2008 Woodie Awards
Rhode Island band The Attic makes promising debut CD
Marian Gaviola
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Entertainment
1/29/08 - I have to be honest: I was seriously scared as I listened to the first 20 seconds of The Attic's album, In the Red. The Attic - not to be confused with the pop/house duo from Sweden - is a local four-piece jam-band, straight from the suburbs of this Ocean State that has been playing since 2005.
According to the band's Web site (http://musicfromtheattic.com/), they are best described as an improv rock band but the first 20 seconds of their album made me think of one thing: a wannabe boy-band from Rhode Island.
It did get much better, but the path was slow and winding. The Attic's first song, "Wearing Thin," had a boppy beat that, when combined with the clashing vocals, made them sound just a bit awful. It might be my bias against boy-bands. They just don't do anything for me and anything that even remotely sounds like them makes me cringe and die a little inside.
However, I have to say that, as the song progressed, at least the band didn't sound like a wannabe boy-band anymore; they were a full-fledged boy-band.
But enough jokes. After a rough introduction to their music, I couldn't help but think that this band actually is really good. The band's songs range from very short to very long and all of them include pieces of instrumental music that takes true talent to make. Listening to The Attic, I couldn't pinpoint one genre to place them in. It was like trying to put a block through a round hole. I heard a bit of jazz, pop, funk, alternative rock and even guitar melodies that were definitely a la Santana.
The group compensated for their first song with "Promenade." As one of my favorite songs from the album, I found that The Attic successfully harmonized one another's voices with the music in this song. This is also one of the longer songs. I found that this band likes to break the rules. It has very long songs in terms of music - one at 11 minutes and one at 16.
Then again, my favorite one from the CD was only a minute and a half long. "The Loneliest Monk" isn't misleading in its title. With no words accompanying the music, the instrumental piece really makes you reflect on things, as cheesy as that may sound.
I didn't particularly think of a lonely monk but the emotional melody will definitely strike a chord within you.
The Attic's music isn't something you'll bang your head to. Instead, it's music that you let yourself sway and bop to. They offer us with an original sound that Rhode Islanders can boast of. They have played in major venues such as Manhattan's Knitting Factory, The Stone Pony and our local haunt, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel.
Catch them live in Providence on Feb. 2, when they will be playing at AS220. They have quite a few shows coming up here in Rhode Island so see them while you can. For a list of their upcoming shows, visit their Web site, http://musicfromtheattic.com.
According to the band's Web site (http://musicfromtheattic.com/), they are best described as an improv rock band but the first 20 seconds of their album made me think of one thing: a wannabe boy-band from Rhode Island.
It did get much better, but the path was slow and winding. The Attic's first song, "Wearing Thin," had a boppy beat that, when combined with the clashing vocals, made them sound just a bit awful. It might be my bias against boy-bands. They just don't do anything for me and anything that even remotely sounds like them makes me cringe and die a little inside.
However, I have to say that, as the song progressed, at least the band didn't sound like a wannabe boy-band anymore; they were a full-fledged boy-band.
But enough jokes. After a rough introduction to their music, I couldn't help but think that this band actually is really good. The band's songs range from very short to very long and all of them include pieces of instrumental music that takes true talent to make. Listening to The Attic, I couldn't pinpoint one genre to place them in. It was like trying to put a block through a round hole. I heard a bit of jazz, pop, funk, alternative rock and even guitar melodies that were definitely a la Santana.
The group compensated for their first song with "Promenade." As one of my favorite songs from the album, I found that The Attic successfully harmonized one another's voices with the music in this song. This is also one of the longer songs. I found that this band likes to break the rules. It has very long songs in terms of music - one at 11 minutes and one at 16.
Then again, my favorite one from the CD was only a minute and a half long. "The Loneliest Monk" isn't misleading in its title. With no words accompanying the music, the instrumental piece really makes you reflect on things, as cheesy as that may sound.
I didn't particularly think of a lonely monk but the emotional melody will definitely strike a chord within you.
The Attic's music isn't something you'll bang your head to. Instead, it's music that you let yourself sway and bop to. They offer us with an original sound that Rhode Islanders can boast of. They have played in major venues such as Manhattan's Knitting Factory, The Stone Pony and our local haunt, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel.
Catch them live in Providence on Feb. 2, when they will be playing at AS220. They have quite a few shows coming up here in Rhode Island so see them while you can. For a list of their upcoming shows, visit their Web site, http://musicfromtheattic.com.