“From England to Marietta College”

c. 2008 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(5-08)

Writing about music is a pleasure. Something akin to a refreshing beverage at the end of a long day of burdensome responsibilities. It is happy work.

But occasionally, these tasks require more than a simple rendering of opinions. In such instances, it is necessary to find a tangent upon which to build a readable review.

A recent example of this came after receiving a demo CD from the British group ASbos. They were a young band, typically eager to be noticed. On the networking website MySpace, the collective advertised for professional critics to hear their work. After listening to tracks that they had posted, I answered their request by providing my P.O. box, in Chardon. Weeks later, a package arrived via Royal Mail.

The disc contained four songs. All were well composed and performed. Their sound evoked thoughts of the late 70’s / early 80’s New Wave scene - with a bit of grunge tossed in for good measure.

I felt confident in giving them a positive review.

Yet when the moment arrived to opine on their music, I was stuck. A contact named Alex had mailed the ASbos disc. But… nothing else. There was no biography, no list of members… or anything.

I rechecked their website, but learned no more. Hard information about the group was decidedly sparse. And I couldn’t get in touch with my mysterious contact. To produce a competent manuscript, I would have to improvise a storyline of my own. The result was a bit of ‘Thoughts At Large’ in cyberspace:
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ASbos – Get in the Way

All week long, I’d been thinking about a demo CD that came in the mail from England. As the newspaper chore-list vanished, line-by-line, this single task continued to nag at my sense of well being. Why hadn’t I gotten around to writing a review? Excuses were plentiful. But they did nothing to speed along the task itself.

I continued to ponder this dilemma whilst on the road, last weekend. My niece was graduating from Marietta College, in southeastern Ohio, with a Bachelor’s Degree in music – and I wanted to attend. Speaking at the ceremonies was a living hero of the American Civil Rights struggle, Rep. John R. Lewis. This made the occasion even more memorable.

Lewis admonished the graduating class of 2008 to take an active role in society as had those who came of age with Dr. Martin Luther King.

“Get in the way!” he said. “Do not accept the Status Quo.” It was the sort of rebel’s prayer that those steeped in non-conformity take to heart.

Listening to ASbos provided an overseas echo of that same vibe in the air.
Musically, rebellion is good… because music is the ‘vibe’ that carries energy from one human soul to another.

Professional scribes are fond of reflecting on the soulful and idealistic nature of Rock music. They typically recall the birth of this genre with a sort of romanticism that has no modern equivalent. The story… has been told. Yet it bears being said over and over again.

This was the VIBE in its infancy! There is merit to repetition when speaking of Chuck Berry, James Brown, Little Richard, and Elvis.

Those inclined to deeper consideration of cultural progress may observe that a logical progression followed that golden era. The vibe ricocheted from such seedlings of primal authenticity to take root in a interpretations colored by postmodern angst, hippiedom, pub-rock, punk, synthetic noodlings, grunge, and urban/de-constructionist overtones.

Yet the paradigm became well worn. Wal-Mart began to sell concert T-shirts. Rock ‘n’ Roll was co-opted by the same corporate moguls that once decried its inception.
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins/Bo Diddley/The Velvet Underground/The Stooges/Jonathan Richman/Roxy Music/The Ramones/The Clash/The Sex Pistols/Nirvana/R.E.M./U2… they were all in the past, to one degree or another.

Only the occasional flash of creativity seemed to breach this creative darkness. The White Stripes, for example. Or The Strokes.

But MySpace exploded this situation with beautiful abandon.

Suddenly, new bands were everywhere. And old bands were revived by the opportunity to breathe fresh air, again.

The vibe was loose, once more!

This was my reaction upon listening to the ASbos demo, sent by band member Alex. Hearing tracks like “That’s Right” and “Stanlow” was like tonal therapy. It connected the portion of my brain responsible for remembering late 70’s/early 80’s New York with the part that serves as a repository for cultural hope.

Note: Asbos are ‘Anti-Social Behavior Orders’ in the United Kingdom. In other words, charges against those who have engaged in public behavior that is considered disruptive and disorderly.

Yes, everything old really can be new, again.

Call it punk, powerpop, D.I.Y. or street-cred. There is power in the disaffection of woeful young voices.

“Not An Animal” (forgive me for paraphrasing some of the titles here) had just the right hook of sub-metallic thrash to resuscitate my cerebral network. Plus a bit of Sterling Morrison for good measure. And mob harmony borrowed semi-politely from the Pistols.

It’s a statement that rings with meaning from the segregated south, in America, to the working-class neighborhoods of Britain. “I am a human being!”
“Miracle” evoked the spirit I felt when buying JEM-import vinyl releases by groups like The Stranglers, Magazine, Squeeze, and Ultravox. Even in the pre-Internet era, there were experimental, progressive bands on the horizon. Today is no different. Yet one must look beyond the hype.

Look carefully. ASbos might not be on your iPod radar. But they should be.

On their net page, “That’s Not Mum” made me grin. Instead of a breathless, overdone rant, the tune speaks with humility. The sum – a mash up of wonder/hurt/resignation/self doubt/sadness/tears/betrayal played out with keyboards and guitar. The song nearly seems to march toward family catastrophe. What to do? Tell Mom and unmask Dad as a scoundrel? Or live with the secret, and strange perfume?

“Weird Dream” is a bare-knuckled look inside the human psyche. Guilt? It’s here in spades. But to what end?

The upshot yielded by listening is this: ASbos represents a collaboration brimming with musical chops, personality, compositional skills, and satirical poise. I’d be glad to have their catalog represented in my household collection.

Would you? Listen, and decide.

Just don’t wait to be led in that direction.
__________

I posted the review with a grin. Though not strictly about the band itself, my bit of prose was typical for the Icehouse. I hoped that ASbos would receive it cheerfully. Not to mention… the graduates at Marietta College.

Postscript: Our condolences and love go out this week to the family of Rebecca M. Malloy, who passed away on May 19th after a brave period of illness and survival. Her daughter, Mary Bramstedt, is a Chardon City Councilperson and an active resident of Geauga County. Mrs. Malloy will be missed by friends and family, everywhere.

Comments about Thoughts At Large may be sent to: icewritesforyou@gmail.com
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