 The Indicators (Photo Jodi Hersh)
| Take heed, ACC and Big East fans:
Expansion can be a great thing.
A perfect example of the
positive outcome that comes from bringing more people into a group
exists with the blinking Atlanta-based roots-rock outfit The
Indicators.
Originally formed in 1998 by singer-guitarist
Mike Goldman (formerly of The Estradas) and drummer Dave McNair
(ex-Magnapop), the Indicators initially took a musical right turn as
a trio, with Shut Eye Records owner Pete Knapp on bass.
That
trio recorded The Indicators' 2001 debut Beauty Is a Whore,
although Goldman decided quickly after that LP's release that he was
looking for a larger rock sound for the band. Enter fellow
singer-guitarist Ken Morton, who was seeking a new gig after his own
group Wonderlust had called it a day.
"Mike asked me at a
party," Morton says, "Wonderlust had just broken up and Mike asked
me if I felt like playing with them. I was a little reluctant at
first, 'cause I didn't think it'd be my bag. But it was just a
perfect fit."
Additional line-up tweakage brought a new
bassist, Michael Arnett, into the fold, and the Indicators - now
sporting the dual frontmen of Goldman and Morton - headed into
Atlanta's Snack 'n' Shack studios last summer to record their
sophomore effort, the just-released Kill the Messenger.
Led by Goldman and Morton, who trade songs and
lead-vocal parts throughout the new LP, the Indicators blister
through 14 tracks of relentless Americana-styled rock and roll,
including a raucous cover of Spirit's "I Got a Line On You."
|
The key to
Kill the Messenger’s breakneck pace is the constant volleying
between
guitarists. |
But
the key to Kill the Messenger's breakneck pace is the
constant volleying between Morton and Goldman, who have quickly
elevated The Indicators into one of the best dual-fronted roots and
rock groups of the moment - drawing favorable comparisons to the
likes of the Fountains of Wayne and even Uncle Tupelo.
"When
I joined," Morton says, "they said they just wanted to fill it out
more with another singer and another guitar player. I told them,
straight up, that if I joined I was going to want to write and play
some lead guitar, too. Mike was fine with that. Since then, we've
kind of nurtured and brought out the best in each other."
On
Kill the Messenger, the best comes out of Goldman in such
direct rock dirges as "I Guess By Now," "Walkaround," and
"Satellite," while Morton holds his own on the slightly blues-ier
cuts "Eye Spy," "I'm Gone" and "Ordinary Blues."
While the
performances of the two singer-guitarists take center stage on the
album, Morton is quick to point out that the Indicators' proverbial
ace-in-the-hole is drummer McNair.
"Dave was great with
establishing the vibe while recording Kill the Messenger,"
Morton says. "He's a great person to have in the band when we're in
the studio, because he's done it all. He's toured the world with
Magnapop, so he's a little more cynical about the whole thing.
"He's also good at imparting wisdom at the right time. He's
not afraid to speak his mind and he lays down the drums in just one
or two takes and they're done. The timing is there, because he was a
full-time professional at one point."
Producer Rob Gal, who
has handled albums for the Rock*A*Teens and Kelly Hogan, also
deserves credit for maintaining the fast-yet-focused tone.
"Rob Gal has done a lot of wonderful things with local bands
here in Atlanta," Morton says. "He's got a lot of vintage equipment
and he's got a similar sense of humor to ours. He's opinionated and
funny, so we got along well with him.
"Plus, he's a smokin'
guitar player. He does the lead solo on the last track on the
record, 'Open Road.' He can also play any instrument, so it's hard
to get uppity or cocky around him, 'cause he can smoke anybody else
in the room."
For their part, the diversity of the
Indicators' own musical influences and backgrounds keep the band
rolling with the new but still reverent of the past - a point driven
home by the group's respective age differences.
"I'm more of
an AC/DC, Lou Reed, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings fan," Morton
says. "Mike's influences are far more vast. He's into a lot more
obscure things. He's always saying, 'Well, that sounds like
so-and-so.' And I'm like, 'Who?'
"Of course, he's been on
the planet a little longer than I have. So has Dave. It's kind of
neat, because [our ages] span the 20-year-olds, the 30-year-olds and
the 40's. We've got three different decades of influences and
players. That's another thing that I think is really special about
us, too."
With Kill the Messenger currently drawing
rave notices far outside Atlanta's I-285 perimeter, the Indicators
are hoping to mount a more extensive tour in the next few months -
as long as the bandmember's individual day jobs and new-found
parental responsibilities will allow.
"We don't get to
convene as much as we'd like," Morton says. "Mike has a job that
takes a lot more of his time and he travels more. The bass player,
Michael, has the same deal. Dave's a plumber and I work in an art
gallery off 14th Street. The drummer and his wife also just had a
baby, so that makes it tough.
"Regardless, we're just
excited about how the new album is going over and we've already got
a bunch of new songs ready to go. So, for now, we're just trying to
push it as best we can. But I love playing with these guys, it's
just ecstasy."
David Basham
WHO:
The Indicators, Drunk And Furious
WHERE:
Tasty World
WHEN: Wednesday, June 18
HOW MUCH: $5
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