Four Play - Local artists of the month
http://www.ontaponline.com/view_article.php?article_id=10177 Four Play
Four Artists that Should Be on Your Radar
Photo courtesy of the Five Maseratis
written by
Chris Connelly
The Five Maseratis
Web:
www.thefivemaseratis.com On December 1st, 1914, five brothers named Maserati founded a new high performance car company bearing the family name. Maserati has since become synonymous with some of the best race cars in the world??and the denominator for an Arlington-based power pop band, the Five Maseratis. Like their vehicular namesake, the Five Maseratis run on high-octane, producing a sound that falls somewhere between the Cars, Supergrass and Sloan. The quartet will be releasing their second EP in early 2006; Their first effort was produced by Don Zientara of Inner Ear Studios and is highlighted by explosive tracks such as ??Everything is Falling Apart.? With tight harmonies and tighter bass lines, the Five Maseratis are likely to make a lasting name for themselves.
The Sentiment
Next show: January 19th, DC9
Web:
www.thesentiment.com So you think a band??s style is as important as their music? That eyeliner is an integral part of a stage show? Well, The Sentiment has a sentiment for you: drink some Schlitz and piss right off. Channeling the early ??90s like it??s their job, this DC quintet eschews image and focuses on the three essentials of rock music: distortion, volume and beer. The Sentiment put on shows that would make Axl Rose proud with live sets that resemble a house party, due in no small part to the amount of alcohol the band and their fans tend to plow through. But despite a penchant for rock excess, the band is fueled by fun, catchy, and reckless rock riffage, proving that real rock music is an image in and of itself.
Kohoutek
Next show: January 21st, Warehouse Next Door
Web:
http://claviusproductions.alkem.org/kohoutek.html Experimental music is a difficult genre to appreciate, and even more difficult to describe. Based on the fundamental belief that music is an art form as much as it is entertainment, experimental musicians strive to redefine what music is. Enter the D.C.-based Kohoutek, whose improvisational sets incorporate elements of jazz, rock, noise and pyschedelia. This is not music for those searching for melody, but for the adventurous, Kohoutek is the musical equivalent of a modern art exhibition. By weaving sound tapestries that vary from show to show, the band??s work can range from the abstract to accessible. Above all, the band remains interesting by coaxing unexpected audio from traditional and homemade instrumentation. Kohoutek is a phenomenal starting point for those intrigued by experimental music and willing to push their listening boundaries.
Paleo
Web:
www.paleo.ws Every now and again, you stumble across a musician that makes you wonder where exactly he??s been hiding. We have no idea where Paleo (a.k.a. David Andrew Strackany) came from, but man alive, are we glad we found him. Paleo is pure low-fi bliss, featuring scratchy vocals creeping out from under strummed acoustic guitars. Steadfast brushed drums are accentuated with flourishes from accordion, pedal steel and occasional keyboards, adding up to wonderful indie rock songs that will appeal to fans of bands such as Apostle of Hustle or the Arcade Fire. Paleo recalls the best of Sparklehorse, with an alt-country bent that is simultaneously reassuring and provoking. There is something familiar about the songs from Misery, Missouri??as chilling as the hushed confessions of an old friend: honest, intensely personal, and riveting.
