0
0
Watch out LA, New York, and British Punk bands, Canada is on the verge of throwing its hat into the ring of angst-ridden, edgy music. That’s right, the tundra north has a new band ready to stake its claim to the fast-paced, three-chord, two-minutes-in-length musical genre.
Odd Man Out is a three-member band with its first home spun CD, Skipping Stones in the Bathtub. It has ten songs of raw energy produced by Andrew LaTona (bass/vocals), Ed Kramer (guitar/vocals), and beat master Clark MacGregor (drums). I found it hard to believe that these guys were still in high school. The sound and lyrical content on the original songs are remarkably heavy. True feeling — not seen by many accomplished bands currently getting strong spin rotation — was poured into each song.
The first track, “Two Way Street,” made me wonder if Odd Man Out was influenced by So-Cal band Face to Face. Deep bass tones floating behind strong, drawn out chords on guitar sent a shiver up my spine. LaTona then weaves a truly edgy performance on vocals.
“Sunday Sweet” was my favorite song. It starts out with no distortion on guitar and Kramer singing softly. Then everything goes electric. The lyrics and vocals felt a bit like a Dead Kennedys song.
The CD overall was a well-done first effort. The guys recorded it themselves and almost nailed the levels on their first attempt. Each member is very talented. The only issue is that the drum rhythms, which are good, often battle the rhythms of the bass and guitar. That’s something that should work itself out as the gents keep playing together. I bet they keep listening to the disc to hear where improvements can be made. In my opinion, there isn’t much to fix. I really believe these guys have a shot at the big time.
If you want to see where and when their next gig will be in the Toronto area, check out their web site. Or, to hear a sample of some of their songs, visit them at MP3.com.
