Music
The best kept secret in music
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One of, if not the, most promising bands in the Sacramento music scene today is Call Me Ishmael. With a name taken from the opening line of the classic Moby Dick, the band finds itself teetering on the precipice of releasing yet another classic with their latest, Lyra and the New Moon.
It’s an album of intense highs and sobering lows, as the band flip-flops between barn-burning, bass-heavy rockers and gorgeous, melodic, spacey tracks. While the harder-hitting tracks seemingly rely on the Kelliii Scott-reminiscent drumming of Robby and the thundering, pulsing bass riffing of Nate, the softer tracks belong to vocalist/guitarist Bryan, as he plucks away at his acoustic and coos into the mic.
It should be noted that the harder tracks still manage to let Bryan shine, even though the heaviness comes from the rhythm section. His desire to express everything that his songs say is evident in his horrifically transformed face as he yowls out in anger. Most singers are more apt to try to look good while spilling their hearts on the table, but Bryan knows just what he’s there for: To get the word out.
And he and the rest of the band do just that on all twelve tracks on this disc. The production is flawless in just about every aspect. There are no throwaway tracks, either. From opener “Ballad of You” to closer “Violet Hour,” Call Me Ishmael will have a stranglehold on your attention. If they do ever relent, tracks like “Alex” (which seems to fuse the sounds of early Failure, Los Straitjackets, and Silverchair’s “Satin Sheets” but with an entirely new spin on all of them), “Citizen of Hope” (featuring quite possibly the best bass line of the new year) and “No Vacancy” will surely snap you back to reality.
An album as gorgeous as it is aggressive, Lyra and the New Moon is all that it needed to be and so much more. I had high expectations for this album, I’ll admit (it was my most anticipated release of 2004 and 2005, due to some setbacks), but I was not let down in the least. Going in with no expectations, I couldn’t imagine anyone being disappointed with this release.
RIYL: Failure, Cardia, Woven, Tool, Dredg, The Who, Silverchair
-- Ben Rice
- Decoy Music Magazine
Discography
*Lyra & the new moon (2005)- full length album
Independently released and produced by
Call me Ishmael with Frank Maranzino
*Effervescing- (2002)- E.P. released by
The Americans Are Coming Recordings
*Listen- (2002)- Independently released full length
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The past two years have seen Call me Ishmael swiftly rise to the forefront of the Sacramento music scene. With their avant-garde artwork and explosive yet subtle live shows, the postmodern indie/alt rock trio plays by their own rules.
Born in late 2001, Call me Ishmael's approach to music was unique as they found an identity and developed a distinctive sound in their own home recording studio. After performing live only twice, CMI released their first recording, "Listen," in March 2002 to a packed house. The buzz around the band flourished. When their second recording of 2002, "Effervescing" was released in November, CMI was headlining sold-out shows all over Sacramento. Receiving praise from both critics and peers, Call me Ishmael won the Critic's Choice award for Best New Band at the 2003 Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies). With the group getting regular airplay on local radio shows and positive reviews from the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento News and Review and local music 'zine Alive 'n Kickin', Call me Ishmael quickly became "a force to reckon with."
In 2004, CMI received their second Sammie award for the Best Rock Band as well as the Best in Show award for their climactic performance at the ceremony. Because of their eclectic sound, Call me Ishmael has shared the stage with a variety of regional and local acts such as: Ima Robot, Woven, Low Flying Owls, The Start, Watashi Wa, Jackpot, Careen, and Frank Jordan among others. After a brief stint with the bedroom label, The Americans Are Coming, CMI is set to release their third recording in early 2005 independently.
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