Before the collapse of Kings Barcade, there were a couple of local bands that regularly rocked the venue. A Rooster for the Masses was one of the most notable ones, but shortly after Kings was demolished, a couple of members of Rooster decided to move to New York City, demolishing one of the better bands in the Triangle. Almost one year later, Rooster has re-emerged with a couple of new members and a couple of new songs, which they will debut this evening on WKNC. I received exclusive previews of each track and they sound as though Rooster never took a hiatus.
The two new tracks, which can be streamed and downloaded at Reverb Nation, each have a different pace and as lead singer Adam Eckhardt stated “they each take us in a new direction.“ Headwaters begins with the funky bass line that Rooster is known for, followed by the spacey layering of two guitars playing different riffs and Adam’s voice as another instrument in the fray. The layering continues with the drums and the lyrics express the social and political nature that Rooster has carried throughout most of their songs. Take these lyrics for example “ Just because you think that you own the land, nah nah na no no no, The land belongs to everyone, and Everyone Means Everyone.“ The song is about the headwaters of the Chatooga, but this statement about land ownership could resonate up to the highest levels of government and even back to the disputes between the Pilgrims and Indians over land in the beginning years of our country. Once again, layers. Headwaters has bite and it should be amazing live.
This Drawing, on the other hand, has a more somber, yet groovy, tone to the track. Things often break, but it is putting them back together and the struggle in between the break that make the difference in the future of these relationships. Whether it is a band or a loved one, this struggle is key in pushing forward. This Drawing illustrates these ideas, musically and lyrically very well. Their hiatus seems to be key in the making of this song. Again, the Rooster niche of layering is in full effect, as is the continual reference to The Police, The Talking Heads, and a couple of other mid-80s no-wave bands. Radiohead’s new album In Rainbows, even seems to be hinted at in a couple of places. But don’t get me wrong, Rooster sounds nothing like either of the mentioned bands, but have small parallels to them. Rooster defies musical labels and these two tracks continue that reputation.
Eckhardt and guitarist Wesley Gillespie, will appear with their new guitarist Jesper Grud and bass player Scott Rooker on WKNC this afternoon at 5pm to debut these songs on the radio and discuss a couple of upcoming shows for the band. First up is March 28th at the Pour House, their first show in almost a year.
“Repaired parts don’t know what their worth.“
Stream and download the new tracks here.
More info at A Rooster for the Masses.
Logo graphic courtesy of Formotion Design and Flyer from A Rooster for the Masses.
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