Maybe you passed by the Westco Café late Wednesday evening and dismissed the rumblings coming out of it as the usual café racket. If so, bad call. The clamorous combination of drum work, keyboard and guitar was the music of Brooklyn based noise rock duo USAISAMONSTER.
With a history of nine years playing together under their belts, Colin Matthews and Tom Hohmann pack the experience necessary to create a distinct and intelligent sound into a genre in which even the most skillfully played songs are at times indiscernible from the next.
Matthews and Hohmann make the thinking man’s noise rock. As the name suggests, their political ideology is decidedly liberal and against American hegemony. Though USAISAMONSTER’s lyrics are clearly politically infused, do not expect the usual “f— Bush” rant from them.
“We’ve been called USAISAMONSTER since Clinton was president … It [the United States] has been a monster since its inception … it ain’t news,” Matthews said.
The history of American domination is explored in their latest full-length release, “Tasheyana Compost.” The devastation of the Native Americans is thematically represented throughout the CD and the band’s music is surprisingly fitting for the expression of the destruction wreaked on Native Americans in U.S. history. The sound is deconstructed to the essential; the vocals at times bear the singsong quality of storytelling. Though “Tasheyana Compost” is laden with images of war and American domination, the band’s message is not rage filled.
“People can say whatever … people can say we’re s—. We’re not really an anger band,” Matthews said.
In fact, Matthews and Hohmann exude a calmness that counters the intense, heavy sound of their music. They interviewed over Ben and Jerry’s “Half Baked” and coffee, explaining their philosophy on touring and booking shows.
“We’ll go anywhere people want us to go,” Hohmann said.
They’ve certainly come to Wesleyan when asked; Wednesday night was their third show at the University, the last show they played here was only six months ago.
Their fans who showed up Wednesday owe a lot to Dave Kadden ’05, who has organized all three USAISAMONSTER shows at Wesleyan.
“These guys are awesome, I’ve seen them a bunch of times … here, and in New York, Boston…I just think they are incredible musicians and songwriters,” Kadden said.
Kadden, a self proclaimed biology major who should have been a music major, hosts a WESU show Wednesday nights from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Originally, Wednesday night’s show was to be broadcast live on radio, but Kadden changed his mind.
“I love them and I want everyone to love them. There’s kind of this prejudice about these little shows here … like they’re exclusive … we don’t need anymore commercially viable music … we need more of this,” Kadden said.
A glimpse at some Wesleyan-based non “commercially viable” music was displayed by opening act Vesuvius Eruption. Consisting of Caley Monahon-Ward ’07 and Ashraf Rijal ’07, Vesuvius Eruption warmed up the crowd with its frenetic drum work and bass. The duo’s Lightning Bolt cover was not without irony.
“So someone was like, ‘Oh drum and bass. Have you guys heard of Lightning Bolt?’” Rijal said, sporting boots and the PACE flag.
The show was the first for Vesuvius Eruption, undoubtedly made more exciting because of the reputation and talent of USAISAMONSTER. For those familiar with the band, there was an element of excitement in being able to be in so intimate a setting with a band with so much “indie cred.”
“It was fantastic, bombastic, and I got a CD made out of plastic … they’re very good instrumentalists, they are very talented,” said Matt Leddy ’08.
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