Secret
Machines have catchy riffs, hooks
By Niki Payne
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Mesmerizing, blissful, psychedelic and enchanting–how can one not get lost
in the vibe of such melodramatic beats as the Secret Machines.
With catchy hooks,
head-nodding riffs and the occasional boring jam, the group exhibits some of
the sounds characteristic of the band U2.
Additionally, they show no fear in
exploring their musical boundaries indicated by the usage of music synthesizers
in some of their songs.
The origins of the Secret Machines go back to Dallas during the '90s, with some
of their influences including Pink Floyd and Hawkwind.
During this time, the
three bandmates worked as musical apprentices for big names like Comet, Tripping
Daisy and Captain Audio.
By the time 2000 hit, they decided to go big. They formed
a band of their own and headed to New York with Josh Garza, drummer, Ben Curtis,
guitarist and vocalist, and Brandon Curtis, bassist, keyboardist and vocalist.
Before they headed to New York, the trio made the economical decision to go to
Chicago first. They knew living in New York would be costly and recording would
be impossible in addition to trying to make a living.
So, using personal funds
and contributions from family and friends, they hit Chicago, recorded some songs
and landed themselves in New York. With their musical capabilities combined,
their aim was, and still is, to move people through their music.
“
We’re just trying to make music that connects with people, connects with
the cosmos, and connects with the gods,” explained Garza in a press release.
What better song to demonstrate that than “Astral Weeks.” The song
has a lot of soul with a melodramatic beat that grabs at you, giving you a sense
of hope and inspiration. My personal favorite is, “Better Bring Your Friends.”
The hook is catchy; I couldn’t help but start singing along with it. It
has a very uppity beat that really got you jamming on that good ol’ air
guitar or air drums. Another favorite is the song, “The Road Leads Where
It’s Led.”
I really liked the song because the beat and hook were
so catchy. “They’re blowing all the other kids away” was my
favorite part, because I knew the words after only hearing it a couple times.
A good song is one that is easily remembered. Repetitious hooks and memorable,
distinctive beats make a song unique enough to grab listeners. If I’m singing
along after one listen, the band did its job. Unfortunately, not all their songs
were as good as these.
One of the most boring songs I had the displeasure of listening to was called “Money
(That’s What I Want)” for which vocals don’t come in until
after 1.5 minutes of the song. I’m sorry, but if I don’t hear vocals
after 30 seconds, I’m skipping to the next track.
Besides, why would I care if you want money; so do I. Another boring one was “Girl
from the North County.”
This song had kind of an outer space sound to it
in the beginning. Curtis was prominent in this song, but the vocals dragged on
and the space sound really played down the keyboards.
A random student wearing a t-shirt displaying the band’s name said, “They’re
OK;” it summed up my feelings exactly. The Secret Machines are just that:
OK.
Despite their OK music, they do deserve credit for doing what they do. They
deserve even more credit for the purpose of their music, to move people. How
exactly do they accomplish this?
“ Intangible magic,” as described by the Secret Machine Web site,
through the use of sound and volume to create vibrant pictures, stimulating and
opening up the mind.
Check out more on the Secret Machines by visiting, www.thesecretmachines.com.
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