|
about that whole
being watched feeling, and my car is on the other side of town.
Tonight, the hallowed and fabled streets of Athens, GA are swiftly
gaining a disgruntled critic.
I trudge back to the dimly lit barstools and pool tables sharing
occupancy of the hardwood floor at Tasty World with two dozen or so
devoted followers of the group I'm here to see. I was introduced by
complete accident to a trio of alternative pop (yes, very
contradictory, but they proved it could be done) rockers a year ago,
and liked them enough to comeback. Three times. Amidst the Rubik's
cube jumble of bands comprising the Athens music scene, they seemed
to be following the typical order of operations: recording their
first CD, searching out a guitar player to thicken up their sound,
booking shows intermittently, building their fan base and a solid
niche in the landscape.
Tonight marks the first show I've made it to in a few months. I am
greeted with a few pleasant surprises: the guys have indeed found a
guitar player, the CD is complete and released, and overall, the
group possesses an aura of purpose: they are here, they are serious,
and they are ready to go. As they take the stage, I absently recall
my last impression of the band's sound: the soulful, yet, sold voice
guiding a sweetly melodic guitar and a grooving rhythm section.
My reminiscing is toppled and shattered like a porcelain doll in the
path of an atomic bomb blast as a monstrous guitar chord erupts from
the P.A. The band kicks into their opener, and recollection is
meaningless: Exit Left is here, NOW, and will commandeer your
attention whether you like it or not. And like the title track of
their first release, "Brand New Tattoo," they are going to
penetrate…no…INFECT the air of Athens, Atlanta, and beyond. Whoever
said malignancy was a bad thing?
The centerpiece and soul of Exit Left belongs to Troy Cono, a
musical force who was playing piano at 5 and has been fine tuning
his songwriting for nearly a decade. A jam with drummer and high
school friend Billy Nielsen on pots (no, not pot, stupid! COOKWARE!)
and pans (like they were gonna eat, they're artists!) ignited a
musical companionship that has grown and cemented over the last 3
years. Armed with a strong set of dynamic, melodic rock songs, Troy
and Billy were ready to get out and win over the masses, but one
ingredient was lacking: a bassist. So Billy approached an
acquaintance of his at Georgia State University, J.T. Langley, about
filling out the lineup and avoiding comparisons to "And Justice For
All" at all costs. J.T. learned the material a mere 8 days before
their first show, and Exit Left was born.
Flash forward through a year of songwriting, gigging, and
fine-tuning of the band's unique sound. The group is tight, the
album is coming along (slowly), and the people are coming to the
shows. However, something is missing, something that could propel
Exit Left above and beyond the vast sea of talent pouring out of the
amps all over Athens.
The band decides to embark on a search for a lead guitar player to
fill every rest and crevice with the kind of power that will make
Exit Left shine. Then, one fortunate night, a mutual friend
introduces Troy to David Klanac, a guitar prodigy with over a decade
of experience. Troy and David converse, discover like musical
interests such as Our Lady Peace and Pearl Jam, and soon enough the
search is over. David brings to the band a powerful yet tasteful
sensibility on his Les Paul, taking Exit Left's enticing, memorable
music and making it unforgettable.
David's swift fingers compound the seminal work done on Exit Left's
first full-length album, "Brand New Tattoo." Begun by Troy solo in
August of 2000, the project slowly came to fruition through on and
off hours in the studio, with the sequential contributions of J.T.
and Billy, molding, refining, and ultimately perfecting what is one
of the finest, most listenable independent releases of today. The
songwriting reflects the influence of such pure rock acts as Our
Lady Peace and Oasis, combined with the overpowering riffs of Stone
Temple Pilots. Each song is inviting, catchy to any ear at first
listen. However, once drawn in, the record embraces and does not
release until the very end. Troy's lyrics speak to the unlucky
bastard in all of us. The album is more than a simple sing-a-long,
the listener sings every word as his own, channeling the intense and
sincere emotions of pain everyone carries with them. It is the worst
parts of your diary, even with the ink smudged by teardrops.
Onstage, the band is a spectacle, a force not simply seen and heard,
but experienced. Troy is every bit the melancholy wounded lover,
alternately attacking the microphone and doubled over in the agony
(or ecstasy?) of the performance. Every bone and nerve of J.T.'s
body channels the thunderous, yet, danceable groove he creates.
David unleashes hellacious chords and furious riffs, parroting the
screams of a breaking heart, most likely yours. Billy anchors the
soundscape, dynamically generating the tension and explosive force
of the band. With hopes for a Southeast college tour to push their
independent release, look for Exit Left somewhere nearby soon, or
check them out at
www.exitleft.com.
As I exit Tasty World, headed home in a much better mood, one single
thought crosses my mind. Exit Left is coming; get the ink and needle
ready. |
