Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Tina Welzien and I have coffee every other Thursday. We discuss running, school, and anything else on our minds. Lately, our meetings have become more and more about music and we have begun to formalize it. It is one person’s job to bring a CD to share and it is the other person’s job to write a review. Below is our first review:

Cymbals Eat Guitars: "Why There Are Mountains"

Tina said: Cymbals Eat Guitars a band out of Staten Island have been recognized with
Pitchforks “Best New Band” award. Their independently released album Why There Are Mountains according to some could be the best Indie album of the year. I disagree.

While listening to the album I kept thinking that they have such a good sound, but they could do much better. The use of trumpets, background vocals, and other musical instruments was enjoyable. However, the guitar distortion was horrific. Now, maybe with a name like Cymbals Eat Guitars, guitar distortion is something that they could have been trying to create a sound like their band name. However, it did not seem to fit, even when the distortion as it was built into each song.

With that being said- I do have a sense that they are on to something bigger and better as I hear reflections of Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, and a little bit of Nirvana. On the Tina/Charlie promote it, lend it, and deny it scale; I would give it a lend it.

Charlie said: I hate the term Indie. What exactly does that mean? My guess is that it means an independently released CD. Isn’t almost everything now-a-days independently released?

I really like how Cymbals Eat Guitars use their guitars. Not only does the feedback add energy and grit, it helps create the picture they are so accurately painting. On the first song on this album, And the Hazy Sea, the guitar feedback brought me in and out the haze.

I agree with you Tina, I hear moments of all the bands you mentioned and I would add Pavement. And yet, the same time, Cymbals Eat Guitars, have a distinct sound of their
own. This is a band that is willing to experiment and the energy to pull it off. I was impressed and excited about what is to come.

On the Tina/Charlie promote it, lend it, and deny it scale; I would give it a strong promote it.