Well I guess I need to explain the title of the post before everyone goes crazy wondering what it's all about. "Storytelling" and "Yul Brynner" are two of the songs that a local trio, The See, play. I have mentioned The See in passing, but I really do hope great things come their way. They have several shows booked in the near future and I urge people to check them out.
The See consists of Joe Yoder, Dylan Yelenich, and Tyler Nance. Each one is musically gifted in their own right and combined they make some really interesting music. I've now seen them five or six times, and each time I notice something a little different about them. Whether it's Nance twirling a drumstick during a pause or Yelenich's exuberant bass playing, they know how to keep people's attention. During this specific show, Yoder fell over, lost his guitar pick, and started slamming his knuckles on his guitar to keep the song going. I had no idea he hadn't planned it at all because it seemed to have come so naturally to him, and when a musician can convince me of something ridiculous like that, I'm hooked. These guys have a fantastic stage presence that I haven't seen a whole lot of lately which is really refreshing.
I saw them the other night at On The Rocks, which is not typically a place I go, but I like to support up and coming Little Rock bands. I got to talk with the guys before the show and wanted to hear what they had to say about their music. They described it to me as post-punk meets indie rock. I know it's a large spectrum to fit any band in, but I love the fact that it is fully open to interpretation. The Arkansas Times called them "a noise band." When I think of noise music, I literally think of just noise with no vocals. However, because I don't listen to that genre, I could be completely off. There are definitely elements of noise to the music though because Yoder plays with various levels of feedback on several songs, and there is a metal string of beads incorporated with the cymbals of the drum set every once in a while. In the proper context, controlled noise can add so much to a song, and I like what has been incorporated so far.
I was told that they want their music to be somewhat confusing to the audience, and I have noticed that it is to some extent. If I hadn't been paying attention when I saw them, I could have easily missed several songs because they fit together and complimented each other so well. My curiosity has been peaked and I look forward to new and exciting musical concepts from them.
--L
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