The Bent Moustache - Forst
I saw the Bent Moustache awhile back at Sebadoh's hometown reunion show. They opened for Mr. Barlow and Co., and from the first song I was smitten. Combining volatile influences like the Fall, Gang of Four, dub reggae (seriously), and a hint of Krautrock, this then-3-piece combo blew me away with their nervous energy and angular rhythms.
I know next to nothing about the band, biographically speaking. From what I gather, they're Scottish but they live in Amsterdam. Their lineup has included 2 women and contained as many as 5 and as few as 3 members, though when I saw them, there were three dudes. Evidently, two of the Bent Moustaches started out as Dog Faced Hermans. The rest of the story remains a mystery, and their website doesn't provide much more in the way of elucidation.
Regardless, TBM provides a welcome respite from today's revisionist punk-funk trends by leaning toward the genre's dirtier, grittier history. Vocalist/bassist Ajay sounds like Mark E. Smith, if Mr. Smith changed his angle from "drunk, acerbic and eccentric" to "energetic, chemically happy, and eccentric." This sounds much better coming through your speakers than it does in print, trust me.
When I saw them play live, TBM's guitarist was in fact a tech/roadie who told me after the show he was filling in for the band's usual gunslinger. He didn't clarify if this was a permanent or temporary change, but to my knowledge the gentleman I spoke to didn't play on "Forst," TBM's most recent release. This is something of a shame, because the guy I saw had a wild Andy-Gill-on-steroids style of playing that really pumped the energy levels and kept them elevated throughout the band's set, even when they took a left turn into a freeform dub excursion. Nonetheless, the guitar playing on "Forst" is solid, if a little more restrained-sounding than what I witnessed.
I hope you enjoy the 4 tracks I'm posting, and then visit the band's website. If you like the songs, please consider purchasing the full album from which these tunes are culled. It's a bit hard to track down, with search listings all over the bloody internet that seem to turn up nothing, so be sure to grab it where you find it.
posted by The Public Image at 5:31 AM
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