Drums & Tuba - Battles Ole

Someone here is living out every band nerd’s dream. Instead of forsaking years of parental forced participation in concert band, they are turning it on its head and rocking the hell out of that public school loaned instrument. Adding a muffled and boisterous bass line, Brian Wolff’s tuba adds a deep and novel tone that, unlike most novelties, doesn’t wear off after the first couple of songs. Wolff’s tuba fits in naturally to Drums & Tuba's filthy bayou-based southern rock. But there’s more than just tuba to Drums & Tuba. Mixing spastic and eclectic organic clicks, beats and twirps with stomping thrash guitar, Battles Ole sounds like an amazing unknown middle ground somewhere between Aphex Twin, AC/DC and Cake. However, lead singers Neal McKeeby's gristled and strained vocals can at times sound like a more convincing argument not to smoke or drink than anything a 19-year-old straightedge kid could ever come up with. The songs on Battles Ole range from southern jams (Two Dollars) to jazz rock outs (Magnum Opie) to spaced out stoner epics (Complicated Sorrow), making for an enjoyably versatile yet intact effort. That being said, there is still the epic hippie jam-based band vibe that comes prepackaged with most of Ani Difranco’s Righteous Babe recordings, but it’s not overbearing – just notably present, as the albums six songs are longer than any Weezer album to date. And this kid has had to play whole notes from the back of the room for long enough. Blow man, blow. [www.drumsandtuba.com]