Gumshen - Super Buffet
Gumshen is a Seattle quartet with serious rock credentials who choose to delve just a bit deeper.
Gumshen is a Seattle quartet with serious rock credentials who choose to delve just a bit deeper. Working in elements of Jazz, Funk and Hip-Hop, Gumshen has hit a creative goldmine, generating three EPs in two short years. Their latest, Super Buffet, finds Gumshen on a path of distinctive musical creativity tempered only by a paucity of lyrical depth.
Super Buffet opens with Start Of Something Good, an alt-Rock tune that apparently brought about some creative issues in the lyric-writing process. The highly repetitive nature of the song detracts from a not unpleasant rock arrangement that sounds like it may have been recorded in one take. Lost Disguise reveals an outright ambivalence toward lyrical progression even while building a decent melodic and harmonic progression into the song. The lyric issue is befuddling, as Gumshen almost appears to place statements together without regard for their connectivity. That's not suggest that the lyrics are random, but there is seemingly a shattered sense of thought behind the first two songs. Gumshen opens up the throttle on Guts, building around a vicious guitar riff another song that is sonically pleasing and lyrically puzzling. Gumshen steps out of the lyrical woods on Gone Too Soon, speaking in terms that make sense in a highly enjoyable Elton John-ish arrangement. There's still a tendency to go off the tracks here and there as Gumshen appears to make lyrical choices at times based on rhyme and rhythm rather than narrative, but on the whole it is much easier to follow Gone Too Soon than the prior songs on the EP. Super Buffet closes out with Down Like Me, spearheaded by another vicious guitar riff you won't be able to get out of your head. Once again, repetition, rhythm and rhyme seem to take precedence over conveying understandable thought, but the music is very enjoyable.
Gumshen's Super Buffet is a tasty treat, musically, that often times just doesn't live up on the lyric side. As a listener you get the feel that the words are second class citizens, chosen more for their sound than for their meaning. Gumshen proves this isn't always true on Gone Too Soon, a moving and powerful tune with an eye for a bleak future hoping to motivate the present, but otherwise you might expect to get a bit lost for meaning amongst the rhythm and rhymes of Ron Hippe's vocals. Super Buffet is nevertheless musically intriguing and worth checking out.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
You can learn more about Gumshen at http://www.gumshen.com/ or www.myspace.com/gumshen. You can purchase Super Buffet as either a CD or a download from CDBaby.com.
Posted by Wildy at 5:10 AM
Labels: Foo Fighters, Gumshen, Pink Floyd, Radiohead
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Posted by: herman on Thursday, August 27, 2009
Gumshen interview with www.twogroove.com
We bring you yet another Past, Present, Future this week. This time from indie rock foursome Gumshen.
At first listen, it’s not hard to hear the 90’s grunge rock influences loud and clear. It’s not surprising they hail from Seattle. Head to www.gumshen.com to get their album Super Buffet for free!
1. Past: What is your musical background? What has led you to this point?
Gumshen is a Seattle band made up of actor-musician Ron Hippe (Almost Live!), jan Ciganik – former member of bands produced by John Cale and Ivan Kral, and son of the owner of the Seattle icon Oscar’s, Dennis McCoy. The different backgrounds of the members of the band contribute to a sound that is unique and captivating. Seattle Art Institute audio instructor Rich Hinklin, formerly of Reciprocal Recording (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Gits), helped solidify the band’s sound. For info and updates of Gumshen’s every move check out www.gumshen.com.
2. Present: Where are you at now in your career? What are you currently working on?
We are half way finished with our latest EP as of yet untitled.
3. Future: What’s coming up for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
We are playing some local shows in the Seattle area. Details can be found at our website.
4. Where can people find more of your music?
Our cds can be found at iTunes, CDbaby, Rhapsody, CDNow, Amazon and our website.
5. Anything you’d like to plug?
Check out our website for the latest.
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Posted by: Coy on Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Ripple Effect / Pope JTE
"Gumshen have done a remarkable job of incorporating multiple dimensions to each song. As songwriters, these guys have the ability to be the next big thing. Heartfelt, to the point, and dynamic songs. What more could one ask for in their music."
This thing we do here at The Ripple Effect can, at times, be a thankless job. Some of the reviewed bands just give us that casual nod like, ‘Yeah. We know.’ Other times, it can be quite fulfilling with gracious musicians returning every email or correspondence with the same fervor that we put into our reviews. Put yourself in our position for just a second and you’ll find yourself sifting through bargain bins of CD’s that are randomly chucked into place. Or, wading through a virtual sea of shifting discs as the ever so patient postal worker drops the packages on your desk. Or, even surfing from one cyber social network to another and getting so lost that you have no idea where you initially started. Most of the time, the music just doesn’t warrant any response. But other times . . . well, those are the reasons we do this. Those surprising nuggets of music that no one but a select few know about. Those unheralded musicians, those lost classics.
Gumshen are just the latest group to catch our ears and make us take notice. Hailing from the alternative music Mecca of Seattle, these guys have put together a five song E.P. (Stew) that has me acting like someone has just opened a bag of potato chips in arms reach of me. I keep reaching for more. I can’t help it. It’s so tasty. So what I need right now! If you could see me now, my eyes are a bit buggy and I’m shaking a little.
The opening track, “Helmet,” is anything but your typical alternative rock tune. Sure, it starts off sounding like something from Nirvana, but that’s where any similarity ends. There’s a unique musicianship that’s going on with these guys, and not just on the lead track, but on all of them. As the boys wrap up the first chorus, listen to the bass work as it kind of meanders before dropping into the main riff. And it’s not like the musical dynamics end there. The song takes a, dare I say it, progressive slant. The drums go from their steady beat to this obscure off beat pattern that just lights me up! The tune sways from a standard (whatever that means) alternative groove to this proggy break and into this agro-hardcore break, and even features some funked out guitar licks. It’s songs like these that keep me digging!
From there, the boys drop into “Scapegoat” which opens with a great distorted guitar riff before the band joins the fray. The bass, again, impresses as Jan Ciganik provides a sustained groove rather than follow the guitar riff note for note. This approach creates this great juxtaposition between the instruments. With the added keyboard flourishes, this song has so many different characteristics that I don’t have enough room in this review to describe it all. The driving beat provided by Dennis McCoy adds some serious weight to an already heavy tune. Balls. Huge balls on this song.
“Dandylions” may very well be my favorite tune on Stew, but if that is the case, it’s marginal at best. It’s a heartfelt tune driven by acoustic guitars and Ron Hippe’s impassioned vocals. From verse to verse to verse, Gumshen build this song to its crescendo. Outstanding lyrics make it a great tune to sing to while in bumper to bumper traffic. Simply put, it’s a great song! Damn near perfect. No . . . I retract that. It is perfect. There’s no way that this song can be improved on.
Gumshen work so many different styles of music in this five song disc that it’s difficult to pigeon-hole the band into any one genre. The all encompassing alternative genre seems to work, but they’re not limited to shoe gazing or walls of dissonant noise. “D’Mac & Grits” finds the band flirting with funk in this instrumental epic. Incorporating a wide variety of instruments, the band has created one of the finest instrumental tunes that I’ve heard in a long while. Check out the guitar solo as it flashes with a Gilmour-esque vibrancy. For a brief instant, I thought David Gilmour had made a guest appearance on the track. Beautiful tone, guys!
The final track, “Last Resort” is a solid rocker. Distorted guitars and driving drums propel this song into the listeners face. Rather than keep the song a constant wall of sound, Gumshen cut the guitars through the verses, giving the music room to breathe. It’s a minor thing to some, but I think it’s important in keeping the music fresh and constantly listenable. It has a great sing along chorus in classic punk rock fashion. And just as this song comes to an end, the CD player in the Popemobile automatically returns it to the beginning of the disc. It’s like a never ending musical treat for my ears!
No song on Stew reaches the four minute mark, so it’s a palatable disc to listen to over and over again. Hell, I had to fight myself to eject it from the player so that I could move on to something else. Even though the songs are relatively short, Gumshen have done a remarkable job of incorporating multiple dimensions to each song. As songwriters, these guys have the ability to be the next big thing. Heartfelt, to the point, and dynamic songs. What more could one ask for in their music. Maybe Stew’s a bit hard to mosh to, but damn it! Music isn’t all about a pit. It’s about the conveyance of emotion through sound, and Gumshen’s emotions are a multi-layered amalgam of numerous musical influences. I, for one, can’t wait for more! - Pope JTE
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Posted by: Coy on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Shotgun Reviews /
Kyrby Raine
"...pieces of the Smashing Pumpkins, the Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, and Bush are all over this CD"
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Posted by: Coy on Friday, July 27, 2007
Whisperin & Hollerin / Adam Harrington
Menthol James recall the flannel-smoked haze of vintage "Alternative Nation" as the group unreels their fan worship for grunge with gusto.
Power trio Menthol James (http://www.mentholjames.com) provide a bracing reminder of how much time has passed since the early '90s. For those feeling nostalgic about that era, Menthol James will give you a kick-in-the-arse fix. Featuring Ron Hippe (guitar, bass, vocals), Jan Ciganik (lead guitar, bass, vocals), and Dennis McCoy (drums, vocals),
Despite the AOR cheese of its title, the first track "Rock Me" paints a wall of fuzz a la the Smashing Pumpkins in their early days. It's loud and raw, reminding us of how the alternative sound was less polished and whiny a decade ago. The vocals even resemble Billy Corgan's although there are moments which recall the Cult's Ian Astbury, namely his Jim Morrison-fueled rasp. Speaking of the Cult, "Mudflaps" echoes that band's propulsive hybrid of heavy metal and psychedelia; the rush of guitars at the song's climax is quite breathtaking.
"Start of Something Good" and "Realize" are both hatched from the same Seattle eggs. "Start of Something Good" opens with an ominous Soundgarden drone while the singing employs Kurt Cobain's world-beaten roar. "Realize" is textbook Alice in Chains from the guitar-bass dynamics to the harmonies. Menthol James loses a little on "Dirty Fingers," a song that aims for System of a Down's breakneck pace but without the abrupt and oddly cool tempo shifts that makes them so mesmerizing. Nevertheless, Menthol James wipe the alternative scene clean from emo and let the black hole sun shine in.
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Posted by: Coy on Saturday, July 07, 2007
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