The Hillary Step, the Revolvers, Electronimo
Grand Emporium
December 13, 1999

Review by Mark Cuthbertson

Remember Grovel? If so, The Hillary Step is the closest thing in town with Brad Hodgson’s vocals and guitar playing; however, the Hillary Step ventures into directions largely not explored by Grovel. The Hillary Step is decidedly more aggressive than Grovel was, and the music is more complex and drastic rather than the themes and variations maximized by the three Grovel guitarists. The major seventh arpeggios and the whispering are recognizable still. Brian Frisbee is also part of the group.

The similarities end there. Brad boiled over into yelling on almost every song -- tastefully done, of course. Stop time and math rock time signatures were scattered throughout the set. Instead of a drum set, Brian sported a bass with a big, warm, fuzzy tone, and the overall sound of the group is more like that of a traditional power trio (Cream, early Rush, et al) with each instrument occupying as much of the sonic spectrum as possible. Soon, the group is releasing a CD recording, and no fan of local math or indie rock should be without it.

The Revolvers followed with their brand of power pop. They did a good job of mixing up their songs and avoided adhering too closely to songwriting formulas as many groups in their genre do. A couple of their songs had sections without the bass, preventing every section of every song from sounding exactly alike. One exception: the tempo was almost always roller-coaster fast, and not always so thrilling. Are opposite moods like heartache and holding on to a loved one forever really the same hair-raising tempo? Just as different subject matters add welcome variety to a set list, so would greater variance in tempo. The variety of chord progressions and attitudes was clear, though. Other notes of mine included, “fast and bratty like Green Day...Motley Crue Lite...Action Man on speed...a more melodic ‘Talk Dirty to Me’.” That’s a good variety of sounds, especially when the vocal harmonies are added. Their music isn’t the most original or most profoundly meaningful I’ve ever heard, but that’s not their aim. As far as power pop bands go, the Revolvers are one to experience.

The Revolvers seemed especially comfortable on stage, probably a result of their extensive individual experiences and their recent tour. All vocals are performed well (in tune and audible), the stage presence is certainly reflective of an experienced band, and the songs and set were tight. Each of them was clearly having fun in addition to playing well together and feeding off each other; the crowd seemed to follow suit.

Electronimo is not likely to ravish the airwaves or win many popularity contests, but I’ll be surprised if they don’t establish a decent following. Mike Wentworth’s rich guitar tone, frequent dynamic changes, and use of effects pedals provide a rich sonic palette to play with over the intense drumming of Mike Wade. Jeff Waldrip’s bass playing was tentative at times, but held the flood of sound together by tying it all to a few common roots. Some of their music reminded me of Dinosaur, Jr., Smashing Pumpkins, and U2 in places. Their songs were dynamic, covered a wide variety of tempos and used too many musical elements to list. Some of their music was highly melodic; some was extremely noisy.

Wentworth’s spoken word performances are one of Electronimo’s weaker spots. Most would prefer singing, and if the words are to be spoken, a more emotional delivery would greatly liven up the band’s sound and presence. Also, some of the music is way over the top for most people. The combination of seemingly random noise passages and spoken word monotony is a great restriction to Electronimo. Even if they were to limit each song to one or neither element and mix up their set more that way, they could keep more people’s attention further into their set.

For a young and bold band such as Electronimo, though, the future may hold a great deal of promise. I prefer the newer material I’ve heard to their album, Remora Eight, and I’ve also heard rumors of an added member sometime. Their blend of music and noise, singing and spoken word, pure aggression and lack of emotion is a unique oxymoron which is sure to set them apart from the rest as they further refine their sound.

--Mark Cuthbertson