Roots rock with a twist
-- Torleif Sorenson
Published July/August 2010
Cellist Aaron Kerr and guitarist Jeff Crandall are like many musicians; both have several projects going these days. Kerr’s own experimental group, Dissonant Creatures, often appears with Crandall’s rootsy, Americana-flavored band, Swallows, both based here in the Twin Cities.
Make no mistake: Kerr’s musical background is solidly classical, but his music with Dissonant Creatures could be described as “atmospheric” rock with a nod toward jazz, and features some interesting work from his five-stringed electric cello, equipped with a low F string.
Among songs the group currently performs is “Head Down Slowly Onward,” in which Kerr makes his cello really sing, and guitarist Jeff Crandall channels The Edge (guitarist Dave Evans) of U2 with his rhythm playing. “Born Bad” is a 6/8 piece with bassist Matt Kanive pulsing underneath, subliminally urging on Aaron’s pizzicato melody, which is colored one octave above by Tyson Allison on synthesizer. “Scorpio Rising” is a C-minor tune in 7/8 time featuring an ostinato bass-line from Kanive; after Crandall’s guitar solo, Kerr uses his cello to signal some distant “lightning strikes” while drummer Justin Deleon echoes him with a few blasts of thunder on his toms.
While the group’s music could have served as the soundtrack to some of NASA’s Apollo documentary films from the late 1960s and early 1970s, the sound definitely contains a more “rootsy” sound than a traditional jazz sound. That said, Kerr’s group still provides some pleasant echoes of the seminal jazz-fusion group Weather Report, spiced with some tasty rhythm guitar from Crandall.
Crandall’s group, Swallows, brings a more Americana-type approach that is eminently radio-friendly. The difference in sound between Swallows and other local bands is evident in songs such as “Clear Sky Relapse,” in which Kerr straddles the line between supplying the bass and providing some melody on electric cello. Likewise, in “Bottom Feeder,” Kerr’s mid-range cello, which replaces the bass, actually helps the song rather than hurting it, while Mike Nordby provides nice accents on mandolin.
Kerr’s pensive bass-line provides the structure for “I Won’t Let You Down,” a catchy piece made even more attractive by drummer Ben Steen, who delivers some thoughtfully placed snare drum flams to spice up the rhythm and lend an organic flavor. “Witch ‘n’ ‘n’ Divin’n” has a subtle flavor of a lullaby and features Crandall on steel-string acoustic guitar, which works beautifully over Kerr’s electric cello. (Extra points to Nordby for his mandolin part that underpins Allison’s xylophone lines.) “Long Long Shadow” finds Allison on melodica, Nordby punctuating the song with some high Ds from his mandolin and Steen powerfully driving the song with an almost tribal feel, courtesy of his intelligent use of mallets on his drum kit.
In “Home,” Crandall delivers a Springsteen-esque vocal, riding atop Kerr’s double-stop cello. Allison goes to work on other instruments here, providing dollops and dashes of harmonica in between B3-style keyboards and solid backup vocals with Nordby accenting, this time on percussion. Two other strong compositions, “Rattle Them Bones” and “Roam,” could both easily fly on modern rock or alternative radio here in the United States.
Swallows’ appeal is more than just that Kerr replaces the traditional bass guitar; his electric five-string cello vaults back and forth from a cello lead to bass underneath. With more than just well-written and eminently listenable music, Swallows also deliver solid musicianship definitely worth hearing in the Twin Cities area and beyond.
More information on Dissonant Creatures can be found at www.myspace.com/DissonantCreatures, and information on Swallows can be found at www.SwallowTheMusic.com.
