MOSSBREAKER – BETWEEN THE NOISE AND YOU

When I first heard Mossbreaker, to me, it felt like they were about to finally fill a void left by Failure that existed for far too many years. Then Failure fucked it up by reuniting before Mossbreaker could release their debut EP. At least Mossbreaker had fresh music out while Failure was just playing shows with old material… then Failure threw another wrench in the monkey by announcing a new album a year later. I soon learned about the mentor/mentoree relationship between Mossbreaker guitarist/frontman/recording engineer Gabe Vanbenschoten and Ken Andrews, who is also all those things for Failure, and the similarities began to make more sense. I do think Mossbreaker can stand on their own in space rock, or whatever, without the Ken Andrews association, or even guest vocals, but the connection certainly doesn’t hurt.

I Woke Up Like This: Mossbreaker - “Dissolve”

This one got stuck in my head the same way A Lot Like Birds did earlier this week: listening to my un-posted best of 2017 list. This might be a turn off, but if you haven’t heard Mossbreaker yet, it’s simple: they sound exactly like Failure. Obviously if I’m considering it a top record of 2017 then that fact doesn’t deter me one bit. They’re kind of more efficient. Other than the opening intro track, there isn’t any “Segue...” or long outro fillers. I know, filler tracks are supposed to add to the story of the album, but rarely does it work for me. Ire Works is Dillinger’s worst record, if you trim the filler tracks from Spitfire’s Cult Fiction it flows better (which leads me to believe they added those well after the album was completed), and even the acoustic guitar at the end of “Magnified” leading into “Wonderful Life” is pointless as it doesn’t lead in at all. The only time I’ve ever found the filler to actually progress the story of a record is on Grievances by Rolo Tomassi and even that took almost 2 years before it felt right. Mossbreaker trims the fat, but they do employ Ken Andrews on the album’s title track, which feels a little too on the nose. On a lesser record it would be egregious, but Between the Noise and You smokes, as displayed above by its first non-filler track.

Hum reappears with a roar at the Regent Theater

[nggallery id=997] By Ben McShane I asked almost everyone I know this week if they remember 1990s B-listers Hum, whose only notable single “Stars” was on Beavis and Butthead longer than it was on radio airwaves. I must have asked 30 people. Not a one remembered. And yet on Thursday night, a sold-out Regent Theater panted with anticipation for one of the ’90s’ most revered cult bands. Then they…