brent white
02-24-2006, 11:03 AM
By all accounts, a band like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum could easily have taken a much softer road, become a band of lowest common denominators. For, you see, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum presents many things to its listeners and to its (captive and captivated) audiences: They are a metal band, an experimental art troupe, futurists, politically aware beings and rockers against rock. They could easily have dumbed this all down and sold plenty of records. But the men and woman that comprise the group are not going to compromise their ideals for money. In fact, they are still paying off works from the previous century.
Upon entering the world – or in this case the bus – of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, it becomes boldly apparent that this is not just a band, this is not just a conglomerate of musical masterminds and thoughtful souls. This is a family. There's an obvious father figure, an obvious mother figure and three sons. It's quite terrifying, really, to come to this realization.
Nils Frykdahl, "user of words," player of chords, is the one in command, the voice of reason and the teacher in the group. Clearly he is head of the household, as he seemed to be the one most willing to answer questions and answer them with authority. His strong baritone voice and well-researched opinions make him almost impossible to ignore, even if you don't necessarily agree with what he has to say. His naturally theatric voice has made many who have heard the band wonder why he hasn’t pursued more mainstream acting jobs. One person upon whom I forced SGM remarked that he would have been a great Mr. Mephistopheles in Cats. I can neither confirm nor deny.
The mother is portrayed, as would seem obvious, by the one woman in the group: violinist Carla Kihlstedt. She is one of the most orderly ones, making sure things are getting done, even as she actively involves herself in the interview, always busy and always thinking. And, when necessary, chiming in to correct her boys, such as when Dan uses the word "anthropomortize" instead of "anthropomorphize" when describing his beloved Bus (that's its name, if it were to be given one).
Dan Rathbun, maker of instruments, master of the low end, is the calm, calculating son. He only takes part in the conversation when he feels something needs to be said or if he is asked directly. Otherwise, he tends to go about his business while maintaining an ear on the conversation should a topic strike his fancy. He is businesslike at all times as he goes about his pre-show ritual while we talk, be it getting his hair products ready for use or painting his face. He also is not afraid to let me know he thinks I may be wasting the band's time, interjecting with "How we write our songs is!" and I can't blame him for his impatience because sometimes I felt I was a bit of a burden to the band's preparations.
And who can forget Matthias Bossi the newest member of the fold? He's the one with the bravado, the ego. The first words I heard the man proclaim were bold: "Who needs Ches Smith when you've got M. Bossi?!" Ches Smith is the drummer for Secret Chiefs 3 and he had been late for sound check. Matthias graciously filled in until his arrival, causing him to be a little late for the get-together, but I hadn't yet started the recording so all can be forgiven.
And while no one could forget Matthias Bossi, there was, as would seem natural, a member of the band who is very easy to ignore, Michael Mellender. He is the quiet, introspective type, the son most people forget, the one who goes on to do something great when he finally gets your attention. His input is minimal, words rarely coming across his lips. Later that night, he would do exactly what I expected of a man of his grace: Take complete control once the music started. For the most part, Michael is hidden behind a vast array of percussive instruments, a veritable wall of horror. Sleekly and slyly, he pummels his instruments. Eventually a song he wrote himself comes up on the set-list. While his intro showed his shy side, once the music started his yelps and aggressive guitar work spoke volumes for him, as he unleashed the demon within himself, harnessing its power, turning it into a precision instrument of destruction, leaving waves of stunned music-goers in its wake.
Combined, the family known as Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is an unstoppable juggernaut of raw aggression, power and precision. Every strike they make is with a purpose, every sound they strangle from their instruments is to serve their higher calling. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call their music a religious experience, if you didn't really confine yourself to any one religion, and if your Higher Power could understand why you'd enjoy such “demonic” sounds. Using your typical guitar/bass/drum/vocal setup just isn't enough for the band. Instead, they employ a smorgasbord of percussive instruments, such as the violin and anything Mr. Rathbun can devise and create, even though he says, "They're some of the least versatile instruments you'll ever see, but they have some really great thing they do and it works because the band is willing to write an entire song around this one quirky instrument."
When they put everything together, their sound can often be called a psychotic blend of Meshuggah, Bjork and twisted folk. And that comparison isn’t far off. After all, every member in this band has other bands they've been a part of, or are still a part of. Nils and Dan worked together in Idiot Flesh; Carla has her own solo album out that has spawned the band Two Foot Yard, as well as her acclaimed bluegrass-by-way-of-anything band Tin Hat Trio; Nils has a firm background from his work with the folk duo Faun Fables with Dawn McCarthy; and let's not forget the band's collaborative works in Charming Hostess along with many, many other offspring. Quite frankly, the members of this band have their hands full at almost all moments. Everything they touch is well-thought-out and highly imaginative. Somehow though, they've managed to avoid becoming stagnant. Throughout all of these years, with all of these releases, all of these shows and all of these bands, they've never seemed to retread material or become boring. It's quite a feat considering many of today's artists seem to find one tiny niche and stay there. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's members strive to be something much more than the little categories people like myself try to stick them to. The only thing most of the groups have in common is a love for discord and subtle chaos.
While the band itself only has two albums to its name, as well as a live offering, their fan-base seems to grow exponentially with each tiny or large tour upon which they embark. Whether it's because they tour with bands that have fans that might possibly enjoy them or because of their undeniably fantastic live shows doesn't even matter. The fact of the matter is Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a band that deserves attention and, one way or another, they've found a way to get it with minimal press or fanfare. The thing that strikes me every time I see them is the people in line for their shows. Many of them are there strictly for SGM while others are there for the other bands. Twice the case has been that they've been playing with Secret Chiefs 3, a band started by Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, who also, coincidentally, owns and runs the label on which SGM currently resides, Web of Mimicry. Yet somehow there are fans of SGM who have never heard of SC3, or vice-versa.
Another thing that strikes me is how much SGM could easily be confused for a "singles" band, as most casual fans will point toward "1997" or "Sleep is Wrong" as the only songs by the band they've heard. But those two tracks were enough to draw them to a show. They have no idea what they're in for, as those two tracks do very little to represent the diversity of the group, even though they are utterly superb tracks. It's just strange that anyone who's only heard a few songs has only heard those two songs. Their newest record, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum of Natural History also features such a track, entitled "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion." Unlike the previously named tracks, however, this one actually gives the listener a very good idea of what to expect from a full SGM album, as it seems to touch on every base of their dizzying arsenal of musical intricacies, subtleties and creativity. Also strange to me is the lack of respect people unfamiliar with the group give them. If Sleepytime ever gets a headlining bid, there will always be someone wondering why that happens. The times I've seen them with Secret Chiefs 3, there are people complaining about how "that band with a shitty name" gets to go on last, as if they're worth so much less than Bungle-minus-Patton. On their tour in early 2004 with Dredg (indie darlings extraordinaire) it didn't surprise me when there was an uproar about SGM getting the headlining spot. To those fans I say this: You try getting all of that stuff offstage in a timely manner so your precious Dredg can play last. It's a matter of fan convenience, even if the fans think they're getting stiffed on playing time. Personally, I'm a pretty big fan of Dredg, although my disinterest in their last album is fairly well-known. To add fuel the fire of the headlining conspiracy is the fact (fact) that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a much better live act than a band like Dredg who, though good, are rather drab when performing live.
How good is this band live? you may be asking yourselves. The answer is: Simply superb. The band fuses its music with an appreciation for performance art like I have never seen before. While many bands try desperately, over months and months of agonizing, to construct a concept album, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum constructs a nearly seamless concept performance in a matter of a few hours, coupled with some improvisation. The shows themselves come off as very well-conceived and delicately, painstakingly planned; but, as I found out on Bus, nearly everything is last minute and has to be agreed upon by every member of the band. While the band doesn't always utilize a lot of entertainment external to the members (such as bringing a dance troupe on tour with them), they know how to keep an audience entertained, even in the downtime. Their banter is playful, thought-provoking and time-filling, allowing each member to station themselves at their instrument of choice for the next song, or to switch instruments entirely, perhaps tune some strings or drink some water, careful to avoid their performance costumes. Yes, costumes. But don't confuse this band with those bands who all wear matching outfits, a la Slipknot. While their costumes do tend to be in the same style, the band's appearance certainly allows each member to be distinguished from one another. Be it Nils's 'roid rage musculature, black and gold teeth and intriguing beard, or Matthias's love of fancy hats ("I am a star. Look at my hat!"), everything the band does, wears, and says seems to be used to create a mystique or at least to give the spectators a sense that they're not just some band that does strange things. This is a band who lives for their art, not just for their music. They take their craft seriously and it shows. Why do this though? Why do they throw all of this at their audience? How did it come about? Carla Kihlstedt answers those questions by saying, "The thing that is most helpful to every aspect that we do is creating a kind of process where every member can find out what he or she is good at and compelled by and creating a process that allows us to play into that." Hopefully, the viewers will take to what it is the band is presenting. Those who don't I can't blame because it is a lot to take in. However, I can't help but wish they would have accepted it because, even without all the bells and whistles, the face paint and the garish attire, the music still stands on its own two feet, firmly cemented against all those who would choose to try to belittle it.
Beyond all of these staged, arrogant, artistic statements, though, is a band of real people. Sure, they may not fit into today's society, full of people afraid to form their own opinions or to dare to be different. They are, as a point of fact, a very bohemian subculture, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. They're well-read, well-spoken, polite, friendly and funny. For all of their knowledge, all of their talent, they're well-grounded, without ego (minus Matthias, but his is a more humorous ego than that of a pompous, arrogant jerk). To go so far as to say they're everything I'd want in a band might be a stretch (although adding a heavy, heavy dose of violins to the mix absolutely doesn't hurt them), but they're as close to a perfectly rounded band as you could hope to encounter.
With two certified masterpieces under their belt, and so far no unraveling at the band's core, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a musical collective worthy of anyone's admiration, and a band that can only get better as they continue to refine their already intimidating musical prowess. Why not invite this family into yours?
---Ben Rice
Upon entering the world – or in this case the bus – of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, it becomes boldly apparent that this is not just a band, this is not just a conglomerate of musical masterminds and thoughtful souls. This is a family. There's an obvious father figure, an obvious mother figure and three sons. It's quite terrifying, really, to come to this realization.
Nils Frykdahl, "user of words," player of chords, is the one in command, the voice of reason and the teacher in the group. Clearly he is head of the household, as he seemed to be the one most willing to answer questions and answer them with authority. His strong baritone voice and well-researched opinions make him almost impossible to ignore, even if you don't necessarily agree with what he has to say. His naturally theatric voice has made many who have heard the band wonder why he hasn’t pursued more mainstream acting jobs. One person upon whom I forced SGM remarked that he would have been a great Mr. Mephistopheles in Cats. I can neither confirm nor deny.
The mother is portrayed, as would seem obvious, by the one woman in the group: violinist Carla Kihlstedt. She is one of the most orderly ones, making sure things are getting done, even as she actively involves herself in the interview, always busy and always thinking. And, when necessary, chiming in to correct her boys, such as when Dan uses the word "anthropomortize" instead of "anthropomorphize" when describing his beloved Bus (that's its name, if it were to be given one).
Dan Rathbun, maker of instruments, master of the low end, is the calm, calculating son. He only takes part in the conversation when he feels something needs to be said or if he is asked directly. Otherwise, he tends to go about his business while maintaining an ear on the conversation should a topic strike his fancy. He is businesslike at all times as he goes about his pre-show ritual while we talk, be it getting his hair products ready for use or painting his face. He also is not afraid to let me know he thinks I may be wasting the band's time, interjecting with "How we write our songs is!" and I can't blame him for his impatience because sometimes I felt I was a bit of a burden to the band's preparations.
And who can forget Matthias Bossi the newest member of the fold? He's the one with the bravado, the ego. The first words I heard the man proclaim were bold: "Who needs Ches Smith when you've got M. Bossi?!" Ches Smith is the drummer for Secret Chiefs 3 and he had been late for sound check. Matthias graciously filled in until his arrival, causing him to be a little late for the get-together, but I hadn't yet started the recording so all can be forgiven.
And while no one could forget Matthias Bossi, there was, as would seem natural, a member of the band who is very easy to ignore, Michael Mellender. He is the quiet, introspective type, the son most people forget, the one who goes on to do something great when he finally gets your attention. His input is minimal, words rarely coming across his lips. Later that night, he would do exactly what I expected of a man of his grace: Take complete control once the music started. For the most part, Michael is hidden behind a vast array of percussive instruments, a veritable wall of horror. Sleekly and slyly, he pummels his instruments. Eventually a song he wrote himself comes up on the set-list. While his intro showed his shy side, once the music started his yelps and aggressive guitar work spoke volumes for him, as he unleashed the demon within himself, harnessing its power, turning it into a precision instrument of destruction, leaving waves of stunned music-goers in its wake.
Combined, the family known as Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is an unstoppable juggernaut of raw aggression, power and precision. Every strike they make is with a purpose, every sound they strangle from their instruments is to serve their higher calling. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call their music a religious experience, if you didn't really confine yourself to any one religion, and if your Higher Power could understand why you'd enjoy such “demonic” sounds. Using your typical guitar/bass/drum/vocal setup just isn't enough for the band. Instead, they employ a smorgasbord of percussive instruments, such as the violin and anything Mr. Rathbun can devise and create, even though he says, "They're some of the least versatile instruments you'll ever see, but they have some really great thing they do and it works because the band is willing to write an entire song around this one quirky instrument."
When they put everything together, their sound can often be called a psychotic blend of Meshuggah, Bjork and twisted folk. And that comparison isn’t far off. After all, every member in this band has other bands they've been a part of, or are still a part of. Nils and Dan worked together in Idiot Flesh; Carla has her own solo album out that has spawned the band Two Foot Yard, as well as her acclaimed bluegrass-by-way-of-anything band Tin Hat Trio; Nils has a firm background from his work with the folk duo Faun Fables with Dawn McCarthy; and let's not forget the band's collaborative works in Charming Hostess along with many, many other offspring. Quite frankly, the members of this band have their hands full at almost all moments. Everything they touch is well-thought-out and highly imaginative. Somehow though, they've managed to avoid becoming stagnant. Throughout all of these years, with all of these releases, all of these shows and all of these bands, they've never seemed to retread material or become boring. It's quite a feat considering many of today's artists seem to find one tiny niche and stay there. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's members strive to be something much more than the little categories people like myself try to stick them to. The only thing most of the groups have in common is a love for discord and subtle chaos.
While the band itself only has two albums to its name, as well as a live offering, their fan-base seems to grow exponentially with each tiny or large tour upon which they embark. Whether it's because they tour with bands that have fans that might possibly enjoy them or because of their undeniably fantastic live shows doesn't even matter. The fact of the matter is Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a band that deserves attention and, one way or another, they've found a way to get it with minimal press or fanfare. The thing that strikes me every time I see them is the people in line for their shows. Many of them are there strictly for SGM while others are there for the other bands. Twice the case has been that they've been playing with Secret Chiefs 3, a band started by Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, who also, coincidentally, owns and runs the label on which SGM currently resides, Web of Mimicry. Yet somehow there are fans of SGM who have never heard of SC3, or vice-versa.
Another thing that strikes me is how much SGM could easily be confused for a "singles" band, as most casual fans will point toward "1997" or "Sleep is Wrong" as the only songs by the band they've heard. But those two tracks were enough to draw them to a show. They have no idea what they're in for, as those two tracks do very little to represent the diversity of the group, even though they are utterly superb tracks. It's just strange that anyone who's only heard a few songs has only heard those two songs. Their newest record, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum of Natural History also features such a track, entitled "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion." Unlike the previously named tracks, however, this one actually gives the listener a very good idea of what to expect from a full SGM album, as it seems to touch on every base of their dizzying arsenal of musical intricacies, subtleties and creativity. Also strange to me is the lack of respect people unfamiliar with the group give them. If Sleepytime ever gets a headlining bid, there will always be someone wondering why that happens. The times I've seen them with Secret Chiefs 3, there are people complaining about how "that band with a shitty name" gets to go on last, as if they're worth so much less than Bungle-minus-Patton. On their tour in early 2004 with Dredg (indie darlings extraordinaire) it didn't surprise me when there was an uproar about SGM getting the headlining spot. To those fans I say this: You try getting all of that stuff offstage in a timely manner so your precious Dredg can play last. It's a matter of fan convenience, even if the fans think they're getting stiffed on playing time. Personally, I'm a pretty big fan of Dredg, although my disinterest in their last album is fairly well-known. To add fuel the fire of the headlining conspiracy is the fact (fact) that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a much better live act than a band like Dredg who, though good, are rather drab when performing live.
How good is this band live? you may be asking yourselves. The answer is: Simply superb. The band fuses its music with an appreciation for performance art like I have never seen before. While many bands try desperately, over months and months of agonizing, to construct a concept album, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum constructs a nearly seamless concept performance in a matter of a few hours, coupled with some improvisation. The shows themselves come off as very well-conceived and delicately, painstakingly planned; but, as I found out on Bus, nearly everything is last minute and has to be agreed upon by every member of the band. While the band doesn't always utilize a lot of entertainment external to the members (such as bringing a dance troupe on tour with them), they know how to keep an audience entertained, even in the downtime. Their banter is playful, thought-provoking and time-filling, allowing each member to station themselves at their instrument of choice for the next song, or to switch instruments entirely, perhaps tune some strings or drink some water, careful to avoid their performance costumes. Yes, costumes. But don't confuse this band with those bands who all wear matching outfits, a la Slipknot. While their costumes do tend to be in the same style, the band's appearance certainly allows each member to be distinguished from one another. Be it Nils's 'roid rage musculature, black and gold teeth and intriguing beard, or Matthias's love of fancy hats ("I am a star. Look at my hat!"), everything the band does, wears, and says seems to be used to create a mystique or at least to give the spectators a sense that they're not just some band that does strange things. This is a band who lives for their art, not just for their music. They take their craft seriously and it shows. Why do this though? Why do they throw all of this at their audience? How did it come about? Carla Kihlstedt answers those questions by saying, "The thing that is most helpful to every aspect that we do is creating a kind of process where every member can find out what he or she is good at and compelled by and creating a process that allows us to play into that." Hopefully, the viewers will take to what it is the band is presenting. Those who don't I can't blame because it is a lot to take in. However, I can't help but wish they would have accepted it because, even without all the bells and whistles, the face paint and the garish attire, the music still stands on its own two feet, firmly cemented against all those who would choose to try to belittle it.
Beyond all of these staged, arrogant, artistic statements, though, is a band of real people. Sure, they may not fit into today's society, full of people afraid to form their own opinions or to dare to be different. They are, as a point of fact, a very bohemian subculture, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. They're well-read, well-spoken, polite, friendly and funny. For all of their knowledge, all of their talent, they're well-grounded, without ego (minus Matthias, but his is a more humorous ego than that of a pompous, arrogant jerk). To go so far as to say they're everything I'd want in a band might be a stretch (although adding a heavy, heavy dose of violins to the mix absolutely doesn't hurt them), but they're as close to a perfectly rounded band as you could hope to encounter.
With two certified masterpieces under their belt, and so far no unraveling at the band's core, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is a musical collective worthy of anyone's admiration, and a band that can only get better as they continue to refine their already intimidating musical prowess. Why not invite this family into yours?
---Ben Rice