After more than 3 solid months of Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, holding down a top 5 spot in CD Baby.com’s Extended Jam Category, legendary acid rockers, JPT Scare Band come roaring back with a blitzing assault on their newest single, “Long Day.” Featuring the sizzling guitar work of Terry Swope, “Long Day,” tears through more than 7 minutes of searing guitar leads, massive bass riffs, and mammoth drum jamming, all in the definitive JPT Scare Band style.
To make things even more appropriate, JPT Scare Band and Ripple Music will release the single and world-premiere of the psychedelic video on April 20, 2011, National Weed Day. The term 420 originated from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in California in 1971. The teens met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke out at the Louis Pasteur statue. Since then, the date has become legendary in the Stoner Rock community. An ethos JPT Scare Band embraces whole heartedly.
After years of plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the love and accolades keep pouring in for JPT Scare Band. Classic Rock Magazine honored JPT by including their last single “Not My Fault” on their November cover-mounted CD. After previously naming JPT Scare Band one of the “lost pioneers of heavy metal,” Classic Rock continued the love fest proclaiming that “JPT Scare Band plied a terrifying form of ear-bludgeoning hard rock that was so far ahead of its time, people are still trying to catch up.”
The world premiere of the hard-rocking, definitively heavy psych video for “Long Day,” will make its debut April 20th exclusively at The Obelisk, one of stoner rock’s premiere websites and the home of The Obelisk Forum, a watering hole for thousands of fans of hard, heavy, stoner and doom rock. You can find the video here: The Obeliskhttp://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/04/19/jptvid/
“Long Day” will be available as a digital single from CD Baby and all fine digital music emporiums. Meanwhile, Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is still available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com
1975 was a weird year for rock. There were new releases from behemoths like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd but overall things were getting a little soft. People were mellowing out and wearing a lot of brown corduroy. But not Ted Nugent. In 1975 he decided to put The Amboy Dukes to rest, pull up a loincloth and unleashed his self titled debut album, which stands tall as his best studio album.
Side one begins with the guitargasmic classic “Stranglehold.” This song has the power to cause Elvis Costello fans to whimper in fear as soon as the needle hits the monster groove of the opening riff. “Stranglehold” is Black Sabbath heavy mixed with pure Detroit R&B and delivers the knock out punch that the MC5 were unable to fully unleash on society. An 8 minute orgy of glorious Gibson Byrdland guitar tone, Electro Harmonix bass balls, backwards cymbals and revenge lyrics, “Stranglehold” contains everything you need when you absolutely, positively need to destroy every little thing in your room. And if there’s anything left to break when it’s over, the next song “Stormtroopin’” will guarantee that you finish the job in style. Containing another killer riff (partially lifted from Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour” and later used by Judas Priest in “Hell Bent For Leather”), “Stormtroopin’” contains some of Ted’s best playing. The break in the middle when Ted blazes over Cliff Davies very in-the-pocket drumming is pure rock & roll guitar playing at its very best.
After the onslaught of those 2 songs, the pace relaxes a little bit with “Hey Baby,” a loose boogie with powerful vocals from Derek St.Holmes. I guess a song like this was necessary so the chicks wouldn’t get too scared when you blast it in the car on the way to a keg party in the woods. But then it’s followed up with the fiendishly intense “Just What The Doctor Ordered.” There’s not much to say about this one other than it KICKS ASS!! This has always been one of my favorite songs to play when I take command of the stereo at some lame party. The opening guitar licks are a call to arms that it’s time to start rocking hard and I’m going to play the stereo louder than hell and I don’t care who doesn’t like it. “I found a cure for my body and soul, I got me an overdose of ROCK N ROLL!” Hell yeah I do!!
Side two is also great, but no real match for the perfection of side one. “Snakeskin Cowboys,” “Where Have You Been All My Life” and “Queen of the Forest” all rock pretty hard and the ballad “You Make Me Feel Right At Home” is decent. But the jewel of the side is without a doubt “Motor City Madhouse.” Derek does most of the singing on this album, but Ted’s the only one who could deliver the lyrics on this one. Yet another classic riff and steamhammer groove reminiscent of the MC5’s almighty “Skunk,” this a brain damage inducing noggin rocker. Somehow it sounds incomplete without the sound of breaking glass and M-80’s but not everything in life can be perfect. The 1999 CD remaster contains BLISTERING live versions of "Stormtroopin,'" "Just What the Doctor Ordered" and "Motor City Madhouse" from a show in London and a really lame studio song called “Magic Party” that should have remained unreleased.
Ted’s big mouth is a turn off for a lot of people, but most die hard rockers agree that his 1970’s output contains some of the most high octane music you will ever hear on this planet. In the mid-90’s I had the great pleasure of being invited to a conference room at Atlantic Records where Ted was going to play some of his new songs for the staff. It was after hours and most people were unenthusiastic so a friend asked me to be there because he knew I would be thrilled to meet him. Ted did not disappoint. He came running into the conference room screaming, waving an acoustic guitar around and called the hip NYC staffers “a bunch of pastrami eating motherfuckers.” In rapid fire succession he claimed to have invented the middle finger and short skirts. I believe him. The proof is right here on this album. PLAY LOUD.
WAX UNWOUND is the brand new snarling monster of a compilation from Exploding In Sound. While little introduction is necessary for volume eight of the taste-making website’s promotional compilation series, the good folks over at EIS honestly couldn't be happier with the end results. This is the collection the rock world has been waiting for, the one that will tear the paint from the walls with pure brilliant fury and infinitely enjoyable music from some of the best active bands. Ladies and gentlemen, Exploding In Sound is honored to announce WAX UNWOUND and it's unbelievably amazing line-up including Zach Hill, Pulled Apart By Horses, Black Mountain, The Twilight Singers, Young Widows, Monotonix, Ty Segall, Sky Larkin, Alain Johannes, Grandfather, Shapes, and many more [full tracklist below]. Waste no more time, DOWNLOAD NOW. Please play this compilation at a high volume for maximum results. You just may find your next favorite band.
DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE COMPILATION FOR FREE via FileDropper.com or Exploding In Sound's official BandCamp page. As always, the compilation is a 100% FREE digital download, containing artwork from the amazing TinyLittleHammers.com, band descriptions, links for further enjoyment, and more. The staff at EIS want to reach out and thank everyone who has helped put this collection together, especially the bands, their labels, and management. Without the help, interest, and cooperation of these incredible artists none of this would be possible, because after all this is about their music and artistic vision.
Sharing of the download link is HIGHLY recommended and encouraged to anyone and everyone. As this is a FREE compilation, the goal is to gain the maximum audience, and word of mouth is always appreciated. PLEASE DOWNLOAD, SHARE, POST, and SPREAD the word to everyone you know. Great music is being made, and it’s up to the fans to deliver it to as many listeners as possible. ENJOY!
With the release of their new studio album Refuge (Ripple Music) just weeks away, blues/soul/rock trio Modern Day Moonshine announce the launch of their free fan interactive "MDM Bootleggers” Club
Spread across the bands' newly redesigned website and social media, the project allows "MDM Bootleggers" to access a new song every Tuesday. With a catalogue of songs reaching well into the hundreds, the streaming mp3's will range from demos and live performances to previously unreleased studio tracks, and will feature exclusive photos and updates from the band. Fans will be polled each month to choose their favorite tracks, with the winners being compiled into a special edition “Bootlegger Album” that will be available as a download only.
Offered free to all MDM fans, the only “cost” to join is their word of mouth. Operated much like the charity candy display at a gas station cash register, MDM is using the honor system of holding fans accountable to helping spread the word. In return for their efforts, MDM Bootleggers will have access to all new material as well as contests, giveaways and free tickets to upcoming shows.
Commented drummer David Burrows "These tunes need to be heard, and we want the fans to determine a unique album. This is the quickest way to get them out. We're really looking forward to hooking up our fans for helping spread the Modern Day Moonshine name." Modern Day Moonshine's Refuge will see a November 23rd release through Ripple Music.
There I was, late night, burning the midnight oil in the Ripple office. Reviews to write, press releases to ready, new releases to schedule. Sofi, as always, took her place in her bed to my right, snuggled in amongst the brimming stack of vinyl. But I had no time to dig into that enticing vinyl buffet. Ripple work called to me. An eerie silence tingled my neck.
And then the light came.
Consciousness lost in a second, I awoke, no longer at my desk. The room looked vaguely familiar to me, a place from a distant memory. Rising from my desk, I spun, disoriented, searching for a clue. The familiar call letters KSPC FM blazoned on the wall across, separated from me by a thick layer of glass. Lights flashed in chaotic rhythms, engulfing the switches, knobs and buttons on the mixing board at my hands. A vinyl record spun to my right, pumping the room with moody, atmospheric, neo-gothic psychedelia. Somehow, in some unspeakable way, I’d been transported through time. Inexplicably, it was 1984 again.
And the record spinning was the Jet Black Berries.
Bursting onto the scene in the mid-eighties, the Jet Black Berries were part of the amazing stable of artists attached to the Enigma/Restless label. The Cramps, TSOL, Tex and the Horseheads, 45 Grave, Green on Red, The Leaving Trains, The Pandoras, Redd Cross, Get Smart. Talk about a label that had tapped into a sound, Enigma produced some of the all-time best American dark psychedelia ever released. One band after another, there seemed to be no end to their talent. And on that essential Enigma Variations volume I album, The Jet Black Berries ranked with the best.
Blending a river of never-ending hooks to their blackened atmosphere and a touch of cowboy/western punk, the JBB released three albums in the mid-late 80’s, and contributed a standout track to the classic horror shtick sound track, Return of the Living Dead. Then, like their zombie brethren, they disappeared.
Until now.
As I rose from the desk in my 1984 radio station, I noticed something was different. The JBB spinning wasn’t Sundown on Venus or the soon to be released underground classic, Desperate Fires. The sound was familiar, but different. Hauntingly pulling at a memory, but inspiring in entirely new ways. Ringing of the past, but powered by the energy of the future.
This wasn’t 1984; it was present day and the Jet Black Berries were back and better than ever with a brand new album,Postmodern Ghosts. Reuniting four original members of the band with newcomer singer/guitarist, Johnny Cummings, the JBB had risen from the ether, back to lurk amongst the living. And what an album they’ve put out!
You don’t have to be familiar with JBB’s original incarnation to jump right in with the start of this album. Following a haunting synth and church bell opening, “God with A Gun,” literally erupts from the speakers in searing post-punk psychedelic glory. Riding a guitar passage reminiscent of The Chameleons, “Don’t Fall,” this just may be my track of the year. An outburst decrying people who use religion as an excuse to commit acts of barbarism, “God with a Gun,” isn’t just a great pop song, it’s potent. “Are you sure this is a song you’re ready to sing/if God with a Gun is love, let’s make him king” Johnny sings over a rampaging, bass-heavy, chiming soundscape. Guitars swirl and churn in glittering rivers of texture. Dig that mid-song bass breakdown, the maniacal run across the toms in the post-chorus bridge, the layered harmony vocals, the subtle escalation of pace until the song explodes into that raise-your-hands-in-the-air-and-sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs chorus. I mean seriously, talk about a chorus that can elevate you to that place. That special place where the world around you dissipates and the music enveloping you is all that remains.
But Postmodern Ghosts is no one song wonder. “Ominous” tells the tale of the odd things that happen, the murder and mayhem, that somehow is still a part of the human psyche . . . unstoppable . . . always ready to re-emerge . . . an ominous presence. Now take that message and wrap it up in a post-Church or later day Echo and the Bunnymen vibe of pulsating bass, rising and falling, swirling guitars and you’ll find one of the catchier songs to penetrate your consciousness in sometime. “Pipes of Pan,” takes this Church influence one step further in a rousing, keyboard swept pumper. Johnny even sounds a touch like Steven Kilbey here, singing deep in his range.
Throughout, the sound of the original JBB’s is as refreshing as that breath of yesterday. Roy Stein’s drumming is solid and penetrating, Chris Yockel’s guitar shimmers and sparkles, Mark Schwartz’s keyboards lay down the atmosphere, and Gary Trainer, the main songwriter, drives the whole thing from the back of the bus with his unrelenting, swooping bass. And the new kid, Johnny Cummings is a revelation, fitting into the mix seamlessly. “Welcome to My World,” is another dark psych masterpiece, slow and inviting at times, vicious and intoxicating the next. “Psychic Children of Doom” shows these cats haven’t lost the tongue-in-cheek horror attitude that landed them on the Living Dead soundtrack, and they attach this “postmodern ghosts on the radio,” vibe to a jaunty, muscular rocker. “Invocation” rides an Echo and Bunnymen bass line through swirling mists of tension and mood. “Garden of Delight,” has to be the next single off the album, so effectively mining the still-sparkling Paisley Underground-vibe of yore, married to a hyped-up sound of crashing guitars and smashing drums. Catchy as fuck.
Then there’s “They Walk Among You,” a remade classic from the Sundown on Venus bonus album. Digging into their quasi-cowpunk roots, “They Walk Among You,” is without a doubt the greatest zombie-epic ever penned and performed in song. How this song has avoided being used in a zombie film soundtrack defies all logic and thought. With zombies as hot as vampires these days, I will make it my personal mission to get this song included on some major motion picture. Somewhere.
With the final pulse of the closing punkish rocker, “American Survival” still ringing in my ears, I watched as the radio control panel before me faded away. I re-emerged in 2010, the new JBB album still spinning in my player.
The past is gone, the present is here, the future awaits. And it’s all good.
This summer was unusual. The past fifteen or twenty Aprils through Octobers I have spent almost all of my leisure time pursuing trout. I became addicted to fly fishing in the mid-1980’s. Even prior to then, I would gather my spinning rod and gear and head to a river, stream, lake or pond to stalk Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salmo trutta, Salvelinus fontinalis and Oncorhynchus aguabonita - rainbow, brown, brook and golden trout. I have pursued the fish from the Arizona desert through the Sierra Nevada, Rocky and Cascade Mountains onto the plains of Saskatchewan.
This year, until last weekend, I had not gone fishing - not once. I did not even buy a California fishing license. I had purchased a yearly California fishing license since I was 16 years old. It was a hard year. I stuck close to home. One of my best fishing buddies received a diagnosis of cancer and was now unable to camp or fish. As the summer wore on he got worse. One of my daughters was having difficulty finding a job after college. The other one was subsidized by us at college out of state. I did not often get to see her. I lost interest in camping and fishing.
So, for the first time this year last weekend I went trout fishing. My wife and I arranged a camping trip with friends and I volunteered to teach them to fly fish. We bought two-day fishing licenses and headed off for Mount Lassen. I waded into the creek, caught a few fish, sat around the fire and remembered why I had done this for the past 30 years. I came home tired, dirty but refreshed.
On Monday I went outside to get the mail and there it was inside a small padded manila envelope - Lookin’ At Lucky by Trout Fishing In America. Coincidence?
Trout Fishing In America has been around since I tied my first fly to tippet. This release, on their own label called Trout Records, is their first album for grown-ups in eleven years. The band is Keith Grimwood on bass and vocals and Ezra Idlet singing along and playing almost every folk instrument known to man - the guitar, ukelele, banjo and bouzouki, as well as percussion. From 1999 until this release Trout Fishing In America was for kids. They received the children’s music industry’s highest awards - National Parent Publication and Parent’s Choice Awards. They have also garnered four Grammy nominations for “Best Musical Album for Children.”
Long before Trout Fishing In America there was St. Elmo’s Fire, the adult folk rock band where Grimwood and Idlet met. Soon they played side gigs together and, in the late 1970’s as St. Elmo’s Fire dissolved, they played a side gig at a grade school that led to their dedication to kids.
Boy, have those kids been lucky. Yet, I bet if you ask Trout Fishing In America they would tell you that you are “Lookin’ At Lucky.” I have not heard original folk music that is as tight, well-written and beautifully performed since neoprene waders were popular.
The first song on the album is “Lookin’ At Lucky,” a country bluegrass march, with a great fiddle part, that tells the story of how a man feels when they’re with someone they love. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. It is followed by a country two-step square dance called “She’s The Only Smile,” a song about casting one’s eyes on the most interesting girl at the dance. The tune flows quickly as it dives below the surface.
A fantastic country blues called “Bettin’ That It Won’t” recounts those instances when one hopes for a certain good result but is almost positive it won’t end well - like casting after clumsily tripping over your felt-sole shoes in a quiet pool. You might hook a fish, but I wouldn’t count on it.
The ballad “Home” is a well-performed melancholy country song about wandering and yearning for home. I could hear echos of the early Band, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Little River Band. The song is designed to make you sad - like when you hook a big fish but end up losing it before you even had a chance to see it. One of the cutest songs on the album is a talking blues, called “Safer Haven,” where the singer goes from location to location and keeps being hit by natural disasters. The song owes a lot to Arlo Guthrie, John Denver and Harry Chapin. It made me reflect back on those times on the river when a thunderstorm would come in and I’d be standing hip deep in water waving the equivalent of a carbon fibre lightning rod. The track “Drivin’ Rain” is a little country blues funk number. Idlet plays the banjo like it was a rhythm guitar. The lyrics and rhythm brought to mind the swish-swish of the wipers on an old Montana fishing guide’s truck during a mountain storm on the way back from a river fishing float trip.
An odd tune, “Who Knows What He Might Do,” is a driving rant about growing old and acting your age. I could empathize. Years ago I could climb over boulders, log jams, rapids and waterfalls in search of prey. Now, find me a deep pool with easy access. I still have that same desire to aggressively wade up stream, but at my age I learned that I just don’t have the same ability. The song “Not Every Dream” is a slow ballad that reminds me of an old Celtic folk song and carries onabout still feeling the same way you did when you were younger. Counterpoint is provided by violin and acoustic guitar. It brought to mind all those nights with fishing buddies around the campfire passing the bottle of Maker’s Mark and reminiscing.
A wonderful blues-based number, “The Car’s Running,” recounts “senior moments” such as losing your glasses on your forehead, misplacing the keys, etc. It made me recall when I hiked two miles upstream to a favorite pool and discovered I’d left my fly boxes back in the car. “How Many Times A Fool,” a banjo folk tune, explores all the stupid things we do that hurt the ones we love. Sparsely produced and performed, it is as emotive as an early Bob Dylan song, but done with a much better singing voice. It brought to mind a time one of my fishing buddies on a fishing trip stopped for a drink at a bar in Sierra City on the way back from the river to camp. There, on a bar stool in the corner, was his first ex-wife. We didn’t see him back in camp the entire weekend. In fact, he made his own way back to the Bay Area days later as we all avoided phone calls from his wife.
The last two songs on the album are “I Pretend To Understand” and “My Baby Loves Sudoku.” The former is a slow country blues about being unable to remember or understand, but, acting like you do. The latter is a tongue-in-cheek novelty bluegrass epistle on how Sudoku ruins marriages. It is the closest song on the album to a kid’s song. Both are a bit silly - like when a fishing partner’s wading shoes soles fell apart in the river and I watched pieces of leather and felt float by while he stood in the river in neoprene stocking feet. He then knew there was a two mile walk in bare feet out of the canyon ahead of him. He just went back to fishing for trout until it turned dark.
All in all “Lookin’ At Lucky” is a clever, light, well-performed and well-written first attempt to venture into the world of adult music. The cuteness and cleverness of Trout Fishing In America’s children’s songs remain. The musicianship makes each song fun. The album is like wet-wading - pulling on the old felt-soled boots and leaving the waders behind. You’re not going in deep or traveling far, but, it sure is damn refreshing. especially if you have a great cast.
Hailing from the world (Spain, Argentina, France) and recording in both English and French, Megaphone ou la Mort bring a vibrant brilliance to the often tepid world of modern rock. While the influences are numerous, as if often the case with most things that emanate from France, these influences are mingled; cross-cultural tidbits are swirled into the mix, styles and genres blend and meld seamlessly to create an album unlike just about any other out there.
“La Poesie Du Travail,” showcases right off the bat that Megaphone ou la Mort got a style all their own and a secret weapon to make the whole thing combustible. Beginning with a jazzy then funky drum and bass intro, John Martinez lays a French spoken intro on top. Sorry, there’s nothing like a French spoken intro to set the mood and tone. Exotic, romantic, stirring. Then, as the guitar adds in, gently at first, Martinez brings his voice into full prominence. By the time the guitars are charging full-speed, Martinez’s amazingly emotive vocal chords are soaring from his lower register spoken voice to the upper echelons of his range. And what a voice it is. Kinda reminds me of a mix of Bono and Robert Smith in terms of emotive delivery and tone. While the musicians hammer away, taking the song on a charging path, Martinez’s voice is that secret weapon, utterly captivating.
Don’t let the French language aspect put you off this releases. You don’t need to know what the words are to feel the emotion, the energy, to get caught up in the sweeping flow. Besides, there’s something about Martinez’s voice when he’s wailing in French that is even more dynamic than the songs sung in English.
But those songs rock also. “Cherie,” the second English track on the album rides a brilliant post-punk bass to it’s sparkling, effect-laden guitar. Martinez here channels his inner Bono perfectly, while the band pumps out a hand-clapping, crowd-dancing ditty of pop perfection. “Sunday Kid,” also in English reminds me of long-Ripple favorites War Stories for its emotional resonance and Martinez’s vocal gymnastics. Whether in French or English, the band always manages to find the core of the song, the heart that resonates long after the song has finished. “Pina Pellicer,” is a punchy little number that just cruises along non-stop.
Still, I prefer the French songs, if nothing else but for the difference of them all. “Lutter,” with its punctuated walls of crashing guitars reminds me (for no good reason) of another famous French export, Trust. Throughout, the band brings some soul, some post-punk, some hints of jazz and flamenco into the fray, with some tender guitar work and a hardworking rhythm section.
If you’re looking for something familiar, yet different at the same time, recognizable but exotic, give this one a shot.
The :Egocentrics – Love Fear Choices and Astronauts
I went way outta my way to sing the praises, high and low, of a nifty little demo CD that dropped into the Ripple office way back in Nov 2008. The :EgocentricsMystic Invitation was just the perfect blend of psychedelic, trippy guitars, some serious heaviness, and floods of effect-laden soundscapes. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with these Romanian trippers.
Imagine my delight then, when a small package appeared at our door with another typically charming handwritten :Egocentrics note. “Hope our album is better than you’d expected!” That’s all. No re-introduction. Just an unspoken solidarity between me and my Romanian brothers that what I was about to pop into my player would rattle my world.
And it did.
Everything that made Mystic Invitation so appealing was still there, all the spaced-out trippiness, all the long-extended, mind-warping jams. Even the unexpected build-up to moments of massive heaviness. But there was something else as well. Over the ensuing months, The :Egocentrics have refined their craft. Sure the songs still wander off in any direction the cosmic winds blow, but beneath it all there’s a definite sense of purpose. These are cosmic landscapes that tell a story, a collage of images, a world’s worth of rising and falls tides, mountainous eruptions, and deadly calm seas.
Brenn’s guitar playing has also matured in ways that are just too hard to explain. Here, he’s completely mastered his tones, his effects, the strength of his attack against his strings. Pulling back when necessary, searing forward with vengeance when appropriate. And through it all, Jess on bass and Hera on drums follow him effortlessly, creating the space platform he needs to explore his stratospheric travels.
The album consists of 4 separate 1-12 minute songs. Excursions really into the upheaving world of psychedelic space jams and stoner rock heaviness. And while that may sound like a mind-full of numbing tedium, never once does Brenn fail to captivate, leading me along willing to which ever world he’s choosing to explore. I’m there with him.
We’ve reviewed plenty of downbeat electronic before here on the Ripple, but what makes Noetics so different is that we’re not listening to a producer/mixer driven studio creation. Noetics are a live band mixing the energy of electronic beats and the intensity of live performance into a totally listenable instrumental, chill, dance orgy.
Beats merge, rise and fall, beneath the overhanging canopy of jazz, rock, dub, and psychedelia. Songs like “Peninsolar,” sound totally fresh and spontaneous in their planned chill-trance. “Vibrant Hydrant,” reminds me of some of the best of Kruder and Dorfmeister, but again this is live music, not studio overdubs. And that’s pretty damn cool if you think about it.
Throughout, bass and beats set the tone for whatever voyage each individual song wishes to explore. Perfect music for your late night chill, your after-party party, your Sunday morning coffee, or just your moments when death metal sounds just a bit too much.
If I was strapped down to a polygraph, my children held for ransom, my life on the line, and forced to answer a question truthfully, I'd probably say that I don't like instrumental rock music. I'm good with jazz, fine with African, but instrumental rock music always seems to be lacking that one thing. Oh yeah, vocals. And if the band does manage to mutate and twist their sound around enough to keep my from falling asleep, the songs usually suffer from having their own head way too far up their own ass.
Silian Rail is different.
A two-piece on our friendly Parks and Records label, Silian Rail use guitar and drums, an occasional foot synth and the ever-desirable glockenspiel, to create wild, erratic, sweeping soundscapes. Sure the guitar has a pleasant, warm tone, but it's the tension between the guitar and drum that drive these songs. Somehow, Robin Landy and Eric Kuhn manage to flesh out the spaces with only these two instruments, without things ever sounding flat or empty.
And while my ear is instantly drawn to the wild, free-form meanderings of Robin's guitar, in truth, it's probably Eric's drums that drive this baby the most. Time changes? What time changes? We're talking different time zones here. Eric seems to be able to drop beats in at a dime, following the guitar, countering the guitar, sailing off on his own. Heck, I don't really know what he's doing at all, but it's a clinic in drumming, I'll tell you. Pretty remarkable.
None of that is to diminish Robin's guitar work, which is tangentially riveting. I never know where the guitar is going to take the composition, which path it's going to lead us down. Sometimes dissonant, sometimes angular, always fascinating.
9 songs here of remarkable musical vision. Instrumental music that's always interesting without being forced or pretentious. Songs that aren't lost up their own ass.
