Spiraling
I knew them first as You Were Spiraling. They couldn’t have been any older than I was, but there they were on stage opening up for They Might Be Giants. It was 1996. Eight years, later I found Tom Brislin and Bob Hart, accompanied now with Marty O’Kane and Paul Wells, still playing together.
Now known simply as Spiraling, they are not the same band I went crazy for in a New Jersey nightclub. The quartet is older, more mature and Goddamn, can they rock harder.
"We went in to the studio to record a three track demo and found ourselves being able to get a full album out of it," says singer/keyboardist Tom Brislin. As YWS, he, Bob and drummer Dave Edwards released a self-titled album in 1994. "We were young and drew a lot from jazz and improv rather than writing out full works."
Before seeing the band that night, I popped that album in for a listen. The jump between that early 1994 album and Spiraling’s 2005 EP Challenging Stage is astounding. Sometimes it’s hard to realize it’s the same guys.
"When we dropped the 'You Were from the band, it wasn’t just so people would get our name right," says Bob Hart. "It was a creative choice for all of us to start over and take the band in the direction it need to go."
Challenging Stage is a nice declarative statement to make. With just four songs, it feels there’s little time to waste. Spiraling builds off the energy of their last album and pushes the momentum forward with this EP. Drummer Paul Wells puts it best: "With the CD format, you lose the Side A to Side B build up that you had with cassettes and LPs. With this EP, we’re keeping that build up but now it’s between albums."
The idea works flawlessly. The Challenging Stage's final two tracks ("Texas Is The Reason" and "You Can’t Get There") are brimming with rock energy and drive you over the edge. When the silence comes, I feel the anticipation waiting for the next song--only instead of flipping the tape, I have to wait for the next album.
That same momentum transfers to the live performance. By the show’s end, I still wanted more out of the boys. Luckily for fans, we can take that night’s performance home. Partnering with E-Music.com, Spiraling is now allowing anyone who attends a concert to take it with them in MP3 form. The show is burned within moments of its conclusion and available at the merchandise table.
Challenging Stage is available at Spiraling’s website (www.spiraling.net) or instantly attainable through iTunes.
Spiraling photos!
Now known simply as Spiraling, they are not the same band I went crazy for in a New Jersey nightclub. The quartet is older, more mature and Goddamn, can they rock harder.
"We went in to the studio to record a three track demo and found ourselves being able to get a full album out of it," says singer/keyboardist Tom Brislin. As YWS, he, Bob and drummer Dave Edwards released a self-titled album in 1994. "We were young and drew a lot from jazz and improv rather than writing out full works."
Before seeing the band that night, I popped that album in for a listen. The jump between that early 1994 album and Spiraling’s 2005 EP Challenging Stage is astounding. Sometimes it’s hard to realize it’s the same guys.
"When we dropped the 'You Were from the band, it wasn’t just so people would get our name right," says Bob Hart. "It was a creative choice for all of us to start over and take the band in the direction it need to go."
Challenging Stage is a nice declarative statement to make. With just four songs, it feels there’s little time to waste. Spiraling builds off the energy of their last album and pushes the momentum forward with this EP. Drummer Paul Wells puts it best: "With the CD format, you lose the Side A to Side B build up that you had with cassettes and LPs. With this EP, we’re keeping that build up but now it’s between albums."
The idea works flawlessly. The Challenging Stage's final two tracks ("Texas Is The Reason" and "You Can’t Get There") are brimming with rock energy and drive you over the edge. When the silence comes, I feel the anticipation waiting for the next song--only instead of flipping the tape, I have to wait for the next album.
That same momentum transfers to the live performance. By the show’s end, I still wanted more out of the boys. Luckily for fans, we can take that night’s performance home. Partnering with E-Music.com, Spiraling is now allowing anyone who attends a concert to take it with them in MP3 form. The show is burned within moments of its conclusion and available at the merchandise table.
Challenging Stage is available at Spiraling’s website (www.spiraling.net) or instantly attainable through iTunes.
Spiraling photos!