 |
| Photo by Judith Levitt |
"Bring Your Earplugs." These three words probably get passed on a lot when describing A Place to Bury Strangers' live show. "Jaw-dropping" is another. The band has certainly tried to meet its audience halfway; they brought a huge jar of earplugs on a recent tour. Despite (or maybe because of) this thunderous live show, A Place to Bury Strangers has earned a rabid NYC fan base. If good rock music is defined by its ability to drive the kids wild and bring them faithfully back for more, APTBS definitely fit the bill. "People will come to every show we play," states drummer Jay Space. We can assume that the faithful will be at Union Pool on Thursday, April 19.
The band's current lineup consists of Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals), Jay Space (drums) and Jono Mofo (bass). Ackermann is the songwriting force of the trio. The singer/guitarist builds his own effects pedals (Death By Audio), and his passion for warping the electric guitar into Phil Spector-ish walls of sound is evident in all the material. While there are solid vocal melodies in these tunes, the mid-range instrumental onslaught is almost always turned to ear-bleeding levels. Mofo and Space add their personal touch during rehearsals, and the result is a live show performed at volumes that would make J Mascis proud. Incorporating the pop elements of the Jesus & Mary Chain and Joy Division, this is visceral mood music, designed to invigorate the listener through a high-decibel pummeling of white noise. Psychedelic music for the Red Bull Generation, in other words. Most New Wave revival acts would punctuate a song like "Ocean" with melodic, one-note guitar lines and robotic snare hits. APTBS splatter the tune with squalls of feedback, spastic drum fills and bass lines that fill up the bottom-end with the subtlety of a sledge hammer. "Never Going Down" begins with a "Just Like Heaven" drum intro and proceeds to clear the dance floor in true Husker Du fashion. Like last month’s Jezebel feature, Meowskers, APTBS take pride in their ability to reproduce this sound live in a trio, further evidence that there is a growing divide between bands that pile as many musicians onstage as they can and those that attempt to produce bigger sounds with fewer members.
 |
| Photo by Judith Levitt |
There are currently three homemade, self-produced EPs available for fans who want to hear more. Like any rock band with such an ambitious, aggressive sound, APTBS have taken a shot at a fully produced record and even had a chance to record with a big-name producer. Their last attempt fell through, but the band has patience. For now, the EPs offer the audience a great souvenir to take home after a show. Perhaps it's better this way. Like the appeal of early Sebadoh and Guided by Voices records, the EPs come across as enthusiastic, professional home recordings; for some, their distinct lo-fi charm may be more enjoyable than any future studio LP which attempts to replicate the live sonic assault.
Like most bands, APTBS have day jobs. Ackermann has turned his penchant for creating effects pedals into a business. Mofo and Space both work at Piano's, a job they appreciate, but would love to shake eventually. This hasn't slowed the band down any, but all three admit that "having no distractions" would be a nice change: to not tear away from the studio in order to earn some bar tips; to have a label help them promote their touring schedule, and get more dates in Europe; to make a living doing what they do best. It seems as if such opportunities may come knocking sooner than later.
At this point, the trio has performed at many of New York City's medium sized rock venues, including Webster Hall and Bowery Ballroom. As the rooms grow larger -- which they most certainly will -- the music will have more room to breathe. Of course, for A Place to Bury Strangers, that might just give them a chance to turn the amps up even higher. There are often a lot of musicians in the audience, and given the band's social circles maybe David Bowie will stop by and check them out sometime soon. "When Bowie sees us," comments one member (half?) jokingly, "it's going to blow his mind!" Not to mention his eardrums.
http://www.aplacetoburystrangers.com |
