Muzzlehorse

Yeah, we know: Corey Saathoff sounds like Jay Farrar. First impressions are important, but they're not everything. The former Jerkwater Junction frontman is obviously a big fan of the former Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt frontman, enough so that he's picked up a few vocal-phrasing and songwriting techniques. There are other tools in Saathoff's kit, however. Saathoff's new self-released CD EP, Troubling Times, leads off with "Full Speed Lobotomy," and after a couple of listens, the resemblance between this and half of the songs on R.E.M.'s Murmur seems more than a little coincidental. Again, though, it's not a matter of just studying another band's blueprint. Saathoff and his associates drench this song in a wash of intriguing sonic counterpoints all their own.

"Cryptic Eucalyptus" pulls a minimalist melody from the Nirvana school of song structure, but Saathoff adds a delightful twist in the long, seemingly repetitive instrumental section near the end. Each pass through the two alternating chords finds a slightly different rhythmic turn from the acoustic guitar and an equally small change in the lead-guitar melody. But he comes closest to finding his own voice on "Diamond Surprise," a catchy little jingle featuring a delicious keyboard line that imitates a country-music fiddle and a nearly insipid but irresistibly beautiful lead-guitar lick. The bridge turns from a lovely acoustic tone to a surprisingly aggressive harshness and then comes back to its roots. If Saathoff can find a way to make that connection more organic, he'll really have something.

-By Steve Pick
- Riverfront Times

July 2005

Corey Saathoff’s got a very unique voice, perfectly suited for fronting an alt-country–tinged rock group. On this, Brain Regiment’s debut EP, that voice commands attention, calling to mind a deeper, more nasally Jay Farrar. The disc begins with the gentle toe-tapper “Bonfire,” followed by Saathoff’s carefully enunciated lines on “Everlasting Sun.” “Under this covered undiscovered sky,” he sings tongue-twistingly on “You Throw Satellites” as keyboards and tambourine create a cacophony of sound. “S.O.S.” (short for “Save Our Suffering”) is another rambling rocker with a steady beat, while “Sinking Sub/Tears Like Waves” is interwoven with a brightly memorable guitar line that alone closes the EP.
- PlaybackSTL

Sept. 2005

Brain Regiment

The deal:
Anyone who misses the mumble 'n' jangle of early R.E.M. or Pavement's slanted melodies will be pleased by Brain Regiment's 2005 EP Ancient Spaceman. Together since late 2003, the quartet is quirky but accessible -- largely thanks to the chameleonic singing of Corey Saathoff, whose voice creaks like a well-adjusted version of Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis in some places and twangs like a grizzled alt-country troubadour in others.

Worth checking out?
Most definitely. Saathoff's old band, Jerkwater Junction, spent the late 1990s playing gigs around the Midwest with respected groups like Slobberbone and Lullaby for the Working Class -- and Brain Regiment has shared the stage with space cadets Brian Jonestown Massacre and grrl-punks Visqueen, so the live show is well-honed.
- Riverfront Times

Jan. 4, 2007

Brain Regiment with the Quarter Draw Band

10 p.m. at the Stagger Inn, 104 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville. $3. 618-656-4221.

Guitarist Jack Jacobsen uses a combination of effects pedals to create a captivating guitar sound. Singer Corey Saathoff writes catchy, intricate melodies and lyrics. Together, they lead Brain Regiment, a St. Louis band that has been playing often since forming back in 2003. In 2005, the group released "Ancient Spaceman," an assured and enjoyable debut album on which it steps beyond its influences and confirms its musical identity. For a band devoted to original music, Brain Regiment keeps busy .. counting this show, it has five performances scheduled in various clubs this month. (Steve Pick) - St. Louis Post-Dispatch GET OUT section