Skip to main content[SO ROCK] Partway through one of several short noise/poetry interludes on I Am the Arm's debut LP, Glory Hound, the chaos pauses for a clip of someone whining, 'Why do you guys gotta be so rock?' It sounds rehearsed, but vocalist/bandleader Boyd Andersson assures me it's one of dozens of caught-on-tape, half-joking complaints made by former Arm drummer Matt Farina, who, after laying down his tracks, left the band.
The rest of the trio was unhappy with what Farina left behind, but, not wanting to start over four months into the album, decided to simply bury the drums in the mix and push forward. The resulting raw, lo-fi sound—often held together by Andersson's thumping, finger-picked bass, played just a few inches from his chin in the old-fashioned style—accentuates guitarist Ed Edwards' alternating abrasive noise and twisted blues-funk. 'Me Likey the Stranger' features a series of guitar scrapes that would make Tom Morello proud, followed by a straight, heavy stoner-metal solo and a concluding, near-death metal explosion. Even the somewhat funky main riff to 'Drivin' Ms. Daisy,' which is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's 'Money,' pummels the ear with sharp guitar and distorted vocals.
But after finishing the album last summer, I Am the Arm needed a drummer who could match that power. Andersson stumbled across a jazz improv show at the 9th Avenue Public House where Lauren K. Newman, best known for her solo work as LKN, was drumming. Having seen Newman drum when I sat in for a songwriting session at her home studio ('Wrecking Crew,' WW, May 3, 2006), I can personally corroborate Andersson's description of her skill: 'She was just a monster.' But almost as alluring to Andersson as her talent was her presence and persona. 'I've never seen anyone so unashamed to take off their clothes and throw their drums at people,' said Andersson of Newman's destructive finale that night. Newman went home with a copy of Glory Hound, but it took a couple of months and emails from Andersson before she gave it a good listen, dug the Captain Beefheart influence and decided to give it a shot. 'The music is already really great,' she told me over the phone last week, 'but I think it could be even better if they add another creative force to the mix.' And Newman, if anything, is a force.
I am the Arm plays their first show with Newman on drums at Tube on Monday, Dec. 11, with Rye Wolves and DJ Nate C. 9:30 pm. $3. 21+. For complete Q&As with Newman and Andersson, visit LocalCut.com.
WWeek 2015