come to Freight Street Gallery on Monday (HALLOWEEN) for a fun night of folk music, courtesy of The Loom, The Grim Generation, and Lys Guillorn! According to the Freight Street Gallery folks: "Two great reasons to go out on a Monday night.
1. It's Halloween, so dress up silly, cause your next chance is a whole year away. 2. A great band from Brooklyn is stoping by our fair city to play some amazing tunes.
featuring:
The Loom
"Teeth: the part of you that outlast you longest once you’re gone. That hold a record of what you’ve done with your time, tribute or rebuke. In comparison to their longevity, time for the rest of you is short. So, then – what to do with that time?
For the members of Brooklyn five-piece The Loom, the answer to this question – the reason that they choose to play music together in the first place – is the simple search for joy. It’s a concern that both far outdates, and is reflected in, the searching folk, intricate percussion, and psych-influenced dissonance and atmospherics that they love and wind into their music. But Teeth, their debut, is not all joyful. Like the music that inspires them, it focuses more closely on the myriad hurdles that ensnare us along the way."
" Lyrics are worth paying attention to, as in the closer “End of the World” when Champagne sings, “Remember the day your brother was killed, we were up in your bedroom with a shoebox full, your mom sat downstairs reading magazines and her TV Guide.” That got my attention instantly." – New Haven Advocate
"I was quickly drawn into the world of this talented singer-songwriter-musician, all three of which she excels at. Rather than try to define her, or stamp a genre on her, I will instead say…find her!" – The Village Voice
Since their formation in 1992, Japan’s Melt Banana have been blowing the minds of audiences worldwide with their hyper speed take on noise rock, which incorporates elements of punk, metal, J-pop, electronica and even hip-hop. It’s a bug eyed crazy sound, one that is full of energy and sends their fans into fits of joy whenever they play out.
Though not for everybody, the people who love them, love them intensely and it has lead the band to collaborate with such artists as Merzbow, John Zorn, Discordance Axis and Mike Patton. They have even opened for prog metal heavyweights Tool in the United States.
It’s been a long strange trip for the band, one that has seen them grow a sizable fan base among connoisseurs of way out aggressive music in both the United States and Europe. In fact, they end up touring these parts of the world more than their native Japan. One big reason could be the reaction they get from the audiences here and in Europe.
“When we started, we met K.K.Null from Zeni Geva. He gave us a chance to record our first album with Steve Albini in Chicago as well as play shows in Chicago and San Francisco. Our first show in the United States was in Chicago and we liked it a lot. It was totally different from shows we had done in Japan during that period. The audience was loud and told us what they thought about our music and our show. These days the Japanese audience is changing and I think they are getting similar to people in the United States. But it is still fun to play in different countries. So the reason to tour the United States, the UK, or Europe a lot is that we like it and fortunately we have very good people to help us to play shows in those countries,” said guitarist Ichirou Agata, who along with vocalist Yasuko Onuki and bassist Rika Hamamoto form the nucleus of the band. “As far as the fan base goes, we are not sure. The number of people who show up to our concerts, in the US or UK are bigger than the ones who show up in Japan. But we play more than 15 shows in Tokyo every year, so if we only play once every 2 years in Tokyo, then there might be more people showing up to our Tokyo shows,” he added.
As mentioned before, their music is a mish-mash of styles, one that is played with lightning speed and manic energy. Though earlier records have more of a lo-fi sound (recorded with Steve Albini) the newer ones have a clearer, cleaner production. But this doesn’t mean that the music is any less vicious. You can definitely say that the band doesn’t sound like anyone else out there and they wouldn’t want to have it any other way. In fact, that was their intention all along.
“When we started the band, actually we were not really good at playing instruments or singing. We were beginners. But we knew very well about the sound we liked. For example we liked feedback a lot more than just playing the "E" note or "G" note. We liked strange drums rather than normal rock or hip hop drums. So we were very bad at playing normal music, but we practiced a lot, playing our own thing. We wanted to control an obscure, noise sound. So we practiced again and again to play that same obscure, noise sound. It's like when you practice to sneeze again and again to make exactly the same sound every time you sneeze. While playing these sounds, we met many good bands at our shows and on tour and got influenced by them on how to use the "E" note or "G" note, or normal rock or hip hop drums. It's like when you practice saying words the same way every time you speak,” said Agata.
But for them, it’s just not about recording the music. It’s about getting out there and throwing down for their fans. People tend to go batshit crazy during their sets, and they would not have it any other way. But instead of being violent and destructive it’s a way for the band and audience to connect with each other. They form an unbreakable bond with their audience.
“The best thing about playing live is that I can share Melt Banana music with the audience. We are enjoying the music together. We can express and convey our music not only to people’s ears but also their eyes and all of their senses. Also it is nice to see people's faces from the stage. If they look like they are having fun during the show, I become happy too,” said Onuki.
With each tour, usually means they bring out a new drummer. For this current United States trek they have turned to old friend who will be returning to the throne after a little hiatus from the music business.
“Our live drummer for this tour is Takiya Terada. Actually he was with us when we toured with the Fantomas in 2004 and when we went to Europe with us in 2005. After that, he stopped playing music for private reasons, so I won’t talk those here. But, he started playing drums again, so we asked him if he can play with us again. He is a very good person and practices so hard. And since we had already played with him many times and knew about his skills, it was natural decision to ask him to can play music with us again,” said Agata.
Playing music has to be a release for them, because Japan has been a country plagued by a whole bunch of disasters over the past year. The country is hurting and according to Onuki it’s been rough on the people who live there.
“We are still in bad condition; disaster areas are still on the long way to recover, and also nuclear plant problems have been not solved yet and we are even having a hard time living in Tokyo. It is hard to see the truth too, unfortunately. But we need to go forward and solve all problems clearly. I really hope this happens,” said Onuki.
But if there is one thing that lifted the spirits of the Japanese, it was their women’s soccer team winning the World Cup this past summer. The band was in Finland to play a festival, but once they found out, they were quite proud of their fellow countrywomen.
“When I knew about their victory, I thought it was great. It seems like people in Japan got excited and they talked about the team members a lot in the media. But I did not know that there was a professional football league in Japan, so it was big news to me. But I think it is good that their winning brought a good mood to Japan,” said Agata.
After they finish their current North American tour the band is going to head into the studio to record another album for release on the band’s own A-Zap label in the spring or summer, as well doing a whole bunch singles too. They also plan to some things with Melt Banana lite, too.
“There are many things that we want to do!” said Onuki.
So, it looks like the band will be keeping busy, spreading manic, crazy, happy music to all that will be willing to hear it. This is an excellent time to catch the band at the Space. Last time the show sold out and I heard they had to remove all the furniture to make way for the crowd and their “dancing”. Once again, this is another can’t miss show. See you there.
Manic Productions Presents:
Melt Banana
Tera Melos
Fugue (Last Show)
Friday, October 28
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden, CT
$14 ($12 advance) – All Ages and 21+ to drink at the Outer Space – 7pm
