Desert City Soundtrack

Desert City Soundtrack: Contents of DistractionContents of Distraction (2002)
Deep Elm Records

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

Contributed by: JiveSideJiveSide
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on January 14th 2003Imagination: a very simple and extremely important part of the creative process that is often overlooked in pop music. Rather than push and test the boundaries of what rock and roll can and should be, musicians usually opt for the surface deal, talking the talk and faking the walk. Desert.City.Sou.

Imagination: a very simple and extremely important part of the creative process that is often overlooked in pop music. Rather than push and test the boundaries of what rock and roll can and should be, musicians usually opt for the surface deal, talking the talk and faking the walk. Desert.City.Soundtrack are not musicians standing in this line, in fact the imagination that went into their debut record "(contents of distraction)" is their most potent weapon producing a record that is ethereal yet grounded at every turn covering the entire spectrum from silent to violent, a blend that is brutal rock and roll possessing the delicacy of a broken spirit. "What to do in Case of Fire" gives the listener the keys to the Desert.City world, a perfect layout for the urgency and patience of this band, but just when you feel you've seen all the sites you realize that there is a man behind the curtain and he will never show his face. There is a separation as well as a familiarity between the musicians and their music which is so blurred that all one can do is focus on the work and ignore any intention or thought behind the conception. And that my friends, is a noble victory in rock and roll.

This is not a typical post-hardcore record, let alone a typical record in any sense. The music of Desert.City.Soundtrack weaves layers of vocal screams, distorted guitars, and intense drumming around a grand piano. Each instrument is treated equal here, every sound an extension of another; vocals are mixed into the rhythm section instead of taking the forefront, completing the circle with the instrumentalists. The screamed chorus of "Murderhearts" comes across as perverse overtones of the piano and the drums become the mallets striking its strings. As the climax builds during the outro a trumpet (played by keyboardist Cory Gray) carries the melody over the carnage. This is simply one of the surprises one will find on this record. Clever arrangements take you over the landscape while brilliant drumming by Caitlin Love quickens your pulse as Cory Gray's piano dances teasingly amidst the distortion. I am thrown off course, however, by singer Matt Carrillo whose whiny scream is far from the best. But this is one small detail for his voice is subtly mixed into the music making it another texture.

Clocking in at twenty-nine minutes of beautifully orchestrated rock and roll (with one minute of noise) this record comes to its best moment right at the end with the song "Foglifter". This is one of those band-defining songs and just when the tempo change hits you realize how good this band is and that you need to press repeat on your stereo. A lot of imagination and fearlessness went into making a pop record that is not only original but also excellent, and one can only hope that Desert.City.Soundtrack have imagination to spare for records to come.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

notaclevername (June 24, 2004)

MAN, caitlin love is an awesome drummer...i'm going to go listen to this after i take a shower

Anonymous (February 27, 2003)

i'll admit that when i first heard the song SILENCE IN MY HEART on the deep elm sampler EMO DIARIES (chapter six) i didn't see anything special...it wasn't until i found myself humming the piano chords over and over again at work that i realized that this band had something.

it's incredible to see a band that just give a shit about routine, i mean the fact that the vocals aren't the focal point of the songs is just enough for me...the song FOGLIFTER has like on line of lyrics the rest is just music...for anyone who plays music themselves knows how hard it is to come up with the intricicies that they've come up with...and they use a fuckin GRAND PIANO...if that's no class i don't know what is.

DEEP ELM has some of the hardest workin bands out there, but for some reason they can't market or distribute for shit...so to all of you retards who think EMO is SAVES THE DAY or any other band on vagrant records...keep it up, you make it so i can enjoy music like this in peace

oh yeah and if you haven't had a chance to check out their song SILENCE IN MY HEART...you should do so (holy shit...is all i can say about it)

DEF JUX baby

Kurt_F (January 20, 2003)

Good comeback.

Stupid head.

Anonymous (January 18, 2003)

"Uh, yea...Planes Mistaken For Stars might sound like Desert City Soundtrack IF you slowed them down, replaced one of the guitars with a piano, added another 3 minutes to all of thier songs, got a new singer, and added a trumpet here and there...morons.

On another note:
No, DCS doesn't sound like Lewis, David Singer, Appleseed Cast, Camber, Seven Storey, Benton Falls, Red AnimalWar, Brandston, Drive Till Morning, Logh, Last Days of April, Slowride, Settlefish...or the other remaining 10% of Deep Elm bands.

Morons.

The person below me is right...take the time to listen before you open you say anything."

Shut up.

Kurt_F (January 18, 2003)

Uh, yea...Planes Mistaken For Stars might sound like Desert City Soundtrack IF you slowed them down, replaced one of the guitars with a piano, added another 3 minutes to all of thier songs, got a new singer, and added a trumpet here and there...morons.

On another note:
No, DCS doesn't sound like Lewis, David Singer, Appleseed Cast, Camber, Seven Storey, Benton Falls, Red Animal War, Brandston, Drive Till Morning, Logh, Last Days of April, Slowride, Settlefish...or the other remaining 10% of Deep Elm bands.

Morons.

The person below me is right...take the time to listen before you open you say anything.

Anonymous (January 17, 2003)

Of course people are entitled to their opinions, but in the same respect, we're allowed to remark on the absurdity of those opinions as well...especially when those opinions make a person want to lick red-hot burning coals.

And as for Deep Elm, I think there's a certain ascetic to all the records that is similar, but that doesn't mean that all the bands sound alike. I mean, look at David Singer, Red Animal War and Applseed Cast. Please, puh-leeeese tell me that you can hear a difference.

Or have you just never taken the time to really listen. Oh yeah...that's it.

Anonymous (January 16, 2003)

Wow. Someone needs to loosen their white belt or their Sauconys or whatever you kids wear these days.

Remember, its just someones opinion. And we do live in the good ole U.S.

DCS sound A LOT like other Deep Elm bands, especially Planes Mistaken for Stars.

Anonymous (January 16, 2003)

Thanks scooter, but no one said Cursive ripped off Braid.

maverick (January 16, 2003)

Yeah, this band sounds like neither Mineral or Cursive.

Also, Mineral isn't emocore.

Also, Cursive didn't rip off Braid.

Also, I'm watching Texas Justice right now and this judge kicks ass.

-Scott

Anonymous (January 16, 2003)

Cursive and Mineral? Honestly, have you ever listened to the record, or do you just post any random thought that pops into your head? You know what? I'm shoving rusty tacks under my fingernails right now. It helps me forget about you.

Seriously, I've listened to all three bands and that statement could not be further from the truth. I'm sorry, it's just not. Ugh....what is wrong with you? I can't even stand it. You don't even get it. I'm tearing my hair out right now.

How about Three Mile Pilot and Planes Mistaken For Stars? Now that I can deal with. But Cursive and Mineral? You can't even comprehend how frustrated I am right now. Someone help me out here. I'm sticking pins and needles in my eyes, and quite frankly, it feels much better than listening to you.

How about this? You never listen to music again. Don't read about, don't buy it...don't even think about it. That would probably be the only thing that could possibility stop this blinding, stabbing pain shooting up the left side of my body and into the base of my skull.

If someone else doesn't back me up here, I'll just have jump into a vat of razors and follow it up with an alcohol sponge bath. Perhaps then, the pain of hearing your idiotic opinions will have been assuaged.

Okay, I'm done now.

Anonymous (January 16, 2003)

This doesn't really sound like Cursive or Mineral. By that logic I could make a generic generalization and say Cursive ripped off Braid, but then I'd be an ass like you.

You're a:

BIG

FUCKING

LOSER!

Anonymous (January 16, 2003)

"I liked this band more when they were called Mineral. Or was it Cursive? I forget"

blah blah how to generalise a band..just take these pointers and youll be on your way so any band that has a sound and does it first is of course the only one ever to use that idea cause of course the idea is plainly to remind people of them instead of being a tool to speak other ideas it must always just stay put as one little box to be put away in the corner so people must always change sounds because all we want is continual change.

since mineral and cursive actually copied the original emocore bands but we'll just pretend they were original

the[]muffin[]girl

Anonymous (January 15, 2003)

I liked this band more when they were called Mineral. Or was it Cursive? I forget.

Anonymous (January 15, 2003)

Yup. This is a Deep Elm record alright. Sounds like it came off Emo Diaries 3.

DCS couldn't carry MCSs' jock strap to a rock show.

As Emo Phillips once said, "Emo, Emo, Emo..."

Anonymous (January 15, 2003)

simply amazing. the mix is a bit poor, the vocals could be louder. Regardless, the best new band out there, they deserve a shit load of credit and recognition