I swear I will not utter the words "jam" and "band" together when describing the band moe. and its new release Dither, because that would be too easy. What is more difficult is to pinpoint exactly what moe. is doing with its music.
Formed in 1991 in Buffalo, N.Y., moe. consists of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Vinnie Amico on drums and Jim Loughlin on percussion. Since 1992, the band has put out three full-length releases, including two on Sony's 550 Music label, an independent demo and two live releases. Now comes Dither on the band's own Fatboy Records, released Feb. 6 to critical acclaim. Sure, one can draw comparisons to other groovy bands, but moe. seems to offer a little more.
"Captain America" starts with turntable scratches and then combines slightly dirty guitar sounds and some organ noodling. The result is a pretty cool pop song that combines "new" pop sensibilities with enough vocal gruff to set it apart from, say, Lenny Kravitz. There's nothing trendy about the turntable scratches, though. Rather, moe. seems to be saying, "Don't try to pinpoint our sound. Just keep listening."
The hip-hop drumbeat that sets the pace for "Understand" gives way to a slightly funky romp and a semi-crunchy chorus. But again, the band manages to add in some tasty guitar licks and flanged vocals - yet keep it at around four minutes long.
"So Long" is almost that; it is almost eight minutes in length, but when the wash of guitar vibrato hits and the electric violins peek out from under, you're drawn into a warm, psychedelic soup. Then violins vamp out Middle-Eastern style, while tribal drumbeats and dirty guitars help build to a crescendo and then out. That moe. recorded this track on Thanksgiving Day of 1999 in San Francisco may explain the special vibe found here.
The 23-minute long "Opium" lays down a stoned-out groove, along with appropriate lyrical imagery: "Give me some fire and a piece of glass/Opium won't you smile on my brain." But here again, there's enough to keep you interested without sacrificing anything musically. Just keep listening.
Hip-hoppers, rap-rock freaks and punk rockers will find little to be interested in on Dither. In fact, save for a few upbeat numbers, the beat of most of the songs stay at or around the mid- to low-range tempo. But that doesn't disappoint me; to hear a band be brave enough to challenge what is popular is a good thing.
There's really much more to moe. than can be listed here, so perhaps an apt opportunity to check out more of the band would be to get to the Sunshine Theatre tonight, where the band will play an all-ages show.
