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Thursday, July 07, 2005
Tel Aviv photo by Adam Smith
SECURITIES
Tel Aviv
Lay Me Down
self-released : 2005
[Buy It]
WE PREFER TO BE SURPRISED
Affection
N/A
self-released : 2003
TO BUY: For a ten-song CD, send two dollars for postage to:
Lloyd Benjamin
322 Peters St. Apt. 2
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
INSECTIVROID INSPECTOR
The Stranger Steals
The Goals of Misbehavior
Harlan Records : 2002
[Buy It]
LIES A STORY
W/O
N/A
self-released : ???
TO BUY: Album still being recorded, query freakswing@hotmail.com
In my last post I talked about some killer future underground Arkansas rock compilation. Such a comp would have to include at least a couple The Stranger Steals tracks, a band from circa 99-01 that includes a lot of folks who went on to form some of my favorite bands of the last 5 years. "Insectivroid Inspector" is the leadoff song from The Stranger Steals' only album, the frankly amazing The Goals of Misbehavior. Victor Wiley, the lead singer, is one of the most impressive vocalists/front men I think anyone will ever encounter, part Malcom Mooney, part Grace Slick.
Affection, which included the drummer (Lloyd Benjamin) and bassist (Jeremy Brasher) from The Stranger Steals, were only around for a year or so (2003 I think) but in that time wrote some great songs, including "We Prefer to Be Surprised" which like a lot of their music blend elements of bands like The Clean and The Jam into something very tough and extremely smart. Guitarist and vocalist Andrew Morgan casually drops some great lyrics:
I went down to the river
I didn't kill my baby
But I threw her charm
Away and said I lost it
Two of my favorite active Arkansas bands are Tel Aviv and W/O. Tel Aviv just released an EP, Lay Me Down, and will be touring the East Coast this summer. If you get a chance, see them live. Major duende. Their sound is eclectic: "Securities" is about as direct and simple as Tel Aviv gets, a pure adrenaline attack. Other songs suggest an almost Krautrock dimension. Again, great live band. The last band in today's post is Little Rock's W/O with the ridiculously catchy and danceable "Lies a Story" which somehow combines the droning keys of Marley's "Mr. Brown" and some loose percussion (courtesy of Andrew Morgan) and a few great vocal lines from bassist TJ Deeter into a song that should be playing at all the hipster dance parties this summer.
-Tony Tost
posted by Brian
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