Section Gang
Chicago, Illinois, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Section Gang, "Greater Than Civil" EP. (Mercury United Media) A section gang is a railroad trackworkers team, laying a section. And there’s something Midwestern-workmanlike about this Chicago trio, too—for one thing, they’ve been playing since 2002, and began recording these five inaugural tunes in 2006! (Like Paul Masson’s ‘70s wine commercial, they will sell no song before its time?) The EP is an intelligent, thoughtfully-rendered, spunky/noisy, melodic/harmonic blend of ‘80s/’90s post-punk and ‘60s psych-pop (with sweet strings over ringing acoustic on “Apathy”), backing a fine singer in Kilton Hopkins who’s like a cross between Zounds’ Steve Lake, Velvet Crush’s Paul Chastain, and Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook. And whether lamenting a loved one’s demise (the chilling “On the Phone,” reflecting 9/11) or indignantly walking the unemployment line after university (“Step Aside”), lyricist/guitarist/bassist Matt Carlson directly speaks his mind through Hopkins. More! (sectiongang.com) - Jack Rabid
There’s something so retro, so jagged, so – just cool – about the music made by Section Gang that you can’t help moving slowly into its web of music until you find yourself trapped – waiting for more.
Alas Greater Than Civil, the threesome’s just-released EP, has only five songs, but they’re gems that harken back to some of the classic jewels of REM and even bits of Velvet Underground and Nirvana. Somehow the term "blues-infused rock" has become the label hung on the band’s sound. Perhaps that’s accurate, but unless it’s blues ala Cream I confess I don’t hear it. To me, Section Gang is just good straight up rock that pulls from among the best classic rock tunes out there.
That’s not to say that every song is flawless. The violins on "Apathy" are a bit out of sync to me – kills the cool psychedelic/indie buzz a bit.
The reason this band works is that the vocals and sound are a tad rough, something akin to North Carolina’s Snatches of Pink. That's just what makes Section Gang rock and sets it apart from the pack. - Nancy Dunham
Discography
"Greater Than Civil" -- 5-song debut EP released August 2008
Photos
Bio
Section Gang began in 2002 as a project between three prior musician friends -- Matt Carlson (guitar), Chad Wrigley (drums) and Kilton Hopkins (vocals). Matt and Chad had been in bands together in the DeKalb County area, and Kilton had done solo and group work of his own nearby. Matt wrote some new songs and rehearsed them with Chad; Kilton liked what he heard and decided to join. After years of intermittent rehearsals (all the while lacking a bassist), they decided to begin a five-song EP at Kilton's Chicago-based home studio in late 2006. Matt and Kilton handled bass duties (and assorted "extra" instruments as necessary) for the sessions. The EP, titled "Greater Than Civil," was released August 26, 2008, on the nonprofit Mercury United Media Records label. Chicago-based graphic artist Alex Rearick provided the CD artwork and package design. An LP-length follow-up is well under way, with the release planned for late-summer 2010. Drums for the record were handled by talented newcomer Hector Flores.
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