Band – The Display Team
Album – Drones
Label – Genin Records
Release date – Out now, chuckleheads
Sounds like – The Beach Boys + Rocket From The Crypt x System of a Down +  Mike Patton rubbing his hands, cackling with glee = still not even close.

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Let me create a rather daft but truthful metaphor for you: listening to The Display Team is like leaving several attention-deficit disorder kids with a load of art supplies and a big white wall that says “do not touch.” Within seconds you’ve entered a world of garish paint splatters, demented scrawls, bizarre constructs, amusing doodles, eccentric caricatures and the feeling that you’ve just discovered a group of masterminds.

Back to reality: The Display Team are 6 individuals; 2 guitars, 1 bassist, a drummer, a trombonist and a trumpet player who create the kind of batshit insane-musical chaos that will leave you more confused than sitting through both Matrix sequels back-to-back. The underlying style is raucous punk rock that has been shattered with a sledge hammer and scattered with numerous other styles. These range from flamboyant lounge-jazz, to sporadic hardcore, to even a dash of reggae, to ballsy rock ‘n roll and of course, the circus frivolity of ska. However,  it is the vocals that really slap the listener around the face like some enormous metal claw. With all 6 of The Display Team’s personnel contributing their fine sets of lungs to vocal proceedings; many of the tracks on ‘Drones’ are given a strange ‘A cappella’ feel (but of course one accompanied by instruments) or as I like to say, “a punk rock Beach Boys” and to me, it is this that sets them apart from the normality of the current music scene and raises the question: “holy shit, did they just do that?”

It’s that crucial 1-2 punch opener that distinguishes a good album from a superb album; and the Display Team fall heavily into the latter category. The immediate blast of noise that is opening track ‘Worry-Sponge’ is sledgehammer of sound. The crash of guitar chords, mixed with the thunderous drumming and reckless brass is the equivalent of The Display Team chasing you down the street like rage-infected zombies. It gets the adrenalin pumping through your body; your heart racing with unnatural speed as well as the fear of what’s lurking around the corner. What is skulking in the shadows is the ‘two’ punch in the form of ‘Gnaw The Iron Paw’; a snotty barrel roll of disgruntled punk rock, which seems to tell the story of dismantling an old regime to be replaced with another. From one perspective, the talk of ‘tear up the blueprints’ and ‘dismantle everything and start again’ (which is shouted with such jovial glee) is reflective of The Display Team’s music in a way. They are rethinking; reworking music we listen to and are striving to create something that will in their own words, ‘upset the see-saw!’ The fact that it sounds like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones trading song structures and time changes with some math rock band who have decided to start a part-time barbershop quartet just adds to how the rules are transforming.

Third track, ‘Norwegian Honey’ (which details the humorous stalking antics of an obsessive Scandinavian beauty) runs at a completely different pace when compared to the thrashing sounds of the opening salvo. Whilst the jaunt is still there, it staggers drunkenly between exuberant swing music and ‘Rock The Plank’-era Mad Caddies pirate ska. It even manages to shoehorn in some classic rock guitar squeals and short passages of ambient jazz and the odd shot of dancehall for good measure. From this description you may be thinking that it sounds like a jumbled mess of incoherent sounds, but in the hands of The Display Team, it morphs into a whimsical and vibrant shanty.

The freight train barrage soon slides back on to the rails in the form of ‘Check Up (From The Neck Up)’ which seems to tell the story of a deranged lunatic and a cry for said maniac to seek professional help; whilst the band crash their way through 3 minutes of stop-start jagged rock, distorted brass and anthemic backing vocal screams. ‘Body Renting’ treads uneven ground between Patton-style violent mood swings of grimey punk rock, with the multi-vocal attack sounding like a pack of excited monkeys jabbering with malicious intent behind the snapping and sarcastic dual leads.

Whilst ‘Karma’s Gonna Get You (Filthy Scum)’ manages to create a derisive and mocking tone; ‘Pitfalls of Politeness’ takes a trip to the circus via a local jazz recital and a marching band. It sounds like something that should be sound-tracking The Ren and Stimpy show if John Kricfalusi was ever allowed to make and release more episodes. Whilst it starts as something quite innocent (much like the aforementioned Hoek and J Cat described above) it soon descends into rasping depravity in the closing 20 seconds – a moment in music that should most definitely be longer and played at maximum volume.

The swing element returns in the form of ‘A Pathetic Pill’ – the bigger brother track of ‘Norwegian Honey.’ The Display Team’s attempt to stuff as much into this track as possible is staggering – one moment it lurches from drunken Rocket From The Crypt swami-shredding, to 70s swing rock, to bouncing skacore, spread with a thin layer of skiffle and even Sweep The Leg Johnny jazz-noise disorder. Throughout, the vocals bark, scream, shout, harmonise, rap, and screech with sporadic efficiency and barely-stifled humour.

Remember the Jazz Club sketch from The Fast Show? Well ‘Conjunctivitis’ sounds as if it was lifted directly from the end of one of John Thomson’s rambling “nice!” monologues as he turns to introduce the band. It also conjures up images of The 13th Duke of Wymbourne sliding into view, glass of brandy in one hand, cigarette in the other and a sinister look on his moustached face. This would soundtrack his dashing escapades like a bizarre cross between Richard Cheese and NOFX.

‘A Letter To Russia’ closes ‘Drones’ in a bombardment of frantic horn blasts, jagged guitars and Patton-style vocal gurgling. The track focuses on two different points of view – the first being school girl Samantha Smith’s letter to Yuri Andropov (Soviet Communist Secretary) detailing her fear of nuclear war between America and Russia. The second part of the song is Andropov’s reply, telling her not to panic and how his country are trying to prevent conflict between the two powers and his decision to invite Sammy to visit the Soviet Union. Out of the 12 tracks on ‘Drones’, ‘A Letter To Russia’ is easily the best both lyrically and vocally. The decision to touch on such subject matter with a slight tongue-in-cheek approach draws similarities with the lyrical content and style of Keep It Fast favourites, Down I Go. This kind of ‘condensed history report’ in a song is a worthy addition to The Display Team’s arsenal of talent and one they should consider repeating on future releases.

If we look back to the painting analogy for a second; it is clear that ‘Drones’ prints the word ‘FUN’ in massive letters, the size of a Donald Trump skyscraper. I’m going to throw out one of those tired music journalism clichés even though I don’t want to, but the fact is, The Display Team create some of the most unique and interesting music that strictly refuses to be pigeonholed or even stay still for more than a second. ‘Drones’ is an incredible musical journey of revolutionary sounds and is a debut that I imagine all 6 band members loved and I mean, loved making.

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Links

The Display Team Myspace
The Display Team Homepage
Genin Records

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By Ross Macdonald

Band – The Cast Of Cheers
Album – Chariot
Label – None
Release date – out now for free download at bandcamp (physical release April)
Sounds like – Kelsey Grammer passing out after 17 pints of mild.

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Those readers getting excited about finally finding a band that have recorded a concept album about Ted Danson and a group of alcoholic misanthropes should be prepared for bitter disappointment. Whilst the prospect of hearing a load of songs regaling the supposed ‘comedy gold’ of a load of American actors I don’t find funny may appeal to some, I just thank the gods that The Cast Of Cheers reference this show in name alone.
Listening through ‘Chariot’ there are times when you feel you’ve got it nailed on what “their sound is”, only for the next track to bulldoze that constructed idea and begin speedily creating another from the ground up. The Cast Of Cheers flitter between compact passages of twisted instrumental musings; spliced with broken vocal shrieks and a tight dance-punk mentality.

There’s a somewhat techno-blurring of sound on opening track ‘Goose’; which is content to splice a straight forward indie-rock tune, with glitching vocal stutters, deep basslines and robotic drum patterns. The complexity lies somewhere in the structure created by the guitars, which weave between part math-rock and part pop at a relentless pace. ‘I Am Lion’ shares similarities with ‘Goose’ to begin with, but starts to crack out of that template. The scribbled background guitar howls that meld beautifully with the heavy bass lead give the track a weird ethereal quality; whilst the tight percussion gives a nod towards spasmodic bounce of ‘Atlas’ by Battles.

Obviously, having contacts with the record label The Richter Collective, means The Cast Of Cheers are given scope and retain a certain sound from their experiences and relationships with other bands on that label. These will of course have some influence on their sound as it bleeds through, changing and expanding a band’s sound and developing new pathways. Third track ‘Tip The Can’ contains obvious elements of the prog-math-punk-chaos that is Adebisi Shank; it’s a heavy nod towards the driving pace of their track ‘Minirockers’. The guitars take on that rolling keyboard-yowl of being half-mangled, yet still perfectly composed and in tune, whilst the drumming kicks into a more sporadic gear. The vocals appear softer; more soothing – but still slightly distorted and incredibly sincere as opposed to their usual bark. Excellent use of backing vocal stutters, which sound like some peculiar mystical chant gone wrong. A wonderful piece and most definitely one of the stand-out tracks on this release.

The technical wizardry of The Cast Of Cheers’ guitarists is exemplified on ‘Auricom’; a track that not only contains the scream of ‘I’M NOT YOUR FUCKING DEPUTY’ but some incredibly strange jazz-meets-computer game blips and bleeps and see-sawing rhythms. It’s like trying to condense and then interpret Tron into 3 and a half minutes of music. The Rob Schneider-approved 5th track ‘Derp’ incorporates club land drum beats with a throaty bass heave and tappy, yet elaborate flourishes of bouncing noise-pop. ‘Strangers’ kind of stumbles slightly – being the token slower track it feels a bit lost, but the intricacies make up for this as it’s soft, dream-like nature is a soothing calm against the exhilarating rush of the previous raucousness.

The ‘screaming through a load of radio static’ vocal technique is once again applied on ‘Tigerfox’ as the yell of  “Is there any fucking love in here?” is halfway between the recording of a drunken answer phone message and passionate plea for adoration. The atmospheric shrillness of the closing minute mixes nicely with the prog-based rhythmic build before cutting off with sudden abruptness. Despite the jaunty bounce of ‘Autoshottie’, its lyrics are somewhat miserable and bizarre. The shout of “Crooked vampire! Super James Dean!” fools the listener into thinking it’s yet another lyrical non-sequitur of nonsense shouts. However, what follows touches on a darker aspect: “I am alone here….autoshottie….I have lost, everybody…I feel nothing….autoshottie” – it’s all in the delivery – this dark, dejected, almost suicidal tone that is in stark contrast to the upbeat nature of the music.

‘Deceptapunk’ is a disjointed piece, favouring dense instrumental passages of sound, interspersed with ghostly vocal whispers and soft electronic fades that seem grounded in the 80s. The final track, ‘Glitter’ starts with a jaunty circus-style stomp, before leading into a scuzzy bass line and those barbed vocals that seem to hiss and spit every word with Alan-Rickman-esque distaste. The luscious swirl of noise that follows is pitched in post-rock territory, oddly complimenting the tappy-prog of the tracks stammering build.

‘Chariot’ is intelligent, direct, impressively tight and concise dance-punk that embraces a hopeful pop edge into its noisy prog-rock inventiveness. Fans of Adebisi Shank, Battles, Errors, dancing like you’ve been electrocuted need apply straight away; The Cast Of Cheers could be one of the best kept secrets of the musical underground. Make sure you know their name.
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Links

The Cast Of Cheers
The Cast Of Cheers Band Camp

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By Ross Macdonald

We are still alive. My time has mostly been consumed by going to the pub and I’m starting to think I might have a problem – i.e. I don’t go to the pub often enough because it’s been pretty rad. Oh yeah, happy weekend everyone, here’s a post and a special photo. Remember: looking good is all that matters.

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High On Fire – Frost Hammer

High On Fire are totally ace. Dirty, filth-encrusted metal that combines the right moments of speed and thrash, with that twisted progressive edge and theatrical classic rock fury. Matt Pike’s chanting of the tracks title is a throaty roar of terror through the booming crash of Des Kensel’s beats and the rumble of Jeff Matz’s bass guitar. The convulsing, thrusting solo that shudders through in the tracks final minute absolutely slays.

Rob Zombie – Sick Bubblegum

I feel sorry for Rob Zombie. He wrote a killer song and then decided to copy that on nearly every album; dipping into more and more extreme horror themes as he went until reaching the point when singing about vomiting sweets was the best course of action. Saying that, this is possibly the best interpretation of said first track and sounds like an anthem that would be played to a motorbike gang as they chain-whip their way through some Hillbilly settlement.

The Unwinding Hours – There Are Worse Things Than Being Alone

The Unwinding Hours are made up of Craig B and Iain Cook, both ex-members of Scottish oddballs, Aereogramme. It’s a sparse, delicate effort, with Craig’s vocals dominating over the gentle pluck of the guitar. The fragility of his voice is truly beautiful – part drenched in angst, part hopeful of resolution. The build of scratched loops and crumpled programming melds into this voice, like a cacophonic drone engulfing a doomed siren – amazing stuff, words can’t do this justice – LISTEN.

Delain – April Rain

Nice keyboard intro that morphs into the discordant heavy barrage of abrasive guitars and Rammstein-style marching drums. In fact…until the un-German female vocals kicked in, this could have easily covered as a lost b-side for the Buck Dich boys. Think operatic metal in the same vein as that Within Temptation lot and Nightwish and you’re about right; but with that slight industrial edge – not overly original, but a terrific voice.

Hope Is Noise – Peace & Quiet

Obviously a somewhat ironic track title, as there is very little peace or indeed any quiet in this. The guitar tone is a scratching, caustic mess of warped, shrill squeals under the shout-sung vocal bark. This is dense and incredibly blunt rock music that bridges the gap between post-hardcore and a wall of feedback.

Crime In Stereo – Not Dead

Absolutely brilliant stuff right here. Crime In Stereo are a terrific amalgamation of barbed, spiky hardcore-meets-Brand New-style intensity. Some brilliant vocal interplay between the main singer and the backing vocalist over the serrated riffs and the slight Hot Snakes-meets-Hot Water Music punk rhetoric.

So Many Dynamos – New Bones

The best thing about this? The space invader/car alarm/someone mashing a kaos pad with their hand/trippy beats that litter this song, giving it that unconventional and off-kilter sound of someone fucking about in the studio and coming out with something that strangely works. Unfortunately when it’s not doing this, it reaches pedestrian-level indie-wetness with tedious vocals – turn the guitars up, lose the vocals then we’ll talk.

These Monsters – Call Me Dragon

This is a bit like entering a cave and disturbing something that should have stayed dormant. Whilst mostly instrumental; what vocals that do manage to fight there way through the spiralling twist of bleak prog-noise are jumbled cries of help, whilst the whine of the saxophone is the almighty roar of a beast that is frothing with malicious intent.

Story Of The Year – I’m Alive

They’re certainly keen – I mean, the eagerness bleeds through this so much, I’m in danger of being drowned in fresh-faced, soaring alt-rock. Unfortunately, the interchangeable nature of so many bands that sound like Story Of The Year means this doesn’t really do anything for me, except sounding like a track that would probably soundtrack a particularly poignant moment in One Tree Hill or something equally naff.

Person L – Goodness Gracious

This should probably come with some kind of health warning – you may injure yourself and others from all the vigorous dancing you’re about to engage in. A combination of stoner-ish, fuzzed out bass, a great emphasis on percussion, a rich infectious garage-rock drive of snotty aggression and the slightest element of funk this is one of the best tracks I’ve heard this year – outstanding work Person L.

Straight Lines – Versus The Allegiance

Holy shit is that a 12 year old girl singing? Hmm…it’s decent rock in the same vein as Fighting With Wire, but cleaner and tighter – brimming with youthful optimism and bounce, which certainly makes a change. Vocals could divide opinion however.

Mia Hope – (Filmed Like A) Modern Day

Oh man, what is it, ‘hilarious vocal month’ in the Rock Sound office or something? First we have the sound of one of the chipmunks covering a Foo Fighters song, now we have someone trying to do an impression of a crow squawking over double-bass pedal, rasping metalcore-meets-spazz rock. Actually, the tormented bird vocals work surprisingly well, obviously showing the influence of early-Poison The Well and seem to have ex-Eden Maine members as well – nice, worth investigating this raw, hardcore onslaught.

Fear Factory – Powershifter

Ah it’s nice to see things never change. With Fear Factory you’re always guaranteed the following  things – songs about machines taking over/rebellion against/of machines/destruction/construction of machine, ridiculously fast drumming and Burton C Bell’s slight-operatic-meets-Iron Maiden wail of fury at those damn self-reliant mechanoids. If they ever change, prepare for Armageddon.

Ihsahn – Lakes On Mars

This is some black metal dude who used to be in Emperor. Stabbing, punk-rock drumbeats litter this composition, that plum the dark recesses of scourged black metal, coupled with the soaring/hoarse vocal combo of dread. The guitar seems to wander at the halfway mark, leaving the drums and bass to continue down the same dark pathway of despair but holds it’s own as a competent piece of progressive metal.

In Vain – Captivating Solitude

The girl from the exorcist is coming through one speaker, whilst Marlon Brando rasps his way over well played, but dreary noise-metal through the other and ultimately melding together into some weird ritualistic chant, followed by suffocating keyboard whines. I don’t have a clue what’s going on, because frankly it’s pretty disturbing.

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Links

SEE ABOVE JACKASS

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By Ross Macdonald