SATURDAY TO DOWNPOUR TORRENTIALLY TO

July 21st, 2012 at 6:17pm
Kip Wingerschmidt

the Refused show in Williamsburg Park…..rain or shine, unless it rains

So it may not be raining today in NYC (actually a beautiful day), but this week seemed plagued with plenty o’ drips and it looks like the urine of God will return in thunderstorm form come Monday, so seems appropos to do a rain-friendly column today…

Featured today is my favorite new band from smelly New Jersey: Torrential Downpour — this group happily defies explanation, part of what I continue to love about em; every time I witness their fury something seems slightly different about their expansive sound, and it is this sense of exploration and experimentation that contributes to the band’s powerful vibe. At first I was thinking a more tripped-out BTBAM that falls into moments of DEP-style spazzouts, but even that sells Torrential Downpour’s amazing je ne sais quoi short. Yes it’s progressive and technical, and yes there are plenty of post-rock tendancies, but it’s so much more.

Vocalist Jason Sherman can scream like a motherfucker and sing with strong emotional resonance, yet it all gets artfully filtered through an impressive collection of effects that transform his voice into a sharpened instrument that adds textures upon textures to the band’s already amazingly-layered sound. My man makes that chaos pad his bitch! And while too many groups these days have umpteen pedals that they don’t know how to use, Sherman and Co. (guitarist and bassist Jason Volpe & Matt Cece in particular) have it down to a science, carefully using their well-selected electronic tools to sculpt catchy hooks, intense rockout passages and delectably ambient interludes. Powerhouse drummer Pete Costa combines rhythmic fury and tasteful restraint to lay down a seriously solid groove-heavy foundation, and unsurprisingly minds get blown every time.

You can check out Torrential Downpour’s website here and catch them live with my band FAMILY in Manhattan at Lit Lounge this Monday July 23rd, also with Ben Weinman-produced For Sleeping Or Jumping (who Axl & Vince have both written about before) and Icarus from Iceland.

MORE RAIN-THEMED TUNES AFTER ZE JUMP……..!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgpzLUCY0rU