These days when you turn on the radio, it's rare to hear a unique sound that arrests your attention. There's only so much room for all of the Nirvana-esque, Pearl Jam wannabes out there.
Maybe I need a more discriminating ear, but I have problems distinguishing between Days of the New and Creed, and I constantly confuse Shawn Colvin with Sarah McLachlan. Don't even ask me to try to differentiate among all of the dance/pop artists out there.
Hearing rock that is original and unconventional is a refreshing change, especially when so-called "alternative music" has become the mainstream. (In its membership application, Columbia House asks club members to check the box corresponding to the type of music they like the most. The bands No Doubt and Sublime are listed as examples under the box labeled "alternative." Puh-leeze....)
Granted, "different" and "new" don't always mean "good," but the L.A.-based rock group Fly proves that sometimes they do.
Fly's debut record "Bombthreat: Before She Blows" is also the first release from the brand new record label Kneeling Elephant. The company principals are Don Muller and Marc Geiger, the booking agents for cutting-edge artists like Nirvana, Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden. In addition, Muller and Geiger are the innovators who brought us Lollapalooza as a fresh way to present music.
Kneeling Elephant/RCA Records has re-released Fly's self-produced debut. The group is a genuine do-it-yourself band that recorded the album on their own. Their fiercely independent work ethic drew Muller and Geiger to the foursome. "We just liked these guys' attitudes," says Muller. "They believe in working hard and not relying on anybody else to do things for them, which fits in perfectly with our own game plan. We just want to provide our artists with the tools to do their jobs and the rest is up to them."
Fly did rather well with their end of that bargain. Johnny (vocals, guitars, lyrics, but no last name), Scott Marcus (drums/percussion) and Chris Jacks (guitar) have created a unique blend of sounds and rhythms. Russian bassist Lev Paramonov joined the band after the album was recorded.
The album opens with a psychedelic, trippy track ("Nothing Will Replace") that sets the mysterious tone which permeates the rest of the record.
My favorite track of the entire album is "Dastardly Bastard," a song characterized by a plucky banjo. I'm not usually a big fan of the instrument. The banjo always brings to mind that creepy kid from "Deliverance." But the sound works well in this track along with the lyrics. "I'm just a dastardly bastard/ a livin' hazard/ I'm the master of gettin' plastered."
Johnny's voice on this track, as on others in this album, comes across as fuzzy. It sounds as though he's singing on the other end of a long-distance phone call. No, wait, it sounds more like someone else on the other end of a long-distance phone call is playing the CD on his stereo.
The sound of "Deadline Love" also has a removed quality, as though you were listening to an old record instead of a CD. This suits the slow, wistful ambience of the song.
The track that immediately follows it marks a sharp contrast in atmosphere. "Martian Lounge (Alien)" is quirky, filled with spacey sounds that are reminiscent of both the 1970s and "The X-Files" -- Mulder meets polyester, perhaps?
The pounding drums and fuzz-toned guitar riffs on "Tidal Wave" make it one of the catchier tracks, while "Strange" lives up to its name with a mysterious melody and weird sounds interspersed throughout.
"Set My Head On Fire" has a distinctly tribal rhythm while, according to critic Dave Jesitus, "Top O' The Bottom" resembles the glam rock of artists like David Bowie. This eclectic mix of styles is one of the reasons why the band cannot be labeled. As vocalist Johnny says, "I try to just put out music that cannot be put into some little box."
You'll probably never see Fly listed on any of those music club specials, and it's doubtful that you'll ever even hear them on the radio. So if you're willing to venture a little left of center and want to hear something that's not just more recycled junk, I suggest that you get your own copy of "Bombthreat" and prepare to be blown away.
