I've become obsessed with Half.com--which is a good thing when epinions friends send you mixes and new music suddenly inspires you again. You feel the overwhelming urge to buy albums by the artists on the mix that you enjoy and Half.com will save you from becoming penniless in the process. Then, you start reviewing your new purchases and you find yourself thanking the aforementioned epinions friends over and over until you begin to sound as if you have nothing else to say.
But I'm not here to tell you about Half.com, a hundred plus people here have already reviewed it for your reading pleasure and I will not mention the above mixes or from whence they came again in this review. I promise.
This is about 1994 and a band called Arcwelder.
I bought Xerxes by Arcwelder on a whim. I didn't know any of the songs on the album and based my interest in the band on one live acoustic song I had been listening to. When faced with a bunch of albums by an artist I'm intrigued by and enough cash to get one, I usually pick my purchase based on something unrelated to the music (because of course I've never *heard* any of the albums before). Sometimes my decision rests on interesting cover art or a song title that catches my eye, but in the case of Xerxes it based on the release date: August 1994.
In August 1994 I was a new high school grad, working fulltime for the family business until college began and generally enjoying life. I really didn't have a care in the world. Drove my dusty 1964 Rambler American round town, hung out with friends, and did whatever I felt like doing. It was a good summer and Xerxes would've fit right in had I know of its existence then.
Arcwelder is a power trio from Minneapolis consisting of: Bill Graber (guitar, bass, vocals), Rob Graber (bass, guitar) and Scott Macdonald (drums, vocals). They apparently are still together and occasionally playing shows in their hometown, but they haven’t released an album since 1999 and haven’t toured since 1996. Their fate is an all too common one in the music industry, one I’ve seen far too many times in the faces of friend’s hoping to quit their day job and support themselves with music, only to realize their day job is the only way they are going to pay the bills.
Xerxes sounds like post-punk slightly pop-infused rock n’ roll. It’s a decent album, but I imagine it’s not their best. The best tracks on here, coupled with that live song I’ve heard somewhere else, make me want to discover which album is their best. Even though I will likely never see Arcwelder live and even though they will likely not release another album.
Xerxes starts off with “Smile” and the opening riffs make me think of Soundgarden circa “Badmotorfinger.” When the vocals enter, however, the nearly monotone crooning brings forth a sound unlike anything else. It’s hard to tell who is the actual singer here, as Bill Graber and Scott Macdonald seem to share vocal duties pretty evenly—almost becoming one voice. The music is fairly straightforward rock tinged with reverb and a catchy tune. Favorite lyrics: And death’s not knowing that you’re dead, never life or fear or trial, so you want happiness instead, all you got is just a smile.
“All Mixed Together” offers a dirtier sound with crunchy guitars and pounding rhythms. I enjoy the fact that none of the components of the music overpower the others; each sound seems to lend an equal amount. The song gives me visions of an upbeat and bouncy bastard child of the early 90s grunge. Favorite lyrics: It’s not anything I’d pretend to conceive, if it’s unknown…it’ll burn in the fire, if he’s pure…he’s just another liar.
“Let Down” offers an even more infectious tune than “All Mixed Together.” The peppy melody is offset by the monotone style vocals, which are a perfect backdrop for the angst-ridden love lost lyrics. “Change” is more of the same style with slightly more indignant lyrics.
“I Hear and Obey” rounds out the album with a depressed quality. Despite the vocals, the song is packed with emotion—the kind that rips your heart out and stabs it repeatedly. It’s full of hopelessness and anguish that only comes from knowing that you have absolutely no control over the situation you are in. The music itself has none of the liveliness of its predecessors and “I Hear and Obey” is repetitive, but powerful. The song is filled with an urgency that bubbles up about halfway through, with lyrics like: They say to stay in school then get a job, but mainstream society doesn’t care if you’re happy, I play the fool go with the mob, corporate America doesn’t care if I’m happy.
Xerxes certainly doesn’t top my list of must-have albums, but it reminds me of the summer of ’94 when everything in my life was different—and it’s a time I enjoy reflecting on. So, for an occasional trip down memory lane, I’ll throw this disc on; but for the future I’ll seek out some of Arcwelder’s other work and see if I can’t discover their seminal album. I only wish Arcwelder was still making new music, because then I might just discover one of their "soundtrack to my life" type albums at the right time, instead of 8 years after the fact.
Track Listing
1. Smile
2. All my Want for Need
3. Passing Thought
4. Freebird
5. Let Down
6. Down to the Wire
7. Change
8. Attic
9. Pound
10. Carpal Tunnel Song
11. I Hear and Obey
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