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controller.controller
(We featured the following artist last year on SYITP; this previous entry has been updated from last year's.
Sexy dance-rock from Canada, anyone? controller.controller deliver swaggering post-punk that is dark and mesmerizing, and pretty but with secret muscles. They stand apart from all of other other dance-punk acts criss-crossing the country. Why? One reason is the sheer stage presence of vocalist Nirmala Basnayake, who draws you in and tears you apart. She sounds more than a little like Andrea Zollo of Pretty Girls Make Graves; her sultry, uber-hot contributions can prick even the coldest of hearts, laid down upon angular guitars and throbbing bass lines and more than enough high hat to last you for the next three months.
Which is not to say that controller.controller don't have a fine sense of dynamics. In fact, they do, and demonstrate an ability to pull back and let the atmosphere rule, as well as rock the fuck out when needed. "City of Daggers" is the perfect anthem for a Hollywood ganster movie: heavy, thumping, and a little bit threatening, all wrapped up in four minutes of bliss, topped with a shout-a-long chorus. "Poison/Safe" starts out gently enough, with a repetitive but catchy phrase, then Basnayake's swagger stomps all over the skinny mop-haired boys in the front row, and you know that's exactly what they came for. Meanwhile, the rest of the five piece lurks in the background until just the right moment. And when Basnayake signals, cymbals crash and guitars squall, and the rest of the band ups the ante gradually until they are propelling the song forward with the force of a runaway tanker made up entirely of wailing electric guitars.
Equally at home next to PIL, Interpol, and the Rapture, controller.controller have been honing their chops over the last year and it shows. Their first full-length, X-Amounts, shakes up the disco-retro movement with its eminently danceable and extraordinarily catchy anthems, building upon the framework laid down with the History EP, and exhibiting a greater sense of control. The drumwork is precise to the nearest millimeter, the buildups and breakdowns are funkier, and the band now finds ways to allow listeners to catch their breath before the next post-punk assault. controller.controller's "death disco" music is perfect for shaking your way through darkened rooms full of strangers and cold purple neon lights. Now close your eyes and get moving.
controller.controller - History
controller.controller - Poison/Safe
controller.controller - City of Daggers
Official controller.controller site. Buy X-Amounts from Amazon. The album, released in Canada last year, hits shelves on March 7, 2006 in the US.
Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 02.03.06 at 1:26 AM
Comments
the last link doesn't work.
Posted by: Mike at 02.03.06 at 6:45 PM
Fixed!
Posted by: Queen of the Front Row at 02.03.06 at 9:31 PM
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