Accordion Crimes

At the outset, the cutting build of "Extractor" lets you know that maybe these guys listened to a bit of Shellac. Bryon Parker's impassioned vocals wouldn't be out of place on one of those classic records out of Louisville from the early '90s, owing to their ability to be melodic...

By Tom Murphy

March 13, 2012

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At the outset, the cutting build of "Extractor" lets you know that maybe these guys listened to a bit of Shellac. Bryon Parker's impassioned vocals wouldn't be out of place on one of those classic records out of Louisville from the early '90s, owing to their ability to be melodic as well as a vehicle for articulating uncontrollable emotional outbursts — especially during the climax of "Forecast," a song that begins with cello but careens into one of the most inspiring displays of noise-rock catharsis of recent years. Between Bryan Feuchtinger's almost industrially precise, jagged bass lines, Dave Sprague's keen sense of texture and Parker's alternating guitar sound of shimmering beauty and nerve-shattering hysteria, these songs may drive some wives away, but good riddance to anyone without a taste for challenging music.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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