February 27, 2006
Some thoughts on Cinemechanica, et al
Local musician Taylor Northern offered up the following review of a recent Cinemechanica show:
When I was a ripe, young fledgling entering UGA my first year I was slightly intimidated. I knew that there was a vast and immense music scene in Athens and that the music scene in Athens had lots of potential just waiting to be tapped. However, I did not know any musicians to bond with and I had no clue where to start. I remember reading a little bit about math rock and the "hipster" scene and I figured I'd try to find some musicians there and make some connections.
After quickly flipping the pages of a dusty, old Flagpole, I saw that the ultra mathy and calculated group Coulier was having a concert at the small hole in the wall joint the Caledonia Lounge on the weekend. My friend Jonathan and I decided we would check out the show in the hopes of meeting some new people, but more importantly gaining consciousness about some new and innovative groups in Athens. ...
As we walked into the dimly lit and smoky Caledonia Lounge, I had no clue of what to expect. I recall a group named Serka opening up for Coulier, everything they played seemed like poorly constructed noise, and unshapely fragments of what should have been Omar Rodriguez Lopez's guitar licks. In other words, I was not the least bit impressed by "math-rock" or "avant-garde rock" when I first heard it. When Coulier took the stage, it wasn't really them. The musicians involved in We Versus the Shark and Cinemechanica took the stage and played their songs for them as the real Coulier sat back and pumped their bodies with liquid courage.
As I watched We Versus the Shark and Cinemechanica play Coulier songs the more I realized how much music was actually written and I could tell the musicians had taken time to sit and develop their songs. No matter how artsy and avant-garde the music was, I still admired the fact that all of the groups involved in that concert cared about their music enough to try to develop and mold a sound that was unique to what was being crafted in today's rock industry.
Fast forward a year later and now I've become a sort of We Versus the Shark and Cinemechanica addict, constantly taking in the sonorous math rock frequencies that are pumping through my dark speakers. Now I've become acquainted with the music of these groups and I happily look forward to their show at the 40 Watt club. When I finally arrive at the 40 Watt to see the show I am excited at how many people have turned up to see the bands. Cinemechanica and Iron Hero were having their dual CD release party and We Versus was opening.
I'd seen We Versus about five or six times before this show, but each time is unique and brings a new experience. All of the members of that group have a strong love and conviction for what they're doing musically and all of those emotions are emitted onstage. The show at the 40 Watt was no different. We Versus puts one hundred percent into every show and they did an amazing job. Cinemechanica and Iron Hero also played very energetic and frenetic shows as usual and the crowd went wild. To be honest, the show at the 40 Watt was not that distinctive from other Cinemechanica shows. However, Cinemechanica's objectives as a group became very clear to me that night.
I want to make a bold stand and quickly express my current music philosophy. Currently the music industry is run by corporate bigwigs who do not take much time helping new and innovative groups shape their sounds and letting them mature. They want a quick and simple musical product that is easy to sell. With that being said, Cinemechanica is definitely a rock group that does not fit well into any conventional categories. They are forging a new sound, but they are carefully setting boundaries and terms as to what defines this new sound. They are being non-traditional and it is that same radical outlook on life and music that makes up the core of rock music. Therefore, the show at the 40 Watt was not just any ordinary CD release party at the 40 Watt. From a very broad vantage point, it might have appeared to be. However, it was really a profound musical and social statement in addition to being a celebration of rock music and commemorative to the great rock heroes of yesteryear who conquered new ground.