ICEBIRD
Magnitude
( Flying Squirrel Records ) 2005

Icebird hail from a little stardust-tinged town called Los Angeles, you may have heard of it - on the coastal edge of California. You need to know about Icebird,
a trio that immediately jumps out of the gates on Magnitude - their debut release on LA's Flying Squirrel Records. This is an LP that visits ground infiltrated by past "rock" giants Unwound (the instrumentation), Sonic Youth (Barry Monahan's unkempt, coarse delivery; again the style) and - before I drop this, remember all the good you new about them - Nirvana (hear: "My second guessing"). Particularly on the latter example, you
have Barry on lead vocals and guitar (he flunked guitar class twice!) as well as Kate Wise, drummer / vocals, lending her spectacular voice all seamed together by brother Mikes (Monahan) 4-string pattern holding. I must add, they rip through a ferocious number called "Hollywon't" that revels no distinguishable lyrics - only a little over a minute of free-form fury, that lead's into the albums closer "Ababa Bababa" that holds nothing back.

There's no catch here, no glam or gimmick - just 3 talented friends entering a recording space, picking up their tools and laying down a true rock album. For a debut record this distant from the current 'norm' to see light is one blessing - but for said album to also be the initial release on an upstart label (Flying Squirrel) is a treasure and a sign of, hopefully, things yet to come.

Sure, some kids are gonna be confused as to why there are only 3 members in a band - versus 7, and why the music they are hearing isn't immediately fit for selling common automobiles on commercial television - but hopefully a band like Icebird can reverse some of the damage done to our warped youth. A damn fine album, enough said!

+ kaleb :: (08.30.04)