Search - Drums & Tuba :: Vinyl Killer

More like live

M. Kapa | Atlanta, GA United States | 04/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before reviewing this album I'll give a quick history of my Drums and Tuba experiences1. saw them play live. completely blown away. 2. bought their first cd, Box Fetish. Kind of disappointed. It seemed very sparse compared to the big sound they produced on stage. 3. saw them play again (only a couple of months after the first time). Once again blown away. Better than the first time. Thought to myself "These guys just need to record a live cd." 4. Got Vinyl Killer yesterday. 5. Smiling.This album is great to me simply because it sounds much more like when I saw them live. A much more full sound, with all kinds of things going on at once. The songs range from being weird and whimsical to sounding like an epic for outer space. Do yourself a favor and pick up this cd and don't miss them when they come to your town."

EXCELLENT!

eightpointagenda | Chicago, IL | 04/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's one thing to put out an entirely instrumental record but it's also another thing to make that instrumental record listenable from begining to end. Drums & Tuba have one finely crafted album here and I'll be damned if I can an instrumental record is good as this one(or as unique).Twinges of jazz, rock, funk, drum & bass, and even classical come together for the eclectic stew that is Drums & Tuba. Movments play a key component on Vinyl Killer, which makes for hooks galore! D&T manages to keep things unpredicable but also listenable(too much non-linearity just makes it impossible to follow some times). The musicianship is top-notch as everyone plays their respective instruments with proficiency. The drummer uses complex rock drum rhythms and syncapation beyond the likes of even Yuval Gaybay. The tuba provides a nice low end with out being overpowering but still manages to provide an essential presence(also plays some trumpet on some songs as well, which spice up some tunes). The guitarist plays some exciting riffs that are beyond the basic 4/4 pop music cliches. The nice thing is that he(unlike other so-called "God music groups"), he never plays anything gratuitous, trying not to over shadow the music of the two central instruments(you can guess what they are). So in the end, he becomes a great complement and adds another layer to an already very textured recording. The songs themselves contain variety to keep from becoming tedious or boring. This would almost be a perfect record but there are some throw away tracks on here. Nothing to sour an entire CD, but a few. Otherwise this is a magnificant recording and should be in the collection of music fans and musicians alike. Though I think musicians might get more of a kick out of this just due to sheer technicallity. EXCELLENT RELEASE!"

A unique sound from a killer band!

thesameage | New York, NY via NOLA and Austin | 02/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just saw Drums and Tuba twice this past week opening up the Snocore Icicle Ball. If you're not familiar with the band, here's the deal: drummer, tuba player with a bank of effects, and an extremely unconvential guitar player who plays more by sticking things in the strings and banging on the thing (sometimes two guitars at once) than he does just strumming it. The tuba player also has a sampler that he uses to lay down sweet bass lines at the beginning of songs and then uses the rest of the song for cool atmospheric effects and melody lines. I'd describe their sound as in the jam band neighborhood with a definite Sonic Youth/Chemical Brothers bent. I just got this CD at the second Snocore show and I love it. I only gave it a four because a couple of the songs are a bit slow, but the good ones are really good. Check out track four first!"