For some indie rock listeners, connecting with the music of an instrumental band can be challenging. Even at their zenith (e.g. Don Caballero, Godspeed! You Black Emperor), bands determined to move audiences by the sheer audacity of their, well, music alone can wear out their welcome. It just happens. Maybe it’s because the quiet/loud/quiet formula gets old? Maybe the human ear just yearns to connect with a human voice from time to time?
Whatever the reason, Maserati probably doesn’t care. Though they started out following the instrumental codes of post-rock, the band soon transformed into a futuristic groove-based instrumental act, and they remain that to this day — despite whatever changes in taste indie rock fans have gone through since their inception, and despite the infinitely more significant human tragedy that befell their former drummer.
On Nov. 8, 2009, Jerry Fuchs was pronounced dead. Early New York headlines detailed a story of a Brooklyn partygoer who fell down an elevator shaft after it gave way. Some reports said the person helped others out before he even attempted to jump. Within hours, Fuchs (also known for his wild percussion skills in !!! and Turing Machine) was identified.
Fuchs’ sudden death not only shocked friends, family members and fans all around the world, it also left the rest of Maserati’s members grief-stricken and conflicted. Earlier in 2009, the band had begun work on their fourth album, Pyramid of the Sun.
With the help of Zombi’s Steve Moore, the band finished the recordings that gave way to Pyramid of the Sun and the 10-inch single Pyramid of the Moon – a kind of light vs. dark undertaking. Using song sketches from Fuchs’ computer, all tracks were finished by asking “What would Jerry do?”
Maserati announced a tour in support of the newest release with Zombi’s kit man Tony Paterra filling the empty spot. On the final show of the first leg of the U.S. tour (a West Coast tour begins in April), I sat down with guitarist Coley Dennis, escaping the noise of the Atlanta bar — but not the cold. He somberly admitted that each show has come with hesitation and excitement, yet the unprecedented stoic performance given later that night oozed the same bittersweet feelings that marked the conversation.
:: The Walkman is officially dead. He’s probably up in heaven right now partying with eight-track and laserdisc. But not Betamax. I know that bastard is in hell.
:: Have you been keeping up with Washington City Paper’s series of articles celebrating the 10th anniversary of Q and Not U’s seminal album, No Kill No Beep Beep?
:: You always wanted those Madonna man arms, but you didn’t know how to go about making it happen, right? Well now you can learn straight from Madge herself. Or at least from disinterested personal trainers who work in her new line of designer fitness centers.
:: Tunecore is a godsend for many aspiring musicians without a foot in the industry door. That’s hardly a revelation for indie bands. But when the L.A. Times says Tunecore is a game changer, you know the game has already changed in a big way.
:: If you’re into NCAA football, you’re no doubt familiar with programs that have a rputation for churning out great players at a certain position like Linbacker U (Penn State Tailback U (USC). Now Spinner has sifted through transcripts to give us Indie Rock U: Thames Valley University.
We were thumbing through the Buzzgrinder microfiche archives, and we found this article from Matt DeBenedictis that never made it up, extolling the virtues of Shellac‘s Terraform on its 10th anniversary. Even though that was a while back, we can’t deprive the loyal Buzzgrinderers from this bit of nostalgia. So have at it.
It’s been 10 years since Shellac released their second LP, Terraform, but nothing changes about Shellac over the years.
They are still juggernauts that exist between the lines of noise rock and math rock. They still hate all digital recordings. And they’re still comprised of producers Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Don Caballero), Bob Weston (Mission of Burma, Roadside Monument, Sebadoh) and non-producer — but awesome musician — Todd Trainer on drums.
Terraform is considered to be, by most, the worst Shellac album, but that still doesn’t mean it’s not a classic. In celebration of those 10 years, here are 10 reasons why Terraform is such a landmark album:
Mostly-instrumental rock, laced with repetitive, chanting vocals, from a band that I’ve never heard of prior to this but seems to collect some industry accolades. They stand a little apart from the current wave of instrumental bands on The Future Belongs to the Brave by emphasizing atmosphere over complex arrangements, though at times I think they threaten to break into some Don Caballero indie-aggro. Think of them more as Irepress with some tranq darts in their butts. This sort of approach can easily become background music for a scenester in a lethargic rut, but Hundred Year Storm pull off something attention-grabbing.
Spencer Seim and the boys in sBach are nice dudes. They like to buy you pizza from choice eateries when you give them a place to stay. And they clean up after themselves. So if you see the dudes during their west coast run with Don Caballero, keep that in mind.
In addition to that bit of news, Daytrotter posted a session from sBach yesterday.
What a year this was, right? Oil goes way up then goes way down, America elects a half-white guy for the presidency, and OJ is finally receives a prison sentence. This was a good year for me in terms of the harder offerings. In 2007 I kinda had to do the ice-cream-genre-barrel-scrape-around because a lot of metallish releases didn’t hit the sweet spot. While that sounds like a personal problem, keep in mind that this is music we’re talking about; it can’t be anything but personal. I used to make fun of my middle-school friend’s little brother because he listened to New Kids On the Block like he ate Kraft and Kool-Aid, but he was the happiest kid on the block.
So which one on the list is my NKOTB? Should The Block have been in my top 3? Show your work or you’ll be docked points. Have at it!
Honorable Mention: The Faceless – Planetary Duality
If you like Necrophagist but you’re into instruments played by humans and not soulless computers, then pick this one up. Try listening to the eponymous Hideous Revelation song at night with the lights off and write down your nightmares the next morning.
10. Meshuggah – obZen
They toned down the mid-tempo robot stomp experimentation of the last few releases and went back to what made Chaosphere and Destroy Erase Improve awesome albums. Now there’s poser blood on the dance floor. And the album art.
9. Benea Reach – Alleviat
This sadly overlooked superband is getting some recognition with this release, it seems. Vocalist Ilkka Volume is one of the only dude not in a nu-metal band I want to hear scream and hit an actual note simultaneously.
8. Don Caballero – Punkgasm
I got to see them here in their hometown of Pizzaburger a few months ago, and the tracks they played off of this release were stellar. Drumleader Che was more than a little drunk but didn’t miss a beat on his drums or jokes.
7. Taken – This Is Forever
The redheaded stepbrother of early Hopesfall finally released their b-sides and whatnot. Even with the demo-level production, they can still school most melodic hardcore bands.
6. Shai Hulud – Misanthropy Pure
There was a long wait on this and it seems some people weren’t ready to board when the ship arrived – not me, though. I think it’s because they dropped a lot of the melody. The key elements are still there, though: the not-liking-people thing, intelligent lyrics, the not-liking-more-people thing, and guitarist Matt Fox now has long hair. Metal Blade done right.
5. The Famine – The Raven and the Reaping
McCaddon, et al, disappoint scene jockeys everywhere by refusing to play a breakdown on the entire album and instead appease the Pantera gods with some groove, groove, and more groove.
4. Amen. The Animal – My Iron Heart
The second coming of Beloved? That’s my prediction, but I’m sure someone will say “OMG THEY’RE JUSS GENERIC NU-EMO LOL”. That’s okay. Generic or not, they write some awesome songs. Isn’t that what should matter?
3. Textures – Silhouettes
Textures is one of those bands, if you don’t like them, that you will swear sound 100% like Meshuggah. But, because they only sound like Meshuggah in that they are metal and like to stab time signatures directly in the eyeballs, I can call you Stuck On Stupid. They just need to tour the U.S. to prove to me they actually exist.
1. Cynic – Traced In Air
Since their first album, through the breakup, and to this, their second album, there hasn’t been a band that comes close to perfecting Cynic’s jazz-metal nuances. Traced In Air picks up where Focus left off, completely ignoring the decade and a half of trends that occurred in between. While it seems like that should make it sound dated, it bears enough potential energy to be timeless.
Yeahhh big release week. Something like 85 releases. We’ve been buzzing about The Showdown for a while now, so you should probably check that out. I’m looking forward to Lykke Li‘s twee-pop deliciousness and the Fiery Furnaces 2-disc live album. Also, The Toadies are still alive? Someone tell me what that’s about.
Oh, and that Lee “Scratch” Perry album was produced by Andrew W.K. so it should be… interesting.
:: 31Knots, Worried Well (Polyvinyl)
:: The Acacia Strain, Continent (Prosthetic)
:: The Academy Is…, Fast Times at Barrington High (Fueled By Ramen) [full album stream]
:: Agraceful, The Great I Am (Summerian)
:: Amy MacDonald, This Is The Life (Decca U.S.)
:: Anarbor, The Natural Way EP (Hopeless)
:: Blue Mountain, Midnight in Mississippi (Broadmoor)
:: Blue Mountain, Omnibus (Broadmoor)
:: Bo Diddley, Turn Up The House Lights: Live in France 1989 (Last Call)
:: Brandon Rhyder, Every Night (Red Distribution) More »
It’s been 10 years since Shellac released their second LP, Terraform, but nothing changes about Shellac over the years.
What a year this was, right? Oil goes way up then goes way down, America elects a half-white guy for the presidency, and OJ is finally receives a prison sentence. This was a good year for me in terms of the harder offerings. In 2007 I kinda had to do the 
have been in my top 3? Show your work or you’ll be docked points. Have at it!
Photos: Obits at the Black Cat
Photos: The Promise Ring at The Metro
Photos: Monotonix at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Valient Thorr at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photos: Danielson, Welcome Wagon at The 930 Listening Room