Into the Light Carol Anne
Symphony for Dolphin and Duck
Chicago's Into the Light Carol Anne have labored, sweated and bled over the tracks that would become their debut album "Symphony for Dolphin and Duck" for the better part of two years now, finally concocting the ultimate 31 minutes of math rock to smash things to. In that time, they've endured changes of membership that would shame Spinal Tap (don't ask about their second glockenspiel player unless their lawyer is around), an economy that threatens shortages of the beer that powers their madness (a sampling: Lagunitas' Gnarlywine, Three Floyds' Robert the Bruce Scottish ale) and the slings and arrows of the vile snobs at The Onion (who declared them "One of the Worst Band Names of 2007"). These challenges have only strengthened them, and diminished their capacity for mercy.
Yes, these men (and/or women; you don't know unless you've seen ITLCA's destructive live show) have persevered, and produced a pungent stew of meaty math rock with souped-up textures, live pit-sweat on the edges and rhythms that will challenge your feet, your brain and your sweet, sweet ass. At a long-ago gig, two grizzled old truckers tried their hand at dancing and kept getting knocked around by the parabolic, bank shot rhythms. "Too many notes," they groused to one another. No, guys; everyone else is playing too few of them.
Who are these note-abundant non-Alaskan mavericks, these men of iron in an age of non-galvanized synthetic rubber? Well, they are: 1100077 (drums), 1112467 (bass), 1125533 (celtic fiddle) and 1154836 (on guitar)--and that is all you ever need to know about them. 1100077 might not be the "Leave Britney Alone" guy. 1154836 could have a secret love of feeling true Italian ricotta in his hands. 1125533 won't address the well-publicized rumor that he's feuding with Nu Shooz, claiming that he wrote the synth hook to "I Can't Wait" based on the chorus of a traditional family song. But none of this is even true (or is it?) and even if it was (and it is... I mean isn't!), it has less relevance than the savannas of Africa these days. ITLCA have sold their names. To the devil. To rock you. And ol' horn-head got the short end of the stick this time.
"Some big shoulder music there" is how Jaw Knee and Finnaeus of Radio Orphans Podcast choose to describe the brualizing progressions of their music and the buzzy, sublime fiddle lines of Symphony. All the better to tackle you with, guys! Brennig Jones calls it "A brilliant challenge" and says it suceeds at what "Radiohead attempted with their genre-defying 'Kid A.'" Didn't there used to be a word for that sort of fierce, visceral independent spirit? It started with a 'P' and it came from the '70s...?
Yes, Into the Light Carol Anne has major bona fide punk mojo for a band that doesn't speak; it punches, spits, doesn't shower and doesn't compromise. They turned down a request for a major east coast discounter to use "Ventriculation" in a lingerie campaign (after much negotiation with the models, if you know what i mean), and instead partnered with the enlightened bastards at Chicago's Nowhere Records for the release of Symphony on vinyl and MP3.
And as you enjoy these 5 tracks, this interlocking suite of all that is good in our modern world, heed this caveat: you will never hear them live. Not gonna happen. No. I don't care how hot you are. Because ITLCA have already retired these tracks, buried them underneath an Indian burial ground and returned to their compound in a hidden enclave of Chicago to write new mindbenders under the cover of night. Trash cans are already being knocked over and children grilled about their parents' indiscretions--all for the sake of inspiring ITLCA's unholy future endeavors. Symphony will whet your appetite for the mad genius that they come up with next, so be glad that it's recorded as close to 'live in the studio' as it is.
None of us know where ITLCA will go next, or if the government will figure out what the track "Dolphin" is really about and try to disappear them for their loose, yet mute, lips? All you need to know, though, is that this is the math rock record you've been waiting your whole life for, if your idea of math is chaos theory or a cracked-out quadratic car crash. If you haven't been listening to it as you read this, that's five minutes less of your life (six if you read aloud, ten if you live in Alabama) that you'll be able to listen to Symphony for Dolphin and Duck, so you'd best get started....
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