When high school friends Blair Shehan and Colby Mancasola formed the band Knapsack in 1993 while studying at the University of California at Davis, little did they know that they would help to create a movement that would be so big that their band would get buried beneath it; never getting the attention or credit they were due.
Shortly after forming Knapsack, vocalist/guitarist Shehan, drummer Mancasola, guitarist Jason Bokros and bassist Rod Meyer released a 7” on the San Diego label Goldenrod Records and took to the road. The band would later become known for their relentless touring schedule, which only helped the foursome build a fan base beyond California. By May of 1994, the band had signed with Alias Records to begin on their debut full-length.
If I told you that a particular band in the 90’s opened for the likes of Jawbreaker, Gang of Four, Counting Crows and Jawbox, while also sharing the stage with Green Day, Ben Folds Five, Nada Surf and The Butthole Surfers, you would have to think that this band would have been pretty successful in that era, right? Sadly, that is not necessarily the tale of the San Francisco Bay area band, Engine 88.
Playing their first show in April of 1992, Engine 88 (who were initially called Engine, but later changed their name to Engine 88 to avoid a legal battle with a Florida band of the same name) quickly built their brand of rapid, quirky rock while also building a solid fan base in their local community. The band’s growth could not have been timed any better, as record labels big and small were flocking to the Bay Area after bands like Rancid and Green Day started selling records by the thousands. In the fall of 1994, in the presence of A&R reps for Caroline Records, the band played a show at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. After getting everyone in the crowd to simultaneously eat Pop Rocks candy as they played their set, they signed a two record deal with the label.
Engine 88 released their debut album Clean Your Room in 1995. Personally, this is my favorite Engine 88 record that I still adore to this day. Clean Your Room brilliantly mixes elements of punk rock with pop and even alternative rock to create a chunky driving sound, drawing comparisons to Fugazi, Superchunk and Pavement. Throw in singer Tom Barnes’ pleasantly peculiar voice and this album is truly unforgettable. Anchored by songs such as stand outs “Mangos”, “The Bottle” and “GTO”, the band churns out great song after great song. To support Clean Your Room the band toured the Midwest and even made it over to the East Coast for a run.
Caroline upped the ante on their 1997 follow-up, enlisting star producer Tim O’Heir to work with the band on the record. The result was Snowman, a record that took a bit of a more melodic turn for Engine 88 from Clean Your Room. This is an excellent record that would please fans of Clean Your Room, but would also allow the band to seek a wider audience. It thankfully wasn’t an overt move or a departure for the band, but rather that small step forward in the right direction. Songs like “Ballerina” and “Manclub” stand out on the record with their poppy, energetic sound. Snowman received great praise from the critics, but it failed to catapult the band to the airwaves of alternative radio that they had hoped for. Engine 88 supported the new record by opening for Counting Crows along the Great Lakes and the Midwest, playing bigger venues the band had seen before.
It was during this tour where the band realized that the dreams they had for Engine 88 would never come to fruition. Now without a label after fulfilling their deal with Caroline, the band felt that they would never be able to achieve the success that they were after and deciding to throw in the towel in late 1997.
Before their demise, Engine 88 had recorded some songs that they were very proud of and decided to release them posthumously. Flies and Death n’Stuff was released in 1998 on Wingnut Records. While very good, some of the songs on Flies sound like the band is trying to channel Sunny Day Real Estate, rather than playing their aggressive and witty brand of punk/indie rock.
Every time I listen to Clean Your Room and Snowman, I ask myself to this day what could have been if Engine 88 had decided to keep charging forward on the road and in the studio. While they may have never achieved the type of commercial success they were seeking, they may have attained more of a cult status like some of the bands they opened for did.
What do they sound like? Ok, so I am going to be doing PR for these boys and their upcoming release, Summer Months, on Count Your Lucky Stars but I wanted to write a bit about them on SAL beforehand. I’m not sure I can give you a better description than the one on the band’s myspace that reads “The band your older brother used to listen to circa 1997″. This is definitely emo that harkens back to the usual suspects. But there is also a very noticeable indie rock influence interjected here as well. Imagine Mineral and Pavement having a beautiful bastard love child. Discordant, emotionally raw and powerful…what more could you ask for?
- Man, I forgot just how great The Van Pelt’s Sultans Of Sentiment still is. Hard to believe this album came out eleven years ago…I feel old. For fans of Pavement, Karate, Les Savy Fav and Sonic Youth.
Mock Orange have had quite an odd little career. The band has been on four different labels in the US alone. This being the band’s fifth release, it’s curious to wonder why the band has yet to find a real home. Maybe they finally have with upstart indie label, Wednesday Records. Perhaps the reason for the band’s label instability has something to do with the band’s ever-changing sound. From the pop punk of Nines & Sixes (1998) to the mathy emo of The Record Play (2000) to the wide open indie rock frontiers of Mind Is Not Brain (2004), the band has rarely stood still for too long.
I have often referred to Mock Orange as a musician’s band. I know a few people who absolutely love this band and of course they are musicians themselves. Obviously, the band are great players who have an incredible wealth in talent. They prove that with their innate ability to expand and move their sound at any given time. So where does the band’s new album, Captain Love, stand?
With Captain Love the band has finally chosen to expand on a sound rather than move to a different place altogether. Captain Love picks up where Mind Is Not Brain left off. The band’s sound can be described as progressive indie guitar rock with similarities to bands like Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Front man Ryan Grisham has a familiar drawl that is reminiscent of Jeremy Enigk (Sunny Day Real Estate/Fire Theft) or Doug Marsch from Built To Spill. His voice works remarkably well with Mock Orange’s fluid and experimental approach towards what is in essence, pop music. Mind Is Not Brain clocked in at 50+ minutes and the band seemed to dabble far too much with their brand of guitar pop. However, Captain Love succeeds at being more succinct while still expanding on the sound of the band’s previous record. While I might always be partial to the band’s first few releases, Captain Love is yet another fine addition to the band’s extensive discography. And Mock Orange continue to be one of the more underrated indie bands of the past decade.
(A few album notes: The American version of Captain Love does not contain “Mommas And Babies” and “Til The Morning” which are on the Japanese version. But, it does contain “Beauty Of A Scar” which is exclusive. And the artwork by Kathleen Lolley is fabulous. She did the artwork for My Morning Jacket’s Z as well.)
Bear Hunter hail from Chico, California and play an eclectic brand of loosely based indie rock. Owing debts to bands like Pavement, Broken Social Scene and The Flaming Lips, Bear Hunter pull from numerous influences on You Will Be Heard!. Perhaps the band’s most recognizable is that of fellow California brethren, Grandaddy. You Will Be Heard! plays out quite similar to a Grandaddy record. The length is generous (50+ minutes) and the record seemingly moves at its own pace. Moods and tempos vary a great deal from song to song as Bear Hunter indulge in many different directions much like Grandaddy were prone to do. The band has been together since 2001 and it shows as You Will Be Heard! is certainly confident in its multi-lateral approach. Despite their noticeable influences, the band is still able to create their own version of a well-known sound.But, You Will Be Heard! simply tries to do too much within the band’s framework. Because of that, the album often comes off as lacking a much-needed focus at several points. There are some gems here that surely deserve to be heard though and Bear Hunter possess a good deal of promise for the future.
