Dave Chamberlain

It's nothing short of crazy that Tub Ring started out as a punk band more than a decade ago, in 1992, and it's borderline insane that widespread notoriety eludes this incredibly creative five-piece. The band's five records, including 2004's "Zoo Hypothesis" (Underground), display an incredible knack for experimental rock--not experimental in the boring-as-fuck Sonic Youth drone or a hyper-technical and hyper-lame indie-rock piss, but more akin to Mr. Bungle, with less clown-core. There's a constant undercurrent of sexy and sometimes outright heavy rock `n' roll that flips from pop to rowdy in a heartbeat. In fact, it's unfair to even mention Mr. Bungle in the same paragraph--that Mike Patton project never sounded this good. On "Zoo Hypothesis," wildly diverse instrumentation blends with e-string crunch, Kevin Gibson's middle tenor, musical theories that range from straight electronic to plush orchestration, and snapping time shifts; it would be easy for all of this to sound mashed together and forced, but few of the sixteen tracks here sound anything but natural. Listen closely and you'll hear everything from "Jesus Christ Superstar" to Conflict to Calexico to Deicide--all with a sense of humor, all with energy intact, and all exactly as bizarre as you might imagine.

Tub Ring plays August 14 at the Bottom Lounge, 3206 North Wilton, (773)975-0505.

< (2004-08-10)

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