The Release

By: Daniel Lavagna
It is always a rush to view your accomplishments stacked up and written down, whether you are a Nobel Prize winner or a student ready to graduate college. The same goes for bands of course, especially for the group 3 Feet Short, who open up their press kit by giving a quick synopsis of their accomplishments. From what is written, it definitely seems as if this band is on the right track towards even bigger goals to add to their "quick facts" section on the webpage. With the aid of producer Rich Fox and the support of fans across the country, 3 Feet Short seems to have the band scene in the palm of their hands. But of course, how's the music?

I begin to listen to "An Answer" on the band's press kit page and I am shocked. Remnants of jazz and reggae......in a punk rock song? Awesome! Like I've said in other reviews, the art of blending genres is risky, yet rewarding if done correctly. By the time "An Answer" hits its chorus, I can safely say that this band has successfully welded rock to jazz. I can already envision where crowds would be skanking and moshing along with the song. The chorus would have to be my favorite aspect of the tune, as it fits exactly what a chorus SHOULD be. It is catchy, it has dynamics, and it is the pinnacle of the song in the sense of chords and lyrics. I was once told that a bad song will be bad even with an amazing recording, and of course a good song would shine even on a bad recording medium. "An Answer" is a great song with a great recording, quite essentially the best of both worlds. On top of the tight musicianship of the band, there are the lyrics...which are not your typical "insert how the world sucks" words that are overflowing in today's rock scene. Not only does the band aim for originality in their music, but also in the quality (and subject matter) of their lyrics. Already I can hear that all of the praise and accomplishments for this band are well deserved.

So you thought blending genres was tough, well what about the other hardest feat to pull off in music.......a successful cover! The second song on the band's press kit page is a ska cover of Bush's "Machinehead". The jazz influences present in "An Answer" are swapped for a ska sound for the opening of this cover, which further displays the musical dexterity of the band. Then, at about 1:40 into the song, the guitar riff from the original song kicks you in the face. So by this point a new listener would have heard the band play jazz, reggae, punk, rock, metal, and ska....all within about a 6 minute collection of music. Even when the metal was brought in, the singing remained relatively ska in delivery, which I thought was a fantastic touch to spice up this cover. I know that it's tough to get a band to even decide on what cover to do, never mind trying to actual ly make it sound fresh. It can also be read on the press kit that the band has been known to cover Weezer, The Police, and Sublime, all of which I would love to hear. By this point, I know I need to see this band.
The final song on the band's press kit is song titled "Leave It All Behind". The piano and arpeggiated guitar at the beginning hint that this is YET ANOTHER SIDE of the band. The softer percussion instrumentation also sets the mood and allows for the vocals to portray the dynamic aspect. The backing vocals are also excellent, not just in this song, but in the others as well. Once again the production is beautifully crisp and well balanced, making for a recording that has radio airplay capabilities. So with this venturous tune, the band adds the "lighter" sing along anthem to their mosh and skank inspiring song set. These three choices in the press kit were perfect to hook new fans, as they explored all the fields that the band was capable of.
So what's my final though on 3 Feet Short? Well, some people might think after reading this that this band is trying to cover too much ground by integrating so many genres. While this may be a weak point for a band without an overall goal, this happens to be quite the opposite for 3 Feet Short. They know exactly what they want to accomplish for each song, whether the tune is a jazz-rock rush, a ska-metal cover, or a solid ballad. I highly recommend checking out the band, their website (www.3feetshort.com), and tour dates, which hopefully will be more numerous as 2006 rolls around. Sure this band already has tons to brag about, but this is just the start of what they could accomplish.

- Northeast In-tune Magazine

This week’s pick is ‘An Answer’ by 3 Feet Short, from their new 7 song EP ‘Apocalypse New’, out January 4th ‘05 on Tyrebyter Music.
Hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 3 Feet Short combine elements of Punk, Ska, Classic Rock and funk and do it very well indeed. ‘An Answer’ is a great, tight sounding single, with shades of early Police, the good Boomtown Rats stuff and even Elvis Costello.
- Label:Life

Behind the Band: New audiences find 'Release' in Saratoga

High school is a time of a change, embarrassment and amateur music. Every high school band dreams to attain stardom, but you don't see many still at it eight years later.

Kyle Fox, Samm Bahman, Tom Moorey and Rob Megna formed a group in 2000 under the name 3 Feet Short. Originally a punk-ska band from Boston, The Release has evolved to its current incarnation, which classifies itself as reggae-rock.

Bahman, lead guitarist in the band, said The Release draws from a wide variety of influences including blues, rock and progressive. "We classify as reggae-rock, but there's a lot more depth to it. We're all inspired by a lot of different styles of music," he said.

"If I had to tell somebody on the street what our band sounds like, I'd say it's a mixture between classic rock, modern rock and a reggae influence," Bahman said. "We try to take little pieces of a lot of different stuff and mess them together in a collective way."

For Bahman, the progression has been natural. As its members matured, the band evolved and its style shifted. "We put ourselves more into the music and we felt it naturally going in a different direction," he said.

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The name changed with the music. The Release was a name the group considered for years and was on its list every time it discussed the topic. Bahman said it felt right to find a new name because the band didn't feel a connection with the old one. "It defined everything that we feel the music means to us. It's a release of our creativity. It's a release of our energy and emotions. It really speaks to us."

The writing process has become more collaborative as the group has evolved, Bahman said. While Fox used to write the majority of the music, "Wake Up," a song from the band's new CD, was written in pieces as a group effort.

The Release's self-titled EP, a disc longer than a single but shorter than a full album, can be downloaded for free online, a tactic Bahman said he hopes will get the music out quickly. "[We] just want everyone to spread the word, enjoy the music and keep it going for everybody," he said. "Right now it's just about people."

Bahman said strong friendships among the members made it possible for the group to stay together for so long and maintain such a healthy musical relationship. "We're all such good friends that if we weren't playing music, we'd be together anyway," he said.

Bahman describes the band's shows as always energetic and dynamic, drawing an eclectic mix of people, depending on what other bands are playing. The band will extend, alter and combine its songs to present the audience with unexpected combinations. "There are a lot of extended jam parts that we do in our songs that are very dynamic. We'll be really quiet and then get really, really loud. We basically like to take the audience for a ride," he said.

But energy is always the ultimate goal. "It's all about the energy," Bahman said. "I wouldn't really consider us a jam band, more of a band that creates energy."

Music has always been an integral part of his Bahman's life and identity, he said. "It basically defines who I am. I've been a musician my whole life. I started playing trumpet at the age of 3 and picked up the guitar later, but it's always been my strongest passion in life," he said.

The other band members share his passion. "It's something we as a band all feel the same way - that it's something we have to do. Because we've all been musicians for so long and it's the thing that we feel strongest about and feel closest to. It's the best for us to express ourselves and we're happy playing in front of two people or 2,000 people. It's all about the music for us," Bahman said. "It's a divine expression of ourselves."

by Jason Murray, for The Saratogian
www.saratogian.com - The Saratogian