Minmae

Minmae are a philosopher’s band. At the beginning, the band’s primary songwriter Sean Brooks had a purpose: “to deconstruct music through sound…to project the idea of a band that in reality was not a band at all.” Very Dadaist? Not anymore.

Instead of nihilism, the band seems to have gone back a few centuries and adopted Aristotle’s Law of Identity, ie -Everything that exists has a specific nature. But what’s the point? The point is that Minmae’s specific nature is unpredictability. Case in point: name one other band who has the brass ones to begin an album with a nine-and-a-half-minute song.

Well, that is what Minmae has done on Le Grand Essor de la Maison du Monstre (“The Great Flight of the Monster Haus”). “Cold Room, So. Pacific” is the ambitious opener to the album; the song is sparse lyrically, but sonically rich, filled with fuzzy guitars and spacey echoes. As the opener fades, the folky chords of “Cold Steel Minders” enter the listener’s ears like an old friend coming over for coffee. Later in the album, the music takes a darker turn with “Everyone Knows Jesus Wore a Chain”: drum intro, synth, and minor chords back Brook’s vocals as he repeats a chorus of “Sickeningly/ Sickeningly/ Sickeningly/ Sickeningly sweet….”

As Minmae progresses, their tour schedule grows. They have shared stages with such performers as Magnolia Electric Company, Xiu Xiu, Thee More Shallows, Damien Jurado, The Gunshy, Mono, and Azalia Snail. Just as Minmae’s music is unpredictable, their road experiences can also be haphazard: they once stayed with a local band who became so crazed and volatile towards each other over the course of the night that the Minmae guys took off speedily in the van. No one was hurt (that they know of), but their van’s side-view mirror was permanently “battle scarred” in the escape.

Close calls on tour aside, Minmae are an ensemble of both classically trained and self-taught musicians who have come together to create a paradoxical sound – at times minimalist and otherwise multi-faceted. Maybe the unpredictability of the songs makes Minmae’s music sui generis, but even as Brooks pontificates on the quintessence of Minmae, he states they’re “also fine with the term ‘indie rock.’ We’re all young, rugged individuals who like to rock.”

“Minmae concocts bold, capable indie rock that’s as long on guitar power as it is on inventive arrangements.” – All Music Guide “[I’d Be Scared, Were You Still Burning is] 40 minutes of the best, tightest pop music Minmae's ever made. But from what I've heard, Sean's on a creativity bender right now. (As if he hasn't been on a creativity bender for the last 10 years.) I wouldn't be surprised if his next record kills everything he's ever done just like this one did.” – Adam Gnade, Kitty Magik

source: http://www.minmae.com/bio.html

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