New Ancient Astronauts

Given the difficulty of making disparate musical elements cohere, it's no wonder that most bands stick to a single style. Indeed, acts that can pull off the difficult mission of genre-blending are few and far between, which only makes the New Ancient Astronauts' accomplishment that much more impressive. The various...

By Michael Roberts

November 18, 2004

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Given the difficulty of making disparate musical elements cohere, it's no wonder that most bands stick to a single style. Indeed, acts that can pull off the difficult mission of genre-blending are few and far between, which only makes the New Ancient Astronauts' accomplishment that much more impressive. The various styles on Children of the Vortex, which is being launched with a CD-release party on Thursday, November 18, at the Bluebird Theater, have about as much in common as Dick Cheney and Howard Dean, yet they work together better than anyone has a right to expect.

The rock the Astronauts use as the foundation for their tunes comes in many different sizes, shapes and textures. Throughout "Marvin," for instance, bandmates Aaron Daring, Professor Derek Confessor, Kasey, Lani Milbus and Dr. Minotaur juxtapose speedy metal riffs with a long middle section in which the guitars slow down to Tony Iommi tempo, whereas "Voyager I," which immediately follows, rides to the stratosphere on synthesizers and saxophones. "Recognizer," meanwhile, moves from hard rock to art rock to who-knows-what-kinda rock in three and a half thrilling minutes.

The Astronauts discover a universe of possibilities within the Vortex. It's a trip well worth taking.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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