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""Homegrown" CD Review by Kim Clark"

Homegrown: The Asheville Music Scene
The Music of Speedsquare
December 2007
By: Kim Clark for The Laurel of Asheville

According to About.com, a speedsquare is a triangular-shaped measuring tool designed for making square marks or angles on a piece of wood.

When I asked the Asheville jazz/rock duo Speedsquare why they chose to name themselves after the device, CScott said, "I'm a carpenter and it's a tool I use a lot. It's this simple triangle that fits in your belt, yet you can create so many things with it." Bandmade Billy Sheeran offered, "I think a speedsquare fell on Scotty's head at the work site and it dawned on him, 'Music is infinity,' much like the apple falling on Newton's head said, 'Weight is gravity'."

With just Sheeran on piano and Scott on drums, Speedsquare's makeup is simple--their music is anything but. The label most often thrown in their direction is "experimental," but their work isn't so much experimental as it is adventurous. They've just released their debut CD "Be Cool," and may the force be with any music store employee trying to figure out which bin to file it in.

Within the 11 tracks that make up the disc, the listener is treated to Talking Heads-style vocals, a sense of drama that would make Freddie Mercury proud, ska, cabaret, game-show kitsch, funk, and splashes of high-minded prog-rock. It's all tied together with a sophisticated jazz sensibility that makes the disc a cohesive, intriguing, and intelligent listen. It's a collection that begs repeated spins to soak it all in.

Billy and CScott employed some guest musicians to help flesh out the tunes on "Be Cool," but in live performances, they prefer to stay with the duo approach. However, don't think for a minute that an upright piano and a full drum kit keep them confined to cozy clubs with roomy stages.

No, their favorite place to play is on the street. So much so that they went on a cross-country busking tour this past summer that took them to 20 different cities.

Both guys agree that a highlight of the trip was in Portland, Maine. CScott recalls, "It was a synchronistic moment of fire spinners, break-dancers, and poets who just happened to show up at the same time."

Early in the tour, they were excited to stop in Memphis, but it proved to be a low point when they were shooed from Beale Street by authorities. (You can read more about Speedsquare's "Takin' It To The Streets Tour" at speedsquaremusic.blogspot.com.)

Although musically fearless, Speedsquare is content with their basic piano and drums recipe. CScott explains, "We felt we could create a full sound with two people and it could sound more interesting than the standard lineup of instruments that has been done so many times." Billy adds, "We're still in the band's childhood at almost three years, so when it gets older, who knows? Speedsquare might be an 8,000 piece orchestra made up of lawn mowers, paper clips, and cantaloupe."

Find out more at speedsquaremusic.com or at myspace.com/speedsquare1.

Kim Clark is the host of Local Color, a regional music showcase on 88.7 WNCW-FM, Fridays 9-11 p.m. and Sundays 7-9 p.m. You can reach her at kim@wncw.org
- The Laurel of Asheville


"Earful Notes on local music by Hunter Pope"

Show review

Speedsquare at the New French Bar, Friday, May 12: Five Stars

• Genre(s): Experimental, jazz, ragtime, and whatever genre they feel like.

• Be glad you stayed home if: You don't like music.

• Defining moment: "Blue Rhondo a la Turk" -– The difficult Dave Brubeck staple ended the evening on a jaw-dropping note. Speedsquare demonstrated that, although they are always up for a good time, they can also get instrumentally serious.

For a year, I've tried to witness C Scott (drums, guitar, trumpet, melodica, etc.) and Billy Sheeran (piano, vocals, guitar), the duo behind the mighty Speedsquare. Bad decisions, bad scheduling and bad luck have prevented me from seeing perhaps the most imaginative and talented band working in Asheville.

The wait was worth it. I had Andes-sized expectations going into the show, and the duo easily glided over that peak and onto another apex. C Scott (whose past stints include trumpet for Scrappy Hamilton and DR. Ensemble) could opt for the one-man show gig at any carnie outing. Still behind the kit, C Scott would provide a bass-drum beat while playing the trumpet – or any other instrument of his choice. Sheeran, the mad scientist behind the keys, played with the fervor of a man who might be playing the very last note on the planet Earth. No genre went unconquered that evening, which included a rousing rendition of "Jolene" with a guest Dolly Parton impersonator. The best thing about Speedsquare is their accessibility, as emotion-starved shoegazers could be bumped by emotion-laden hippie twirlers, all keenly observed by slow-sipping jazz-bos. - Mountain Xpress, Asheville, NC


"Show Preview/Recommendation"

"Speedsquare is C. Scott and Billy Sheeran, a drums and piano duo from Asheville with the capacity to spin on a dime from eclectic jazz to classical and blues. When the mood suits the gig, they also bring in other instruments including guitar, trombone, trumpet, sax, mandolin, and, during those ultra-lean gigs, an ashtray. How’s it all gel you ask? Darn intriguing, to say the least." - Creative Loafing Charlotte


"Earful Notes on local music by Hunter Pope"

Show review

Speedsquare at the New French Bar, Friday, May 12: Five Stars

• Genre(s): Experimental, jazz, ragtime, and whatever genre they feel like.

• Be glad you stayed home if: You don't like music.

• Defining moment: "Blue Rhondo a la Turk" -– The difficult Dave Brubeck staple ended the evening on a jaw-dropping note. Speedsquare demonstrated that, although they are always up for a good time, they can also get instrumentally serious.

For a year, I've tried to witness C Scott (drums, guitar, trumpet, melodica, etc.) and Billy Sheeran (piano, vocals, guitar), the duo behind the mighty Speedsquare. Bad decisions, bad scheduling and bad luck have prevented me from seeing perhaps the most imaginative and talented band working in Asheville.

The wait was worth it. I had Andes-sized expectations going into the show, and the duo easily glided over that peak and onto another apex. C Scott (whose past stints include trumpet for Scrappy Hamilton and DR. Ensemble) could opt for the one-man show gig at any carnie outing. Still behind the kit, C Scott would provide a bass-drum beat while playing the trumpet – or any other instrument of his choice. Sheeran, the mad scientist behind the keys, played with the fervor of a man who might be playing the very last note on the planet Earth. No genre went unconquered that evening, which included a rousing rendition of "Jolene" with a guest Dolly Parton impersonator. The best thing about Speedsquare is their accessibility, as emotion-starved shoegazers could be bumped by emotion-laden hippie twirlers, all keenly observed by slow-sipping jazz-bos. - Mountain Xpress, Asheville, NC


Discography

"Be Cool" 2007- studio cd
"Street Sounds" 2007- live instrumental recording

Photos

Bio

Speedsquare can be seen playing in clubs, festivals across the country as well as street corners with their acoustic set up consisting of an half size acoustic upright piano and small kit. taking the music directly to the people.

Each has had extensive training in their instruments and come from a multi-genre musical background. The result of their combined musical genius is a progressive and experimental style of music so unique it can't be boxed in to one genre.

Speedsquare is a dynamic duo that continues to push the envelope, surprising audiences with soft melodies interwoven with dissonant sounds and quirky lyrics.

C. Scott is a North Carolina native and Billy, a Virginia boy. In 2004, the duo connected in Asheville, North Carolina where they currently reside and perform regularly.