Bonus Pictures: November 7, 2003

Bonus pictures from November 7th, 2003 at Little Brothers in Columbus, Ohio with Tiara and Denovo not included in the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

Bonus Pictures: October 17, 2003

Bonus pictures from October 17th, 2003 at Skully’s in Columbus, Ohio with Pretty Mighty Mighty, The Last Hotel, The Honey's, Planet-12 and Hex on Wheels not included in the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

 

Bonus Pictures: October 3, 2003

Bonus pictures from October 3rd, 2003 at The Note in Chicago, Illinois with Miranda Sound, Light FM and Woolworthy not included in the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

Full Gig Preview and Interview: October 3, 2003

Full gig preview and interview from October 3rd, 2003 in the BG News from the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

Full Review: July 21, 2003

Full review of the Six EP from July 21st, 2003 by Heidi Drockelman of Indie-music.com from the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

It’s probably no secret at this point that I’m becoming a regular fan of this band. From the first material that I heard on Mesh, to their follow-up with The Art of Self-Defense, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing the growth that The Stepford Five has undergone over the past several years. And while I enjoy doing one-off reviews of artists, being able to follow and track the progression of a band can offer some interesting insight into how their particular machine works and moves forward together.

With this carefully chosen set of four songs on this EP, The Stepford Five has taken their brand of confident, guitar-driven melancholic melody and pushed themselves even further into the role of a mature band exploring even more facets of their potential as songwriters and artists. And in so doing, they haven’t lost that fearless sense of themselves that brings the passion and intensity into their now signature sound. I’ve drawn many comparisons between this band and two bands in particular - their now-defunct brilliant Ohio brethren the Afghan Whigs and the equally genius Catherine Wheel. And the touches of influence are still there, but they’re starting to blend into the background as just that as The Stepford Five push their personality even further forward. And you have to admit, if you’re going to be mentioned in the same sentence with another pair of artists, that’s not bad company to keep.

Recorded and mixed in under a week, these four songs simply hammer you over the head with their creatively rhythmic, darkly melodic turns. This is material that has a sense of itself, and the attention to detail is marvelous and magnetic, especially given the quick nature of the recording process. Upon first listen, it’s as though you’ve popped the can open for the first time with all the freshness intact. These are the types of songs that can get over-mixed and analyzed and the band and producer’s recognition of the raw power contained here is the real gem.

This EP comes with the highest recommendation as it combines the best elements of early 90’s raucous rock with a mesmerizing shoe-gaze quality that culminates on the song “Pinhole”. It’s dark and moody, passionate and confident. If you choose one disc to introduce yourself to The Stepford Five, choose this EP. Excellent.

Full Review: June 23, 2003

Review: Six EP by Jake Cansado of Left Off The Dial


The math is slightly confusing.  Four guys who call themselves The Stepford Five.  Their third release is a four-song EP called 6.  It arrived in a gorgeous little semi-transparent envelope with gold printing and a faux-wax seal.  The packaging was very cool, but Momma always told me never to judge a book by its cover.


The bio tells me that I am listening to blistering guitars and manic rhythms.  Sounds like rock music to me.  The disappointing part is that this EP isnt anything special.  Four songs that I cant even remember as soon as the CD stops spinning.  The lyrics dont grab me.  Neither do the blistering guitars and manic rhythms.  Im not saying the music is bad; Im just saying that it doesnt make me care one way or the other.


The singer has one of those rough voices, like he spends a lot of time yelling into microphones or smoking.  His throat sounds even more damaged when he strains for notes outside of his range, which unfortunately happens quite frequently. 


I'm willing to bet that this is one of those bands that sound really good live.  If they can ditch the bar band mentality of the mid-tempo guitar assault and spend some time crafting hooks in the studio, Id be interested in listening to them again.  Until then, I am not.

Bonus Pictures: June 14, 2003

Bonus pictures from the Reverbose Records Rock 'n Roll Circus on June 14th, 2003 with Jon Chinn, Miranda Sound, Ken Gould and The Stepford Five not included in the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.