MOTION PICTURE DEMISE
"Zip.
Boom. Hah" (Orange Peal Records; 2006)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
Richmond, Virginia's Motion
Picture Demise have a classic sound and incorporate an indie flavor to balance them musically. The guitar is great, Alex
"Beaker" Ferraro has many styles that he uses and he can rip like I haven’t heard in
some time. He exercises restraint on a couple of tracks but that’s part of his talent,
keeping the song in check.
The vocals sound like Robert Smith of The Cure but don’t accuse Travis Tucker
of a blatant violation. He brings a new flavor of sound to the mic. The drums gallop along and the bass is thick in some
parts but the guitar leads the revolution for most of the disc.
If you want something a little different but not too far off the beaten path, check
"Zip. Boom. Hah" out. I can see this band live by just listening to their
music. Without using the “emo” word, MPD brings emotion but doesn't pour that sap all over the place. I’m looking forward to their future releases.
The best songs here are “Causin’ A Stir,” “What’s Up Jack? The Good Times Are Back,” and “Inhuman Touch.”
Motion Picture Demise: Travis Tucker – vocals, piano; Alex “Beaker” Ferraro – guitars; Ryan Owenby – bass; Matthew Hylton – drums and percussion.
For more information, check out http://www.motionpicturedemise.com.
"Zip.
Boom. Hah" (Orange Peal Records; 2006)
Reviewed by Ray Van Horn Jr
Josh Homme has to be sitting back and laughing at his handiwork. Not that he deserves full credit for the current garage rock revitalization, but there’s no denying that Queens of the Stone Age’s "Songs for the Deaf" can be looked at as a catalyst, along with The Hives and Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius radio, not to mention the new wave revisiting by The Bravery, Bloc Party and their ilk, and wham, we find ourselves in the midst of a veritable revival scene.
Richmond, Virginia’s Motion Picture Demise is another high-spirited pop-flavored garage band that trails on the heels of contemporaries such as The Bangkok Five, Sahara Hotnights and Wolfmother that collectively honor classic seventies feelgood rock grooves ... and there’s nothing wrong with it. Motion Picture Demise is equally catchy to their peers with just a shade of flamboyance to the blatant sway of Travis Tucker’s vocals and their sock-you-in-the-teeth rock'n'roll on tracks like “Causin’ a Stir,” “The Comfortable Divide” and “What’s Up, Jack?” Even the ballad “The Good Times Are Back” possesses enough punch in its mere suggestion, much less its delivery; its melancholy overtone is its primary charm. The second ballad “Innocent” is even more stripped down to its bare acoustic essence without dwelling into schmaltz.
Some snazzy guitar work by a pair of Alexes (Ferraro and Howard) gives Motion Picture Demise a bit more credence. The solos by Ferraro are killer, particularly on “What’s Up, Jack?” and while "Zip.Boom.Hah" seems to be over faster than the half hour it clocks in at, the album sounds like the beginnings of something else instead of its own direct entity.
Whatever lurks on this band’s horizon, it ought to be interesting, so long as this garage rock resumption is around to sustain it.
For more information, check out http://motionpicturedemise.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2006 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised:
11 Nov 2024 12:14:36 -0500
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