Friday, March 27, 2009

Tinsel Teeth

There is something about Providence, Rhode Island that seems to just produce great, unique bands. Anyone with even a passing familiarity will tell you that all the great bands in the capitol city are all unique, no two sounding at all alike.

Tinsel Teeth is a case in point. How to describe their sound as anything but "Tinsel Teethy"? Which, when you think about it, is retarded. But there you go. There are a couple of things that this band shares with ALL great bands in the area. One, they are a tight-knit unit who have obviously practiced their asses off, and they are intense.

Rocking out since 2007, TT are a four piece comprised of Steph on vocals, Brandon the guitarist, Dave the bassist, and, Will, the drummer.

I first saw TT in the flesh this past September at the Arab On Radar DVD release party, playing with Daughters and I believe another band. It was at this moment that I knew I wanted to write about them.

Their live show is a spectacle to behold. Steph, the above named singer, is a small framed young woman who turns into a manic, crazed individual when the band starts rocking out. Her stage manner will appeal to anyone who loves interactive bands, as I was body-checked with some force a couple of times during their set. It was a lot of fun.

So, back to the matter of their sound. Part of my job as a teacher/music journalist is to deconstruct a bands sound for the purposes of education. This can be a tricky proposition, but the medium demands it. So, here we go.

Imagine a sort of noise rock with more straight riffage, coupled with a subtle blues element and a very punk rock, aggro drummer and you have a start. At least from my point of view. You see, there is something almost sexual to me in the rhythmic aspect of the phrasing that the instruments set up. Some sort of drunken, cocksure swagger. Listen to Farewell to Architecture or Postmodern Posture and hear for yourself.

Anyway, this band wants to play all over, and I think they should have this chance. If you want a raw, non-commercial rock experience that will leave you sweaty and smiling, you need to see this band. Besides which, you have to love a band that lists among its extra-musical influences "cryptozoology and drugs." Personally, I think that there is a huge connection between these two subjects, but that is best left for a later blog. Cheers.

Check em out at www.myspace.com/tinselteethy

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Tinsel teeth are all of the Captain Beefheart records released between 1969 and 1973 put into a blender with a couple of mental hospital patient wards....and a big dose of bathtub meth.

They truly are awesome.