Vonnegut

Fall Into Place
Self-released

A A A Comments (6) By Michael Roberts Thursday, Apr 10 2008

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Literary references abound on Vonnegut's EP, beginning with the band's moniker and continuing through songs such as "So It Goes" and "Burn Victim," which nod, respectively, to a recurring phrase used throughout Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and a subplot concerning the World War II-era blaze that destroyed Dresden, Germany. Yet these allusions don't really connect with the sound and style of the CD.

Vocalist/guitarist Ryan Gombeski, drummer/sampler Chris Weaver, guitarist Mike Trujillo and bassist Brian Farnsworth eschew the world-weary humor and sense of the absurd associated with that other Vonnegut in favor of generic rock exemplified by "St. Catherine," whose lyrics feature prosaic imagery such as "I was going crazy" and "You are my angel." The performances are solid throughout, and the concluding "Evacuation," in particular, exhibits rousing aggressiveness. In the end, though, the disc's familiarity prevents it from standing out from the other selections on the shelf.

So it goes, indeed.

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Ryan 05/05/2008 5:02:00 AM

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to comment on the review of our album. Whatever you think about us, or the name, or the music good or bad, in the long run, it doesn't really matter all that much. We worked very hard to make this record. We are proud of it and stand by it. It's a weird to have people interpret and critique your art, but it's part of putting yourself out there, and it is something anyone taking a chance must learn to deal with. We hope you will take the time to make up your own minds on this and anything else media tells you. Thank you for the continued support and nomination. Ryan Vonnegut
truthhurtz 04/24/2008 9:40:00 PM

So first and foremost, this is a similar reaction to most non-favorable reviews of Denver's herd of forgettable bands who score high on generic replications of popular indie bands. Give an A for effort with the lads of Vonnegut for really trying hard but as the review states, there is not too much intrigue to speak of. I give Mr. Roberts credit because he does his best to offer what little positive aspects he finds in the record while letting us know in a nice way that Vonnegut is another sheep in the herd. And for those who still disagree I would highly recommend reading the Onion AV review of the record and see what another well versed denver musicologist has to say.
Jake 04/10/2008 10:28:00 PM

It's too bad this reviewer got so hung up on the band's name that he failed to really listen to the disc. He really needs to worry less about finding connections to the literary author and judge these guys on their musical talents. Does this guy hate Weezer because none of the members have breathing problems? Sometimes a name is just a name. And sometimes music reviews suck. Both are the case here.
meg 04/10/2008 8:05:00 PM

Wow this is the worst review I have ever read. I find it interesting when people read way too much into titles and lyrics. Just because a band has the name of an author does not mean that their entire album revolves around one of their books. It is just a name. Did you even interview the band or ask them if the context of the songs is actually supposed to relate to Kurt Vonnegut's books? I have seen this band several times and never felt that their lyrics were anything but personal. I would suggest allowing another person to do another review of this album as it is extremely misrepresented. I am personally offended that anyone would read this much into music. I'm guessing the reviewer listened to 3 seconds of each song and made the rest up as they went along. Music is about passion not over analyzing. Anyone reading this review should really disregard it, look them up on myspace.com and judge for yourself.
The Chad 04/10/2008 8:00:00 PM

Mr. Roberts' reviews seem to all end in some lame cliche (let me refer you to the Something Underground review from a few weeks ago "Something Ordinary").... Good one chief. I have seen Vonnegut a few times, and have given their disc a few spins, and I think that their songs are powerful with great hooks. Anyone who gives songs like "Burn Victim" and "Story Book Ending" a listen will be able to identify immediately. If Cliche Carl put 1/100th of the effort into his reviews that some of these great local bands put into their music, then he might end up being a decent writer.
Jen 04/10/2008 5:59:00 PM

I actually saw this band on their cd release night at the Walnut Room; I think it is really interesting that you (the writer of this review) have spent so much of this review on comparisons between the Vonnegut Band, and Kurt Vonnegut. I think you've missed something. My take, is that some people might see the connection between Vonnegut and song names like 'so it goes', and say 'oh that's cute and clever' and then leave it at that. Many people wouldn't even notice. If we lingered on literal names and what they mean, then 'Big Head Todd and the Monsters' would have had many issues. Listening to the bands cd, I think what's great is that they sound the same as they did in their live show which was entertaining, high-energy, and the band members themselves are charismatic and fun to watch. Actually, one of my favorites was St. Catherine, because I could feel love at the show, and they don't claim to be too 'rock and roll' or too macho for it. While I can't judge other people's ability to review music, I will say that I was disappointed with this review. It felt like someone listened to the album once, never saw the band live, and lingered half of it on Kurt Vonnegut. I can only assume the band might feel something similar, so guys...you have a fan in me, I think you rock!