thepaintedman rates this: I HAVE NO IDEA

Bone Gunn is quite an interesting name for a band. Before even listening to a note of any of Bone Gunn’s tracks, one must first contemplate the name. What type of music do you think a band called Bone Gunn would perform? Where does a name like that come from? Why does Gunn have two “n”s?

Answers to those questions may be revealed as we push forth in discussing the Flies EP, though perhaps we will be left with just as many, or more, questions than before we began. Below, I will break down my process of reviewing this EP and we’ll see what we come up with:

1. I download the tracks and burn them onto my iPod.

2. I being playing the EP, while beginning my routine of googling the artist before tackling the review.

3. Midway through the first track, I hear the singer begin to yell during what was seemingly a chilled out track. At this exact moment, I read a blurb on my search result that calls Bone Gunn an “Electro-Folk” act.

4. I open a review on The Noise: Rock Around Boston’s website that describes a live Bone Gun show in March of 2009 as follows:

Before Bone Gunn comes up next, the room fills and the crowd is buzzing with anticipation. A man in a Vietnam issue army jacket, a ski mask, and military goggles creeps around my shoulder and nearly gives me a heart attack. Next thing I know, the music starts and this masked man is up on stage singing. The first song builds slowly but surely, with ethereal interludes breaking up a salsa-esque bass groove. The song explodes with a drum part reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails’ “Piggy.” The second song is straight-ahead rock until the end bombards me with tribal drums, a tasteful guitar solo, and a gut-wrenching scream from lead singer Bryan Kane. Throughout the set Bone Gunn’s harmonically strange songs maintain integrity through their pop structure. The final song, “Flies,” delivers tenfold. At the end of the song, guitar player Brian Penny smashes his guitar into innumerable pieces as he swings it around by its strings. It is clear that the band has given every last ounce of energy they have. I can’t wait to see what surprises Bone Gunn will have in the future.

5. As I contemplate what is said in this review, I begin to hone back into the music playing from my stereo behind me. It sounds a lot like a David Bowie ballad. I lean over to my iPod and see that the song is called “Love Loathe”. I find myself grooving to it, relaxed and somewhat enchanted.

6. I resume my google search and am disappointed that there are no consumer reviews of the EP on Amazon. I like to read what regular folks think about the EP.

7. I read some more reviews of their live shows, all praising the band, calling them “experimental folk rock” and “folk noise” and “folk industrial”. At this time the album has not only restarted, but is back to the second track, which has a quiet tone. Soon the 3rd track begins, this time I am paying more attention than last. This track reminds me a bit of a Philly band I like called The March Hare in that it combines elements of jazz, metal, and electronic music. Before I can analyze the track to my liking, it’s over and that Bowie-esque ballad is back on. Too lazy to switch the track back on, I just close my eyes and sway a bit, enjoying the track. (more…)

thepaintedman rates this:

With 9 tracks, the UUVVWWZ debut is not exactly a full length and not exactly an EP. What it is, however, is something different and interesting. Out on Saddle Creek Records yesterday, the album is a rare example of music that truly cannot be pigeonholed into any genre, or even combination of genres. If Bjork and Karen O joined forces with Captain Beefheart and Deerhoof, you’d begin to get an idea of what UUVVWWZ sounds like.

Vocalist Teal Gardner evokes a young, wailing Karen O at times, while at others her voice is syrupy sweet. Her vocal stylings seem quite prone to spontaneous freakouts that are accompanied by the sometimes frantic or improv-like Jazz solos within the tunes.

Screechy guitars, drumming that ranges from a traditional jazz style to the backbeat of a punk rock song, and driving, sometimes groovy bass lines are thrown together to create a sound that is both beautifully flowing and somewhat disjointed at the same time. This seeming contraction appropriate as the band almost sounds like a contradiction itself.

Every song has it’s own identity, some with multiple identities. However, my favorite track is “Green Starred Sleeve”. The track evokes a circus-like gypsy sound, while having an oddly technical math-rock feel. The vocals range in the track from simple and pretty to raucous and powerful. The song seems to build up and break down throughout. My only gripe with the song is that it sounds like it needs a stronger finish. Then again, it flows right into the next track, “Trapezeus”, which opens up quite aggressively. Perhaps the final build up in “Green Starred Sleeve” is a lead in to the aggression of “Trapezeus”. Either way, one of 9 solid tracks.

While this album is not something I’d typically consider my style, it does remind me of some music that I was into at different points in my life, The Blood Brothers and Danielson to be exact. And, I’d make the claim that if a band can remind you of The Blood Brothers and a totally different type of band like Danielson, they are certainly a band that cannot be defined… such is UUVVWWZ. Obscure, different, fresh, exciting, and well worth a listen. Who knows, you may finds yourself willing to branch into new territories.

This is undoubtedly going to be a critical success. As far as the average listener, they probably won’t get it… but those will likely become the cult of UUVVWWZ. A small, hardcore fanbase and critical support should expose this band to many discerning music fans. Where they go from there is anybody’s guess, but one thing is for sure… the talent and creativity of UUVVWWZ poises the band to becomes something special.