Band of the Week - Rinoa

When I started Scrape and Scatter there were a handful of bands that I wanted to share right from the beginning.  I don't think I've even gotten through half of them.  Rinoa was definitely on the shortlist and since this (ugh) "blog" has been going they've broken up and started various other bands in different genres.  Well screw it, they're still good enough to talk about.

From a cursory glance at the track lengths on An Age Among Them and the atmospheric intro on the first song you could guess that Rinoa would have a lot in common with bands like Isis.  While there are some similarities between Rinoa and post-metal, especially repetition, they also have the straight ahead simplicity of a band like Will Haven.  Throw in some unexpected melody and it kind of sounds like if Will Haven had some assistance from fellow Sacto native Stephen Carpenter of Deftones writing guitar parts for them.  Now "straight ahead," "simplistic," and "repetitious" may sound slightly boring, but where Rinoa cast that assumption aside is with unpredictable chord progressions which isn't an easy feat when most of their songs are in a 4/4 time signature.  The vocals and song structure are akin to that of Japanese screamo legends Envy.  Don't worry, for once this English remake isn't a watered down version of the Japanese original.  If there is one complaint it's that the vocals can be a little too monotone.  I'm not saying that they needed to be trite and "pretty" or mainstream, but it could be argued that the melodic parts suffered from a lack of vocal variance (though I think they're just fine).

www.facebook.com/pages/Rinoa/99207468097

(new projects)
www.facebook.com/ancientsmusicuk
www.facebook.com/pages/Perry-Bryan/168396109906634
www.facebook.com/wearehospitals

Where They Began: 2008's Self Titled EP

Where You Should Begin: An Age Among Them, the only full length from Rinoa is definitely the way to go, but the self titled EP is worth picking up if only for the song "Atlantis."  If you want to round out the catalog the only other release they have is a split with Bossk which contains a track that wasn't released on the EP or LP.

Essential Song: This is what I believe to be their best song, but about 2 minutes are cut from it I guess to make the music video more accessible


Essential Live Video:

Band of the Week - Ocoai

At what volume does tinnitus occur?  I don't have an exact decibel measurement, but every time I see Ocoai live this question is emphatically answered.  This band goes to 12.  Actually, scratch that, Ocoai is beyond that and probably deserves better than a bad Spinal Tap reference, but it's all I've got.  However, if sheer volume was all that was impressive, then I have two friends who could make a killing touring the country with their incessant The Simpsons quotes.  Yes, Ocoai makes use of a style popularized by Neurosis and Isis.  In fact, if you're sick of the term Neur-Isis and all of its clones I don't blame you, but I really feel sorry for you if you gave up on the atmospheric post-whatever genre before hearing Ocoai.  These dudes take everything the genre is known for and do it right.

Originally a four piece, they rounded out their line up by adding a 5th member who handles keys, electronics, and *ahem* cello duties.  And with that, when Ocoai hit their D Minor key (last Spinal Tap reference, I promise) the sadness of their music definitely brings the Neurosis vibe.  When they roll through their up-tempo blues riffs, even burly Black Sabbath worshipping dudes, who dig bands like Baroness and Black Cobra, with beards bigger and longer than their attention spans needed to appreciate music like this, will nod their heads in agreement. When Ocoai quiets down there is a shadowy beauty adding another layer to the already rampant emotion flowing through each of their songs.  And when Ocoai slows everything down and push more weight through their amps than Escobar pushed in the 80's, it has the chunky feel of Pelican (except with competent drumming), but it's so heavy that if an actual pelican tried to lift the air that carries an Ocoai drop in it's silly looking beak, it would probably turn the entire species into a flightless bird.

The stamp that Ocoai puts on the genre that perhaps hasn't been as prevalent in post-metal bands past is guitar solos.  Both guitarists take turns cutting through the others' chugging elephant stomps with more blues influenced picking and even sliding ("Marchand De Sommeil") or sometimes taking on more classic metal styled solos (later in the very same song).  Completely committed to the instrumental only concept, they don't set up a mic to say anything to the crowd between songs, or even try to shout to let you know how many songs they have left, just hand signals (one).  Their perfectly structured songs and ear-splitting volume are enough to satiate any audience salivating for alluring destructive heaviness.

www.facebook.com/ocoai
www.ocoai.com
www.breatherman.com
www.peacecreature.com
www.theelectrichand.com

Where they started: 2008's Breatherman 

Where you should start: While Breatherman is a fine release, you certainly can't go wrong with it. For me, though, it's the 2 songs on the Peacecreature compilation.  Which is actually more like a four way split, and Ocoai's songs bleed into each other so it's more like like one song cut into 2 tracks.  Whatever, it's 2 good songs on a CD with 3 other good bands.  Sounds like a great starting point, is where I'm trying to go with this.  You can also pick up the brand-spanking new album The Electric Hand which they just played CD release shows for this past weekend.  It's phenomenal.  Whatever you check out just remember that if your stereo isn't wall to wall deafening sound then you definitely need to check this band out live.

Essential Song:


Essential Live Video:

Band of the Week - Pilot This Plane Down

Ever wondered how/why Examination of the... went from their chaotic screamo stylings to the more Neurosis laden The Whitest of Elephants?  Me neither, but Pilot This Plane Down could serve as the perfect non-linear missing link.  Before I confuse you, I'm not saying either band share any members or anything like that.  The common denominators here are experimental ambient screamo and slow crushing meanderings.  PTPD just manages to blend them all on to one record(s). Whether it's building a 20 some-odd minute song (Airs EP), or separating the ambient tracks from the structured songs (Glory of the World LP) Pilot This Plane Down quickly and noisily attack before paralyzing you with the lulling ambiance only so they can drag you down and stuff you under a rock. Every song weaves into each other so well and after getting bombarded by a song like "Conquest," the bleed into the softer sung, prettier "Decline" is seamless.  Don't get caught napping or scratching your noodle asking "how did we get here?" because you will be knocked on your butt wondering where your socks went.

www.facebook.com/pilotthisplanedown

Where they started: 2004's Airs

Where you should start: Glory of the World is just the more complete record as well as having the better quality recordings.  Airs forces you to listen to the whole EP (seeing as it is just one song) whereas GOTW's songs can stand on their own, but you kind of want to listen to the record as a whole anyway.

Essential Song (aka only one I could find, but still a good one):

Although these guys haven't released anything in almost 3 years, there have been rumblings of new material being written and shows being played.  Also, member(s?) of Pilot This Plane Down were in a band called Day of Less whose contributors have gone on to form Gaza and Bird Eater among other Salt Lake City bands.