Benzos ‘Morning
Stanzas’ gives a new type of dance
music
By
Stacy Beckley
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Rock music is no longer just a mess of guitars, bass, drums and vocals. For
these four music conservatory alumni, synthesizers add to the original musical
staples to formulate a new sound. They are bound to appeal to fans of such
acts as Coldplay, Radiohead and the Postal Service. The New York City based
Benzos started as an experiment in electronic music that founders Christian
Celayas and Brian Joyce envisioned as a way to bring underground house, rave
beats and DJing together with more traditional rock formulas and improvisational
jazz.
Benzos recently concluded their first west coast tour, complete with a stop
at Spaceland in Los Angeles, promoting the band’s 2005 release, ‘Morning
Stanzas,’ on indie label Stinky Records.
Two songs in particular stand out among ‘Morning Stanzas’ eleven
offerings. Track two, “You’re Forever an Hourglass,” provides
the catchy hook Benzos needs to be radio-ready. By the end of the track, it
becomes almost a struggle not to sing along with the pleasant, calming chorus
the song provides. Track nine, another noteworthy piece, “Ideal Magnet,” showcases
vocalist Michael Ortega’s lyrical sound in a way that makes the comparison
between Benzos and Coldplay a frighteningly convincing one.
Also worth mentioning is drummer Steve Bryant’s contribution throughout
the album. Bryant’s conservatory education, jazz training and obsession
with drum and bass music do not go unnoticed. Unlike many modern rock bands
that showcase mediocre drum beats on an album Benzos choose instead to highlight
guitar riffs and loud vocals Bryant is clearly a musical equal to his band
mates.
Although at times “Morning Stanzas” does become repetitive. Benzos
is becoming increasingly known for what it being dubbed “live remixing”,
(a throw back to the group’s jazz improvisational roots), which makes
each and every one of their live performances unique. This method ensures no
show is exactly the same and allows for plenty of musical freedom for a band
determined to mix and match as they please.
However, it is unfortunate that Benzos’ lyrics get lost in the shuffle
of the band’s fuzzy musical backdrop of synthesized sound. If one listens
carefully, they can catch everything from political commentary in the bands’ “All
the King’s Men” to thoughts on accepting one’s mortality
in “It’s Amiable.” Interestingly, Benzos does not use all
synthesizers in live performance, which makes for an even greater experiment
in the changing sound of the band.
Only time will tell what kind of staying power overtly synthesized music has,
but an educated guesser might wager that with the increases in musical technology,
this brand of music will become more the norm than the exception as kids raised
on computers take to the musical market. Benzos provides a comforting look
at the future of what sound is capable of and how it can be used.
More information about Benzos can be found on the band’s official Web
site, www.benzosmusic.com.
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