Homegrown Music Network, Feb. 2005

Seepeoples - 2/1/05, The Pour House, Raleigh, NC

A militant mash-up of noise-rock and electronic mayhem

Do you hear that noise? That ringing? Oh...that's my scorched eardrums. Never mind.

Seepeoples has rapidly become my favorite new band, mostly due to their fantastic sophomore disc, The Corn Syrup Conspiracy. Even that exposure plus a couple of live shows on CD could not prepare me for the sonic barrage that they presented at The Pour House on a mild Tuesday night in Raleigh. Now, Seepeoples has suddenly become a "destination band" for me, one I would drive long distances to see.

After a pleasantly funky opening set from Ryan Montbleau Band, Seepeoples took the stage and the attention of everyone within shouting distance of the venue. The Pour House doesn't provide a sound engineer on Tuesdays, and the sheer volume of the music was as overwhelming as the performance itself.

In concert, the finely-tweaked ideas of the Corn Syrup album come to life with raging, ballistic fervor. Will Bradford, who in a sense *is* Seepeoples, employs various tools of the trade to form his sometimes maniacal visions of swooshing dissonance and synthetic bliss. His guitar seemed to act on its own at times, channeling wild sounds from the ether. An arsenal of keyboards and other gizmos nearly surround the expressive bandleader, and he's quite adept at moving from toy to toy with no aurally noticeable blemishes. Bassist Dan Ingenthron's pummeling style and unique stance brought to mind the powerful playing of the late Cliff Burton and displayed his skillful low-end manuevering. Tim Haney's solid drumming kept pace with every change and nicely showcased his knowledge of rock, techno, and improv techniques. Impossibly named keyboardist Peter Keys, the newest full-time addition to the band, became more and more involved throughout the night as he and Bradford charted musical territory one step at a time.

The whole show was an assault, an unbelieveable dream-whip of gargantuan rhythms and interstellar noise. The band's political and socially urgent lyrics are not lost in the live setting, and Bradford appears to be at the edge of his composure with each passing verse. He's got a great "indie-rock" voice that cuts right through the swirling musical mayhem. The ironically hopeful "Oceans of The Abandoned", a highlight of the bands first album For The Good Of The Nation, is sung from the surprisingly optimistic viewpoint of a homeless person. This number was just the first layer of a multi-faceted set that barely stopped churning for the whole night. "Butchers" is destined to become a crowd-pleaser with its skittering dance rhythm and powerful lyrics. "Way The World Will Fall" is a typically dramatic, texture-shifting tune that Seepeoples has perfected: worrysome lyrics, cinematic atmospheres, and a glorious chorus. Corn Syrup's plodding, nearly acapella "Nothing Left To Pawn" is transformed into a driving rocker in the concert setting and displays the band's focus on songs before jams. The cathartic calamity of "Dog Days I" has an addictive instrumental section and lyrics everyman can relate to: "Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Work 'till you drop." "Rocker" is just that, a raucous instrumental that serves but one purpose, and that's to melt your face. The doomy "Dinosaur" was one of the two points in the show where the band turned the intensity down a notch, but the song is no less profound than the balls-out tunes. A nicely done cover of Porno For Pyros' staple "Pets" showed just how close Bradford's voice is to a full-on Perry Farrell battle cry.

Taking the shortest of encore breaks as audience members made their satisfied catcalls, Bradford returned to the stage, acoustic guitar in hand. I can't name the song he played, but it's yet another personable melody jolted by his powerful singing. Then came the one I had been waiting for. "Send Me A Line" is a simply fantastic song that gets in your head and cannot be shaken out. The grooving acoustic/electric heart of the tune builds into a glorious, unforgettable climax. We're talking serious eyes-closed, sashaying bliss here. Capping the night off with The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," Seepeoples turned the lights out on another outstanding performance. It was enough to make someone plan to drive to Clemson for another show; namely, me! Don't miss out on seeing this band while they are relatively unknown; you'll be privy to one of the best bands on the club circuit today.

-- Bryan Rodgers, www.homegrownmusic.net