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The best of the underground set: Da Comrade!
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Da Comrade!
There is a myriad of things that make Philadelphia one of the most unique and interesting cities in America, not the least of which being its independent music community. Every musical genre is represented to a certain degree throughout the city, from punk rock to hardcore, from folk to indie, from jazz to metal, and so on in the many different forms of music existing in today’s artistic climate in the Northeast. One of the local bands, Da Comrade!---an experimental and progressive rock quartet out of the Walnut Hill area---are clearing a path through the overgrowth of lesser bands and singer/songwriters to arrive on a number of stages as one of the better and more innovative outfits. And after a great demo which decidedly went towards whetting the collective appetite of those exposed to their sound, Da Comrade! are finally preparing to release their first six-song EP---Da!Da!---at the end of this month.
Compared to most bands around today, Da Comrade! employs some rather unusual instrumentation to create their signature sound. Where many rock bands use bass guitars and rhythm guitars, Da Comrade! uses cello and saxophone. Their lineup consists of Anne West on cello and vocals, Micah Edwards on saxophone and vocals, Adam Ferguson on drums and vocals, and Fletcher VanVliet on guitar and vocals. In many ways, these eccentric sirs and madam of high art are somewhat similar to a small circus troupe of philosophers and spiritualists, spokespeople for the human revolution, all performing musical acrobatics on their chosen instruments in mad swirling feats of sound.
With an almost post-punk guitar style, jazzcore sax bits, cello lines which range from freely flowing to deliberately halting, and perfectly timed drumbeats which precede, follow, and surround the accompanying instrumentation in turns, this closely knit group of artists, friends, and musicians have cultivated their sound into an amazing collection of well written and incredibly performed songs. All four members sing in the band. It is Comrade Fletcher's vocals that are most prominent, however, with Micah as secondary vocalist. Altogether, the various musical elements and overlapping vocals are a phenomenal amalgamation of artistic skill, creative vision, and rare composition. And every time I listen to the EP in its entirety---yes, I have been fortunate enough to have been given a copy of the pre-release version---I invariably find myself wishing that it would continue with a good deal more of the same.
Of course, Da Comrade! aren't the only experimental, unconventional, and strange avant-gardist rock musicians and songwriters in the independent music community. For example, we can take into account bands such as Craw, the Flying Luttenbachers, the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, and Naked City, among a number of others. Like each of those bands, Da Comrade! has something wholly unique which separates it from many other bands throughout the world. Though they touch on a host of genres, they are essentially genre-less, making them a sort of vagabond among bands. And while most other bands have one or two appendages extended towards their chosen niches, Da Comrade! is a many-tentacled creature…the suction cups on their slimy undersides holding fast to several different points of musical and artistic interest.
Sound-wise is another story, as they are somewhat comparable to what I imagine it would’ve been like had Mr. Bungle and Pink Floyd collaborated on an album together during the former’s ascent and the latter’s gradual down-going. Granted, that comparison doesn’t do Da Comrade! much justice. After all, I have yet to listen to a band with a sound exactly like the one they possess. And that is just one of the many things that make them so remarkable.
Not only are Fletcher, Anne, Micah, and Adam a group of artists, musicians, and friends, they also reside in and operate Chernobyl. Unlike the nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union which ruined so many lives and wrought so much devastation throughout Europe, the Chernobyl House in Pennsylvania is a place of inspiration, creativity, and fellowship. Quite simply, Chernobyl is a pad in West Philly where the four bandmates live together, along with three other artists, and where occasional shows are held. In fact, Chernobyl is the scheduled venue for Da Comrade’s record release party on February 28th. Also on the bill are: Lesser Known Neutrinos and Suckerpunch. So, all three bands playing that night will be local outfits, making it not just a record release party but a community event as well.
If you are unable to make it out to the Chernobyl show on February 28th, you can always take a road trip to see them on April 28th at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Or on April 29th at Mr. Small's Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. Both shows begin at eight o' clock in the evening.
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing the four members of Da Comrade!, which turned out to be quite the peculiar and rewarding experience. That is, none of them provided the standard answers one receives when conducting an interview, but added personal and philosophical tidbits, in addition to a fair amount of insight into their musical process, their artistic connection to one another, and their unusual themes. It was rather refreshing to get so many intelligent, meaningful and worthwhile responses. And, after re-reading the interview material a number of times, I have decided to include it in its entirety below, rather than incorporate it in pieces throughout the article. So with that, I present to you: Da Comrade!
J: Being that I know very little about Da Comrade! other than the fact that you’re an experimental indie rock band and four-piece sound-riot ensemble out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I would like to begin this interview in an introductory fashion. I suppose the question is: Who are the members of Da Comrade!, each and each, not just as artists and musicians, but as individuals, as human beings of this vast and crazy City Earth in which we all live?
DC: Adam – I am a friendly, strange person, who solely aims to create things in the world which only promote love and positivity. I have been a visual artist my whole life but have discovered that my favorite medium is the drums. In 2004, I moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts for sculpture. I am very interested in pop culture, mysticism, and all things ridiculous.
Fletcher – I moved to Philadelphia on a fluke in 2005, and it struck me the first day that I was home. I’ve been blessed to have grown up surrounded by some amazing music, from my parents, their lovers, and all of my great friends. Since I was very young I’ve been writing in my head, but for the past nine years it’s been my obsession.
Anne – Originally I am from Arkansas and have only lived in Philly for just over two years. I have always been a city-girl at heart. I am a non-traditional cellist, dabbling in nearly every genre other than classical. Having a late start with the cello has posed some technical difficulties along the way, but has ultimately allowed me freedom from the common (classical) role of this instrument. I so enjoy the seemingly endless array of sounds that it can make.
Micah – I was born in Philadelphia and have lived in and around the city all of my life. Since I was young, I have always felt there was a hidden truth that I was so near to discovering. I knew that whatever it was, it was beautiful. I saw glimpses of it in nature, in music, and in the love I share with those closest to me. I am so grateful to be working with my fellow comrades; they are my brother and sister. I know I was supposed to write about myself, but I feel my comrades are part of me, just as I am part of them. A few things about me: I work in the medical field, I study kung fu, and I am searching.
Sidenote – We all sing in the band.
J: Da Comrade! is an interesting moniker, to say the least, with a sort of secret meaning to which only the band members and inner sanctum of Da! fully understand. Where did it come from? And, more importantly, what does it mean?
DC: We are believers in great power through unity. The name is simply an exclamation: “Yes, friend!”
J: Of all the cities I have wandered to and lived in over the course of the past twelve years or so, Philadelphia (my hometown) has had the most notable affect on me. That is, there is just “something” about Philly that is utterly unique to Philly---an unnamable feeling, an environmental significance, if you will, a vibe, and rare urban characteristics that draw me back to it again and again. Have you had such an experience with Philadelphia? And if so, what affect has it had on your music---artistically, personally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, etc?
DC: We all have our own connections to Philadelphia, but I think we have all experienced that deeper pull you’re talking about. We suppose it’s always been a breeding ground for free thought. Throughout several periods in history, it was teeming with great minds, unifying religious community, and brilliant ideas. In our current era, our collective consciousness feels close to another bursting point.
J: Obviously, you have a very unique sound. In fact, you have a sound that is unlike most out there in the independent music circuit today. That’s a great thing, of course. But how did it occur? In other words, was your sound a deliberate creation built upon a foundation of preconceived ideas? Or did it arise purely by chance, out of whatever elements in the universe that preside over such things (like the Muses, or through the various accidental stages of human blunder and trial and error?
DC: Each of us has grown to have a varied and eclectic taste in music, each of us drawing from human history and translating it into our own pieces. So, when one of us brings a composition to the table, it is re-created over and over and over until we’ve met our mutual vision. Our band is an equal council, and we all hope to create music that is pure and innovative.
J: Unlike many other bands and singer/songwriters out there in the world these days, you four seem to have a genuine desire to drag music back into the realm of the True Arts. Or rather, you seem to want to forget about that point in history where music disengaged from the Collective Arts, and thus place it back among the visual arts, poetics, literature, and so on…reuniting the Arts like so many long lost siblings scattered about the world. Having conveyed that, what do you feel music’s place in the Art World is? And…do you feel that the Arts should exist side by side, accompany one another, and inspire one another, etc?
DC: We believe that all true creation comes from the same stream.
J: Can you please provide us with a “history of Da Comrade”…that is, a history from your humble beginnings to the present?
DC: The band was a concept, but through a series of chance occurrences and lucid encounters it became something wholly different. The current members met up in late spring of 2007, and after a brief hiatus at the end of 2008 we have emerged a mature entity.
J: Who are some of your favorite bands and singer/songwriters?
DC: Fletcher – Some early and important influences are Joanne Newsom, ELO, the Doors, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Danny Elfman, Pink Floyd, God Speed You Black Emperor, Trail of Dead, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, and Smashing Pumpkins. I love music, and there is a lot more to this list. I am also very much inspired by my peers, all the wonderful folks making beautiful and innovative music.
Adam – Of Montreal, TV on the Radio, NIN, Lil’ Wayne, Diplo, Run DMC, Outkast, Justice, Dinosaur jr, Beck, the Prodigy, Gnarls Barkley…plus lots of commercial hip-hip with over-the-top production.
Micah – My musical taste is fairly vast. I like a little from almost every genre. Some of my favorites are: Tool, Led Zeppelin, Tom Waits, Radiohead, Morphine, Sigur Ros, AKACOD, the Roots, Slayer, and just about everything on my bandmates’ lists.
Anne – I am incredibly picky when it comes to music, and I tend to fixate on one or two groups/musicians at a time. I gravitate towards music that finds a balance between joy and sorrow. The perfect record hits all of my emotional taste buds at once. My major influences include: A Silver Mount Zion, Joanna Newsom, Cat Power, Bach, Elgar, Rasputina, Bjork, Belle & Sebastian, Fletcher VanVliet, the Bulgarian Women’s Choir, and of course many others.
J: If you were able to connect with, learn from, converse with, and spend time with any historical figure at all, alive or dead, who would it be?
DC: Fletcher – Frank Zappa.
Adam – Siddhartha Gautama.
Anne – Jacqueline Dupre.
Micah – Does Lucifer count as a historical figure?!
J: Each of your songs is very different from the other, with different timing, different lyrical content, different chord patterns and note progressions, different cello bits, and different levels of vocal intensity, etc…so much so, in fact, that each is like its own planet in a seemingly never-ending universe of musical creation. Can you please explain the meaning behind some of your songs, not so much the instrumentation as the lyrical content and inspiration and varying levels of intensity, and so on…like in “Victory Song,” “Treading Toxic Oceans,” “the Cancer,” “Backyards & Basements,” and “Escape Artist”?
DC: Fletcher – A lot of these compositions are early steps in a mythology. Those first perceptions of evil and the terror that at times had swelled in my heart…which to me strikes the question, “to fight or to flee?” Feelings of fear and hopes for escape seethe throughout these earlier works, but ultimately I feel the same conclusion should be drawn: All things come to an end. Whether we’re to break into a strange new age or continue our search through any other existence, it is evident that we must now cast away our fear, unite a great tribe and stand together through our trials!
J: Lastly, it has become customary in my interviews over the past few years for me to offer up the last question as a sort of open line of expression. You see, I am very much against artistic limitation, expressive hindrance, repression of any kind, mental and emotional and spiritual shackles, and the like. Therefore, I decided that I would start giving the last question to the artists to say whatever was on their minds, to express whatever they were feeling, or to discuss something I failed to cover. With that, sirs and madam, the floor is yours.
DC: Here’s the Artist Statement from our record jacket. It says what we are basically trying to say right now.
Brothers & Sisters,
We were born scattered in pockets across a great continent, mounds of earth having pulled us up, wrenched us loose from that infinite darkness. Spit out into the world again, wise children with eyes unbound, virgin ears still ringing from the thump of our mother’s heart. Our mouths then opened, and out spilled the laughter of god. For constant within us sits still water; our murkiest depths have held the great spirit, a holy mountain. That ceaseless symphony, a void of white noise from which great masters might pull strings of hot light. And when I hear those songs of death, of joy, I am filled with such unconquerable strength. So, as time continues to tremble and shift, we must remain as statues for both gods and men alike, champions of liberty and justice for all souls
Brotherly Love,
Fletcher T. VanVliet
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