ISU Bengal

Issue date: 8/30/06 Section: Life

One might think that once a band has signed to an Indie label powerhouse, such as Barsuk Records, they have it made. That, however, is not the case. This has never been truer then at this moment. I'm standing in the venue that is Kilby Court in Salt Lake City, UT. The old, small garage that is now providing locals with one of the most intimate live music experiences possible. There is no real stage to speak of, just a small step onto a broad wooden platform filling up 25% of the room. There are only 30-40 people in attendance, but the band doesn't seem to care. They are far too excited to care. In just over a week their debut album, Trying Never to Catch Up, will be re-released by Barsuk records.

The first few times you hear the album you want to draw comparisons to songs you have heard before, but by the time it has found its way into your rotation, the songs have all developed their own identity. "Mercy Me" and "Selling Yourself Short" can sound like the Strokes, without the raw production. "Hellodrama" is almost like an Indie Pop mash up of the Beatles and the Cars. "The Jeopardy of Contentment" verges on Alternative Rock cliché with its pounding piano and drum roll introduction. However, once Michael Kingcaid's vocals chime in, that notion quickly fades. At times the vocals mimic Freddie Mercury, but not in a pastiche way. "Trying to Never Catch Up" is the album high-light, with its military hum and rudimentary drumming breaking into a very sentimental, cathartic, and powerful melody.

On stage, What Made Milwaukee Famous never fails to impress. The moment they begin, the music is clear and precise. It sounds as close to the album as one could expect. The band is full of energy. It's clear this is not just a job to them. They are doing what they love. Each member has his own stage personality. Kingcaid is, not surprisingly, the passionate, engrossed, songwriter. Rarely even looking at the audience, John Farmer, on bass, is the wild outgoing one, never standing still. Jeremy Bruch, on drums, is very calculated. You can see him computing the rhythm and changes as he plays. Drew Patrizi's nonchalance impresses as he controls the synth effects and keyboards. Trying Never to Catch Up is the complete package. Intelligent, diverse, catchy, and not bad to look at either.

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