Colonel Stem
Colonel Stem
Fifty Large Records, 2000
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/12/2000
Earlier this summer, I found myself in downtown Chicago coveringMOBfest, a collective of local bands hoping to break into thebig-time. I went to this show as a favor to a publicist friend ofmine (and ended up hooking up with Steve, a fellow music enthusiastand Web-head).
As I sat through the first of many crummy acts, someone noticedthat I was holding a bunch of CDs (which I brought to help promote"The Daily Vault"). This guy handed me one of his band's CDs, andintroduced himself as a member of the group who was scheduled toperform next.
And while it's taken me a long time to fulfill the promise Imade to Joe Zangrilli that night at The Vic Theatre, I've finallygotten around to reviewing Colonel Stem's debut EP - and if thisband impressed me onstage (one of only two bands I saw anythingpositive in), this disc proves that these guys are no fluke, andare ready to launch a full-frontal assault on your eardrums.
The band - guitarist/vocalist Zangrilli, bassist Phil Stosur anddrummer Abe Sanchez - remind me a bit of early Nirvana, thoughtheir music is much more fluid and interesting. At times, one hasto wonder if you're actually listening to a trio, since the rhythmsection of this band is so textured.
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