***** REVIEWS *****
TIMEOUT NEW YORK
"Is it possible to smash a guitar un-self-consciously? It certainly seemed that way at Cake Shop earlier this month, when Awesome Color left a roomful of in-the-know types gleefully dumbstruck. (Oakley Hall was headlining-- that alone means several quality musicians were present.) Singer Derek Stanton's seemingly unpremeditated ax-whacking lacked any sense of violence or menace(which is fine). It was simply the final blow in a stream of gestures that translate across rock & roll forms; any punk, metal, or bar-rock fan can appreciate the thrill of someone playing guitar with his bare feet--and having it both look and sound cool. (Yes, Stanton did that, too). Considering that Awesome Color has been a band for only nine months, there's an alarming lack of things to find fault with in their music or its execution; even the name makes sense after witnessing the trio's unironic stage presence. Some of the group's songs evoke Sabbath as played by Germans in the '70s, with Stanton's terse riffs cruising atop crisp, loping grooves provided by bassist Michael Troutman and drummer Allison Busch. Other tunes come across like lean, airy impressions of classic Southern rock (the three met in Ann Arbor, Michigan--the northernmost Southern state--before setting up together in Bushwick). But the most indelible image from an Awesome Color show is the rapt joy in Stanton's face when he backs away from the microphone for a solo. It was infections in the close quarters of Cake Shop, and should be at the Lakeside, too." Mike Wolf
ALL MUSIC
Awesome Color are a power trio from Brooklyn but their original and spiritual home is in the mid-west. The mid-west where pounding drums that sound like they are played with tree limbs, angry, whiplashed guitars and snarled, over-amped vocals rule the day, where the Stooges rule with a leather whip and a TV eye. The band's self-titled debut is a rocket-fueled blast of energy and brains, packed with songs and sounds that will blow you away. They are equally adept at bashing out short and devilish rockers and at weaving through longer and slower trippy tunes like the album's last track Animal. Guitarist/vocalist Derek Stanton is both an amazing singer from the howl till the mic feeds backs= school and a fiery guitarist with a knack for bludgeoning riffs and raw, exciting solos too. He's backed with precision by drummer Allison Busch and bassist Michael Troutman, they give Stanton room to run wild and are always there when he lands. A near perfect rhythm section, in other words. The trio put their skills to use on hook-filled, roof-raising tracks like Ridin', Free Man, the rampaging Hat Energy (which features some fine freeform sax work from Wade Kergan) and the near Sabbath grind of See You Hear You. You wouldn't think from looking at the booklet photo of the group that such an innocent looking bunch (dressed in such loud colors!) could create a sound so hairy, tough and thudding. They can though and while they are nothing if not derivative, they play with so much energy and fire that they sound like contemporaries, peers, of the Stooges, not like kids kicking out the jams almost 30 years later. Awesome Color live up to their name. Review by Tim Sendra
TREBLE
The three members of Awesome Color couldn't have possibly been alive during The Stooges' early, nihilistic and dangerous days, let alone old enough to have actually been at Max's when Iggy bled out half his insides. So it's something of a curiosity that this trio can create such a heavy and hairy sound that bears more than a passing resemblance to The Stooges or their Detroit peers, MC5. Being that Awesome Color began in Ann Arbor, it may just be in their blood; they've inherited that burly, Big Muff sound. Whatever the source of such, ahem, raw power, Awesome Color has it in spades.
Their self-titled album, released on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label and produced, in part, by Moore himself, is a classic garage rock record that puts any of the past decade's half-assed attempts by other bands to shame. Any Swede in a suit can attempt Stooges theft and make it passable, but these three young American gents do their rock `n' roll right. This is fuzzed-out, heavy, and completely awesome stuff, as their name might lead you to believe. Opener "Grown" slaps the listener with some ironclad guitar chugs and steady skin-beating, courtesy of Allison Busch. Frontman Derek Stanton channels Iggy Pop in his slithering, lascivious vocals, yet with his own ragged charm.
"Ridin'" has some kick-ass riffage, coasting into a faster pace than the album's gut-punching opener. Stanton approaches with a near whisper in the Sabbath-like "Free Man," before coolly declaring "I'm just a free man." "Unknown" explodes with blasts of blazing hot harmonica blowing and wild guitar freakouts, while "Hat Energy" proves to not only be a cool title, but a great mantra when Stanton recites that he's got it "on his skateboard" and "all over this town."
Awesome Color live up to their name without fail, offering 8 tracks of awesomeness and vibrance, unfailingly carrying on the legacy of their home state's rock heroes, despite currently living in New York. And though I've never seen them live, I hear there's some crazy shit that goes down when they perform. Considering the kind of damage that they do on record, I recommend everyone bring a helmet.
Jeff Terich
08.02.2006
