148 -The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, September 6, 1995
Orange 9mminch
By Ted Watts
Daily Arts Writer
It's a big musical world out there,
and there are a lot of styles that have
developed. Orange 9mm falls under
the style dubbed "post-hardcore."
Their sound is angry and fast, but
surprisingly complex. The question
of what their sound evolved from is
easily raised.
"The band has a lot of influ-
ences, but not any common influ-
ences," explained Orange 9mm gui-
tarist Chris Traynor. "Each of us
has different influences. Me and
(singer) Chaka (Malik, vocals) are
the primary songwriters. I have my
ideas about what Orange 9mm
should be like, and he has different
ideas about what Orange 9mm
should be like, and I'm sure Davide
(Gentile, bass) and Matt (Cross,
drums) do as well. It boils down to
a respect of each others' talents and
fitting them together."
Singer Malik's musical influ-
ences are especially complicated.
His staccato yet melodic delivery
implies a diverse musical back-
ground. "I think Chaka has a unique
aspect on vocals cuz he came from a
neighborhood, a project, where his
parents were listening to Al Jarreau
and Superfly and the kids when he
was growing up began to DJ and
were listening1
and a whole bu
he got into h
Traynor. "HeN
kids into hard(
lived. It was to
if you listened
got fucked with
whole bunch of
whether you lik
is undeniably h
it is, but it's n(
trying to add th
he's just that o
Despite the1
ied forebears,
put isn't isolat(
Another, Sick
ange 9mm, Hel
from New York
We're trying to
It's not popular:
determine theq
Still, the energ
from a lot of ki
thing now, but
such a long tim
in the last two
years or the las
been around. I
couldn't get to:
take one of us
these kids are g
Orange 9mi
(Not Included),
their way to the top
to hip hop and disco CD, emblazoned with a red motor-
nch of shit, and then cycle helmet that Traynor and Malik
ardcore," posited found in a pawn shop. A collection
was one of the only of a dozen songs, "Driver" is an
core from where he easy to transport version of the Or-
tal white music, and ange 9mm experience. But that's
to white music, you not enough, according to Traynor.
iand shit. He's got a "Without people listening to it, your
things going on, and music is worthless." Thus, the driver
ce or hate his voice it isn't included because it's the driver
Lis. Some people say that bought the disc. There is clearly
ot like rap. He's not the music and the listener who makes
iese things together, the music work.
ne person." Of course, there's more to music
band's uniquely var- than just music. Orange 9mm's la-
Orange 9mm's out- bel, EastWest, has gone through
ed. "Bands like Into some ups and downs of late. Former
of it All, CIV, Or- Sub Pop band Tad has been rumored
met, all those bands to have become the most recent ca-
k are into each other. sualty. However, Traynor denies
forge a new sound. significant difficulties. "There were
now, but that doesn't a lot of changes, but I don't think a
quality of the music. lot of those things even indirectly
y is being held back affected us. The band has a policy:
ds. Punk rock is a big Basically, the band directs the band.
it's been around for The band goes out and plays. We're
ie. It hasn't come up building up an audience. Every time
years or the last 10 we play a place, the second or third
t 15 or 20 years. It's time we play, more and more kids
But a lot of people are coming out to see us. And we
it... It's just going to keep writing the music. The music
to go, and then all business is a business, but the band
onnahear our sound." is about the band. Our only concern
m's album, "Driver is seeing that the record gets out.
," is a simple looking We're switching to Atlantic so we
lu
10 /
t ._
? r v.
h
U.
i -- IRM '. ., - ,
I
Orange 9mm are a musically diverse band in the New york post-hardcore scene.
can get more product out there, cuz
we're almost out of the records that
are out there. Otherwise the band
just plays."
And play they have, with every-
one from Helmet to Ned's Atomic
Dustbin (the latter of which Traynor
described as "kind of an experi-
ment.") And virtually all of their
touring has been a positive experi-
ence. "We're so fortunate, we've
gotten to tour with some of our fa-
vorite bands. I love Helmet, and I
love Quicksand. Sick of it All and
Biohazard were great people to us.
Korn, I was so skeptical about go-
ing on tour with them. But then I
realized how much I love metal.
We're going on tour with them again
after (the Warped Tour). We want
to make it so when we play we have
a diverse crowd that knows what
we're about. We're just laying the
groundwork for our own tours."
But what are the people in the
band like? "We're very edgy, we're
very moody, we're very high an
low. I think that's what the band ha
to do with more than anything else..
The best songs by us are the one
where we totally disagree and to
tally compromise and~ put. it to
gether."
So conflict makes for good mu
sic. And if that's true, trust Orang
9mm to keep making good imusi
because of Traynor's predilections
if nothing else. "I love cats becaus
they hate people." Meow..,
RECORDS
Continued fomr page 12B
Jesse
Never Let You Go
Capitol Records
What is that line of demarcation
which separates your everyday R&B
Joe from those recording artists like
Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and
Patti LaBelle, whose fame will last
forever? Whatever it takes to cross
the threshold' into the land of R&B
immortality, it can be certain that
Jesse has those talents, and his de-
but release "Never Let You Go"
will be the first of a long line of
spectacular musical creations.
Jesse, a native of Chicago, is an
outstanding artist, and one listen to
almost any of the 12 cuts on "Never
Let You Go" will make you a Jesse
fan forevermore. His first single,
"When You Cry I Cry," a very beau-
tiful song, played well on many
black radio stations. But, this song
doesn't make the CD, it is only one
contribution to an all-around spec-
tacular LP. Cuts like the title track,
"The Comfort of YOu Man," "Keep
It Slow" and my personal favorite,
"Know That I Love You" will con-
tinually flow sweet-sounding lyrics
and music into your ear.
Words can not describe the full
musical impact "Never Let You Go"
has made. And, it has come at the
nick of time - a time when so-
called artists are making a mockery
ofR&B with their lackluster perfor-
mances and even notable artists like
Luther Vandross and Keith Sweat
have fairly recently released musi-
cal downers.
Jesse has not produced simply
the best R&B CD in recent memory;
he has produced the most exciting
and refreshing set of R&B grooves
this decade. All R&B hopefuls had
better keep their eye on Jesse, be-
cause as of now, he's the man to
beat.
- Eugene Bowen
Low
Long Division
Vernon Yard
Sleep is a good thing. So is music.
Mix the two together and you've got
Low, one of the better examples of
somnambulist pop in recent memory.
Their newest album,"Long Division,"
raises its sleepy head long enough to
let slip some beautiful, droning pop
songs like "Shame" and "Violence."
The gentle interplay of Alan and
Mimi's vocals, the undulating guitar
lines and understated percussion give
"Long Division" a restful and peace-
ful air. It's one sleeping pill that's
easy to swallow.
- Heather Phares
Earwig
Mayfeeder
LFM
The earwig is an insect of the
order Dermaptera, marked by slender
many-jointed antennae and a pair of
cerci resembling forceps at the end of
the body. To most, however, it's just
another bug. Incidentally, one of the
more recent additions to the insect
order, a trio from Ohio who call them-
selves "Earwig," is destined to join
the ranks of the thousands of medio-
cre alternative rock bands who seem
to be crawling out of the woodwork in
the last few years. Their album
"Mayfeeder" is, after all, just another
album.
Although a few ofthe eleven tracks
maintain catchy and driving rhythms
alongside some semi-interesting lyr-
ics, most of them are long and stale.
Occasionally on the brink of a clever
solo, or even just a melody that might
stand out, guitarist (and vocalist) Liz-
ard McGee is unable to find the magic
he needs. As the four piece ensemble
comes together, primarily in a verse-
chorus-verse fashion, uncharted ter-
ritory is far from prevelant. Robert
Frost would certainly frown, as "Ear-
wig" does not choose to take "the
road less travelled by. .
Worse yet, the self-proclaimed
garage band suggests, in the CD
jacket's most bold letters, that
listeners set their playing volume at
"LOUD." Perhaps they hope enough
amplification will provide the album
with the sounds they were unable to
create themselves, and possibly
disguise their bland chord progres-
sions in the process. "Mayfeeder" is
far too quiet to be loud, too clean to
be distorted, and certainly devoid of
the character and energy that typifies
the work of a garage band. In fact,
many of the tracks have a frightening
resemblance to yet another sickly
sounding "alternative" band - Blind
Melon.
In the later half of the 20th century
the music industry has seen its share
of singing bugs - "The Beatles,"
"The Scorpions," "Adam Ant," etc.
With "Mayfeeder" as a prudent warn-
ing, it needs no more. Please arm
yourself with some potent insect re-
pellent and prevent "Earwig" from
making another album.
- Cory Huttenga
Various Artists
New Music From Woodstock
New York
Continuum Records
"New music from WoodstockNew
York..." What kind of gimmick is this?
Is there something in the water of the
upstate town that rockets local musi-
cians to Hendrix-level playing? Did the
gods of folk rock look down on New
York and say, "Heya, let's make that
little Woodstocktown the next Seattle"?
Guess again.
"Newmusic..."featurestwo songs
each by local musicians Will Hoppey,
Lunchmeat, Peacebomb, Go Van Go,
PErFecT ThYroID and Charles
Lyonhart. While the CD trumpets it-
self as the voice from the next Seattle,
the sad reality is that most of the
songs range from hilariously bad to
"please put down your guitar NOW."
Lunchmeat presents the worst use
of the Woodstock name with their
weird thrash/adult contemporary
songs "Incognito" and "Boot Camp."
"Boot Camp" throws in a few march-
ing rhythms to distinguish itself from
"Incognito," but otherwise, they both
sound like Slayer playing a Bar
Mitzvah.
The hippie-country rock of Will
Hoppey is equal parts Chris Isaak and
Michael Bolton. He begins in relaxed,
deep, mellow tones, and suddenly he's
growling, and you realize with fear
that he has become Power Vocal Man.
PErFecT ThYroID combine hokey
lyrics with lounge-like synthesizers in a
bad impersonation of God Street Wine.
The only saving grace on the entire
album is Peacebomb. "Lean Skinned
Mammal" is asamba-beating, cowbell-
ringing, whistling and shrieking relief
on an otherwise dull album. "Moment
of Truth" features lyrics which alter-
nate between spoken word and opera.
In short, they're the only band with an
original note in their repetoire.
At one ofthe album's lowest points,
hippie rock band Go Van Go drones on
and on about how they're riding on that
mythical, psychedelic, hip "Bus of
Love." After you're through with this
album, you'll be more inclined to be-
lieve they're riding on the reputation of
the performers at the original
"Woodstock." And you canbet Hendrix
is rolling over in his grave about that
one.
- Kari Jones
Monster Magnet
Dopes to Infinity
A&M
If there ever was a video tha
captured a band's sound and styli
succintly it was Monster Magnet'
"Negasonic Teenage Warhead" tha
MTV actually played a few times
Old couches, asteroids floatina
around, random 7-11 food inage
and in the end, the extremely litera
hot rod containing all four ban
members driving through the leg
of a giant woman, all to the sound
of a 70s space-rock anthem.
Not that there's anything wron;
with that. Monster Magnet's secon
major label album continues to ex
pand on their atmospheric, Sabbath
guitar riffs and lead singer Day
Wyndorf's vague odes to sex, drug
and ... oh hell, I don't know wha
he's talking about. They sound lik
my older burnout brother and hi
heroin addict buddies jamming in
garage with incense candles and olf
Hawkwind records for compan:
(which is of course ridiculous t
suggest about my brother. H
doesn't like incense).
Just light up a blunt and shou
"Dude, cool!" (it's even better i
you do this with the Monster Mag
net CD playing, instead ofjust shouw
ing it out randomly). Cool jammin
for those who never got that Dead
head thing, except for the drugs.
- Kirk Mile
See RECORIDS, page 1
Low's latedst album 'Long Division is a beautiful musical sleeping pill.
U I
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