Corm - Audio Flame Kit

A corm, by definition, is the storage area of certain plants that allow survival through the barren winter or low-moisture summers; Corm was a less than remarkable emo band from the mid-90s who are really only worth mentioning these days due to 1/5 of the band belonging to John Davis, who later came to prominence as the drumming machine and driving force for the recently-deceased Q & Not U. Using the term "emo" as a tag most people attach to bands whose livelihood fell off during the later part of the last decade, it's feasible to deem Corm as a band playing around in the same field as Rites of Spring and Braid but pulling a little from Fugazi (though less abrasive) and from Drive Like Jehu (but not nearly as unrelenting). The half-shout/sing vocals were a staple of the era, and Corm's 1996 sole LP isn't a brightly shining star in a sky full of like-minded artists, but that doesn't disqualify the band from being part of a noteworthy constellation. Audio Flame Kit is far from timeless music, but it does exemplify the scene and sound of its period. The post-hardcore/emo zeitgeist, if you will. Plus, this Polyvinyl re-release is your best bet on finding it, as the original Dischord/Shute release has long gone the way of the scene that spawned it. Is it really relevant in 2006? Not really; most anyone familiar with the aforementioned bands will pinpoint the record as a circa '95 product. But in its heyday, Corm must have fared well with their peers. [www.polyvinylrecords.com]