TWOFR: The Intelligence x Sabertooth Tiger

TWOFR: The Intelligence x Sabertooth Tiger

The Intelligence

Deuteronomy

(In the Red, 2007)

Yes, I concur, the singles by the A-Frames on S-S are pretty decent and with the creation of AFCGT, there’s no lack of newly recorded, skewed rock on the market. But the third full length, the second on ITR, from the Intelligence includes some dingy fuzz with a thick layer of pop melodicism that isn’t always proportioned well on recordings being birthed from this genre.

The skronk of AFCGT recalls everything from Can to Zappa, but leaves out the ample pop needs of the listening community. That being said, Lars Finberg recording the Intelligence in a studio for the first time, brings about Deuteronomy, whose title itself is a bit mysterious. The name comes from the fifth book of the Torah and seeing as if you combine the number of full length albums between the A-Frames and the Intelligence the resultant integer being five, it all make sense. Kinda.

What doesn’t seem to be sensible is the pervasive point of view that this group is a pre-programmed exploration of sound. While Finberg does work alone, the albums that have resulted seem to be full fledged rock ensembles. Granted, few tracks sport a full line-up, but if you’re listening at home you probably just won’t know.

Hot Rod Tod. Where’s he been? Not on this disc, but HRT and Finberg share similar vocal styles and deliveries as evidenced initially on the lead off “Moon Beeps”. That alone doesn’t make the album, perhaps it yields a bit of endearing sentiment. But unfortunately the female whoa’s on “Dating Cops” stomp that feeling from one’s ears. With that being the low point, Finberg’s ability to work within a genre, no matter how loosely defined, while shifting tempos as well as mood is exceptional. The elastic bass, so often associated with funk, gets some play here as on “Bad Sirens”, where the Intelligence sounds alternately like an ‘80s punk band and the Strokes.

The media, in general, has hailed this as an insightful melding of sound, noise and style. No one will be so bold as to disagree, but this won’t make too many top ten’s. Either way, once it goes into the ole cd player, if you didn’t just rip it, it’s not coming out for a while. Or at-least, not until you find your copy of We Are Electrocution.

 

Sabertooth Tiger

Extinction is Inevitable

(GSL, 2006)

Sweet merciful crap. Can I ask a bloody favor from the thousand of So Cal bands that are in some way At the Drive in/Mars Volta related? Stop. You made a truck load of money. Fine. You’re talented and almost every dude in the country that has a brushed up mohawk has one of your cds. This is getting to be as ridiculous as Mike Patton projects. You win. We get it. Your true to yourself and play loud music. As a marketing point, Jon Theodore of The Mars Volta plays drums on some tracks, and pretty convincingly at that. The beats are stuck together through all of the fills that can possibly fit in the time and space that are allotted. And it’s rather impressive, not new, but impressive. Between that and the Chomsky quote in the liner notes, we should all be able to guess at the sounds that come from the speakers. It, again, is being billed as hardcore related. And it is, to some degree, in a droney, pretentious political way. “Pyramid” explains how working won’t actually benefit you if you do it five days a week. And “The Sixties” extols the virtues of the rebellion, which near as I can tell didn’t really work, considering the fact that everyone reading this is probably trading their time for money (aka working for the man). At one point there’s a proclamation; “Let’s fight now”. Great. Another moron on the mic prodding us to revolution. Unfortunately, there’s no plan behind it, no reason for uprising now as opposed to five years ago and no real solution for the chaos that would ensue after such an insurrection. Again, great sentiment, but keep your mouth shut until you got something sensible to come out of it. GSL used to release bands like Le Shok who were more revolutionary in concept, approach and presentation, and now, I just want those old releases back. I don’t know if Hot Rod Tod is passed out in an alley somewhere, but even in that state, he very well maybe more entertaining then Sabertooth Tiger and it’s mindless leftist drivel.