THEY SHINE A LIGHT SO ALL CAN FOLLOW

Quasi is a band made up of former husband and wife Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss. The two have other projects as well, the most well known being Janet's Sleater-Kinney. Coomes once played with Elliott Smith in Heatmiser many years ago. First, let me give credit to Prole for turning me on to the fantasticness that is Quasi.


This is a band that plays rock and roll like not many others out there right now. While most bands tend to get more "accessible" as time goes on, Quasi's latest "When The Going Gets Dark" goes in almost, almost I say, the opposite direction. I say almost (I said it again) because while the songs on this release have a bit less structure than some of their classic tunes (I can't get "I Give Up" or "Bon Voyage" out of my head) they are also based more in the traditional instrumentation of piano, guitars and drums.

Weiss's drumming has always had that extra kick to it that can send even the most weathered guitarist for a loop if he's not ready for funky timing. She's the thinking drummer's drummer. I've always been a fan of lady drummers, not just because they're sexy as all hell banging things with sticks. The likes of Hollis Queens (Boss Hog), Lynette Gillis (Plumtree) and Weiss have been keeping things interesting behind the kit for over a decade.

Coomes can put together the most awkward sounds in an arrangement that would make Picasso proud. Once he's finished smashing a pounding piano and thundering guitar riff together he adds his pleading vocals to the mix. The result, on top of the drums, is nearly always unpredictable and blissful.

This latest album is so odd at times that it took me a few listens before I understood how amazing it is. I've read some recent reviews that were overall positive save for the exception of some of the lyrics. Fair enough, there's not much interesting in "I'm Popeye the sailor man, I live in a garbage can!", but I think Quasi's making a point that I've stood behind for many years. Lyrics don't mean much in a song itself. I appreciate lyrics as a form of poetry, but I feel they take away from the actual music itself, unless viewed as solely an instrument. Take, for instance, The Beach Boys. Awesome music, including the way Brian Wilson used vocals as an instrument. But if you listen to the words only, it's quite dismissable as inane and ridiculous, unless you're a pathetic teenager.

Back to Quasi. There's so much soul and emotion on this album. Around the middle of the album it breaks down into about 7 minutes of instrumental music over two tracks, the first half of which is at times painful. I think that's the point in the set where the band retunes their instruments or downs a bottle of beer and smokes a joint. However, this just sets up the second half of the album that will take you to other places still.

Standout tracks are the opener "Alice the Goon", "When The Going Gets Dark", "I Don't Know You Anymore" and the extremely blues-based "Death Culture Blues".

Of all the amazing new albums out already this year I have to recommend this one the most because it makes you really listen and think about what good music is (I know this may hold you back Hold Steady, but try it three times in a week). I think good music is a good feeling. I can see the band having that good feeling as they play this music.

I've yet to see this band live as they rarely tour (especially outside of the US), but I'm thinking of getting a passport and heading across the border to the land of guns and hate for the first time in about 8 or 9 years just to check them out. Come with me.

Again, prole, thanks so much for introducing me to this band lo those many years ago.