The Corn Syrup Conspiracy

by SeepeopleS
Produced by Will Holland and SeepeopleS
Engineered and Mixed by Will Holland
ChillHouse Studios, Charlestown, MA

return to www.seepeoples.com

Mountain Xpress, November 2005

Notes On Local Music

Jamming with a double-edged sword

In an attempt at well-roundedness, this week is dedicated to jam bands. By braving the improv waters, my problem is twofold: 1) If I report favorably, I'm considered sub-cool. Jam music was once a fringe assortment of roots-based artists who shunned pop-song formats in favor of free-form musical virtuosity. Currently, it's a huge commodity, at times less known for talent than indulgence. Ironically, making fun of jam bands in Asheville gives you "hipster" status. 2) If I join the too-cool-for-school chorus, I'm dissing the genre, thus angering the Asheville jam community.

Jammed if I do, jammed if I don't.

National touring act SeepeopleS has recently shed the jam mold and veered more into indie rock territory, while year-old Phuncle Sam is firmly entrenched in extended play.

CD reviews

SeepeopleS, The Corn Syrup Conspiracy: Three Stars

• Genre(s): Jamband, indie, electronic, hints of Brit-pop

• You'll like it if: You don't get enough political-oversight ponderings on C-Span.

• Defining song: "?!" – Veers away from idyllic improv and into lollipop lamentations reminiscent of the Beach Boys and the Super Furry Animals.

Politics and music have always been a volatile mix. The music is usually the fall guy, thanks to heavy-handed social calling weighing down the orchestration. The audacious quartet SeepeopleS knows how to take both theories and develop a communal existence. Recently transplanted from New England to Asheville, SeepeopleS (spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Will Bradford) address what is on the lips of many progressive causes -– corrupt governments and the corrosion of civil rights. The outrage is sprinkled with tons of genres – ambient, rock, pop, etc. Some of the tracks tend to wander aimlessly, and it will scare off those who prefer more concise bursts of creativity. Still, the superlative guests (Tim Reynolds, Spearhead's Dave Shul) give The Corn Syrup Conspiracy added validity.

Hunter Pope
Mountain XPress

http://www.mountainx.com