Full ANDFL Review: May 20, 2004

Full ANDFL review from May 20th, 2004 in the Columbus Dispatch 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.

Full Six EP Review: June 2, 2003

Review: Six EP by Daniel N of Delusions of Adequacy

I'm going to guess that the Stepford Five have been around the block a few times, based almost entirely on the tightness and production of this short EP. No doubt they have fans, good press, well-attended shows, and an otherwise pleasant and promising future.

The numerically named EP 6 - and I can only assume the band as well - seems to take a lot of cues from more straight-up rock bands than the indie-rock bands musically in the same ballpark. There are bands like Catherine Wheel, who just poured straight-up vocal intensity into beautifully atmospheric and challenging soundscapes routed in very traditional rock and roll arena rock fashion. And then there are the bands who sound similar but are obviously playing it safe, taking those strong foundations and learning them well, but not taking the chances needed musically to really keep the listener on their toes.

Don't get me wrong, The Stepford Five are a good-sounding band; the strongest elements being the very Sensefield-ish flowing vocals and guitars which are all over the place but never noodling. But it's the lack of unexpected dynamics that don't help these tracks stand out from each other and the band stand out from others. I just sort of was anticipating everything. I say to just push everything to every limit, add some dissonance, don't play so much in lock with each other, a little less repetition, feet up on the monitors, put the balls to wall, and let's hear all their best elements push through.

"Are You Dreaming" is the best track on the CD, really showcasing the guitar playing abilities and great vocal abilities of The Stepford Five. The second and third songs are unfortunately a bit formulaic and bland. "Six" probably is one of their killer live songs, but it seems to lose its intensity here. Regardless, it's a great song.

Basically, If you liked Catherine Wheel or Sensefield, these guys have a good chance of being on their level in the next couple years, so I'd say go check these guys out live and judge them by that instead of this CD, and get on their bandwagon early.

Full Six EP Review: April 17, 2003

Review: Six EP by Chad Painter of The Other Paper

The Stepford Five has definitely read up on it's Columbus rock. In the past (like on The Art of Self-Defense), the Bowling Green immigrants have tried and failed to find their version of the Columbus sound. Instead, they have had to settle for being Columbus's answer to the Afghan Whigs, which isn't such a bad consolation prize.

On Six, TS5 has finally found its voice.

The album kicks off with 'Are You Dreaming,' a mix of great angular descending riffs and a play on the soft/loud dynamic. Tim Minneci sings, 'I always wondered why/ We failed when we tried/ To hold on.'

The title track has a great stuttering drumbeat and big power chorus that could fit nicely in an arena near you. The band sounds like a cross between Watershed and a more radio-friendly Pretty Mighty Mighty, while Minneci sings, 'Find a way to be yourself/ That's all I'm asking for.'

Elsewhere, 'Fair is Fair' is a slice of alternative rock of days gone by, and 'Pinhole' sounds like a slowed down mix of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.

Six sounds like a band coming into its own. My only complaint is that it's so brief (clocking in at under 18 minutes). Oh well, guess it's just a taste until the full-length in the fall.

Review: Six EP by Stephen Slaybaugh of the Columbus Alive

With 2001's The Art of Self-Defense, the Stepford Five began to move away from the '90s indie guitar-rock influences displayed on its debut, Mesh, stretching a gauze of effects and half-remembered conations over their incendiary emissions.

The band's new EP, 6, which is being released by newly formed local label Reverbose (run by members of the Stepford Five and Miranda Sound) removes such artifices for a more defined sound. The aesthetic works well for the four-piece, placing its components - propulsive drum pounding, icy riffs and Keith Jenkins' careening voice - in sharp relief. In general, the Stepford Five bears a certain resemblance to Bush for their bombast and Jenkins' vocals' similarity to those of Gavin Rossdale. Theirs is a big noise that moves with undeniable and inexhaustible force and drama.

Full Six EP Review: April 17, 2003

Full Six EP review from April 17th, 2003 from the Columbus Alive from the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

Full TAOSD Review: May 1, 2002

Review: The Art of Self Defense by Pepper Donovan of the Syracuse New Times


Actually a quartet from Ohio, the Stepford Five amounts to better-than-average art rockers who worried more about making a good album instead of the perfect single. For instance, "Aquarium Blues," which is far removed from the 12-bar variety, captures the attention with its inherent energy. In many ways, the foursome sounds like an updated version of the Replacements, offering the same rock drive, superior arrangements, lyrics and Midwestern honesty, all dressed up with more modern guitar effects. Not a masterpiece from a band probably capable of making one, The Art of Self-Defense is a disc worth knowing about before everybody else does. 4 out of 5 Stars (denotes a damn good album and one worth considering).

Full TAOSD Review: February 11, 2002

Review:

Full Review: January 12, 2002

Review: The Art of Self-Defense by Heidi Drockelman at Indie-music.com 

Opening this package and popping The Stepford Five’s new disc into my player has proven to be a very therapeutic and uplifting experience. Perhaps not “uplifting” in the sense that many of you may be thinking… you see, I’ve been waiting for a good guitar rock record to come my way for quite some time. And after having taken a short hiatus from reviewing, I’ve found the perfect CD to get my motor running again.

With the release of The Art of Self-Defense, I’ve found something much better than a great sophomore album, I’ve found a reason to be hopeful for the next wave of progressive, solid, aggressively confident songwriting to come from the Midwest. I’m not going to kid ya, there has been little more than lackluster showings going on here in the cornfields, but like any fertile breeding ground for malcontent rockers, I see a shining beacon of sonic light burning brightly within the confines of this album.


It’s no secret that their last album, MESH, is housed quite snugly within my permanent collection of rock discs, but this latest effort, bears a more polished, focused attention to detail that puts many other releases of 2001 to shame. The Stepford Five’s approach on this disc is very confident, and while there are still some nods to their predecessors—Afghan Whigs, Catherine Wheel, the Replacements—some new noise has popped into place and given this band a sound all their own. The “polish” isn’t all studio tricks and production work (although that particular element is well crafted and only adds to the total sound of the band), there is simply a cleaner, sleeker feel to the whole offering and an obviously attentive touch to maintaining the raw energy that keeps this band’s sound fresh. The guitars are a little less raunchy, replaced by a crunchiness and bright glint that reels off of the melodies and leaving ‘80’s and ’90’s sounds far behind. 


This more modern version of the band feels very comfortable, and their comfort and confidence in their performance shines clearly through the material. “Pretty Exit”, while it does throw back to SubPop/Whigs’ (think “Turn on the Water”), seems to serve as a reminder of what the band is all about while making the transition into a new chapter of their progression as artists. I could easily say that I stumbled into something great when I listened to this record over and over and over again, but I honestly waited and wanted to hear what came out of the studio next. Boasting a tighter sound with songs like “Continental Drift”, “Foot Soldier”, “The Fall”, and the closing track, “Showing Through”, I have reason to anticipate that The Stepford Five will be ready to show their audience, and anyone who will listen, what it means to rock the joint in the future. 

Their style is heavily influenced by their favorite artists, like many musicians, but their ability to draw inspiration from, rather than imitation of, a varied landscape of musicianship, and then twist it up like a lightning rod to spark their own sound is a key ingredient to their current and future success. They will have a long career in the music business, at any level, if they wish it so. Talent, songwriting ability, ingenuity, and appreciation for rock music will help any band ascend the boundaries placed upon them—whether geographic (c’mon people, Bjork and her Sugarcube mates are from Iceland!), sonically speaking (take a page from Bowie and Radiohead), or simply having the balls to strike out of the “mainstream sound”. The Stepford Five aren’t the second coming, I realize I was building up to something quite enormous there for a second, but they’re a damn good start. One of the best releases for 2001—LONG LIVE ROCK!

Full TAOSD Review: December 18, 2001

Review: The Art of Self-Defense by Ben Ohmart, Music Dish


Not alt-rock, but ROCK. Rock with that old-time religion ingrained on its harsh, ciggie-smashing heels. Rock that increases muscle tension through loud, prolonged attacks on the most mundane functions, so that you can't love, can't sleep, can't toss 'n turn, can't take a piss without seeing the veins in your arms, forehead and dark meat of the legs.


This is The Stepford Five, a 4 man (that's right) band that is heavy, heavy on the guitar, but one of those promising young groups that lets you actually Hear the bass player through all the distortions and twisting tracks.


Listening to 'Foot Soldier' is like climbing onto hard rock without any shoes. The guitars blast, then disappear as fast as they insinuate themselves into your paltry psyche. But next up, finally, is what (compared to the others) could be called a cool down. Of course if 'Expectations' is a ballad, even those are hard to guess, considering the amount of sane but energetic drumwork swimming through.


Keith Jenkins - vocals, guitar
Jason Dziak - guitar, keys, vocals
Tim Minneci - bass
Mark Kovitya - drums


There's not a single underworked martial arts expert involved. Though the guitars bear the brunt of the battle (and battle is seems to be at times), this is unquiet, revolving door stuff that never fails to lick the envelope with a mad grin and stamp the indie stamp on with a bleeding, ashen elbow.


I remember these guys from their previous, debut album, MESH. They were shouting from deserted windowtops then, and they are still honing their impressive, rock-indie talents now, growing up more, and keeping the cap tightly on the bottle, while shaking, shaking..

Full TAOSD Review: November 15, 2001

Full review and gig preview from November 15th, 2001 in the Columbus Dispatch from the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

Full TAOSD Review: November 15, 2001

Review: The Art of Self-Defense by Aaron Beck and Curtis Schieber, the Columbus Dispatch


On The Art of Self-Defense, the second album from the Stepford Five, the Columbus band grabs the baton from the broken- up Afghan Whigs and runs with it. 


Hard-driving, menacing music played by bassist Tim Minneci, guitarist Jason Dziak and drummer Mark Kovitya is the layer upon which lead singer Keith Jenkins addresses lovers past and present. 


Throughout the disc, recorded during the past year with Pretty Mighty Mighty's Neal Schmitt at Workbook Studio in Columbus, the band fluidly incorporates farfisa organ, timpani, drum loops, backup female vocals and goofy time signatures. The result is a sturdy next step in the band's ascent to heavy FM rotation.

Full TAOSD Review: November 8, 2001

Review:

Full TAOSD Review: November 1, 2001

Review: The Art of Self-Defense by Rob Harvilla, The Other Paper


"All I want is somethin' beautiful," declares Stepford Five vocalist Keith Jenkins a few minutes into The Art of Self-Defense, the much-hyped sophomore disc from four guys committed to expertly crafted guitar rock ugliness.

Self-Defense is a tightly wound, creatively produced and relentlessly murky-affair. Wrapped in emotive, twin-guitar indie rock, it'll coat your immediate visual world view in thick, murky blacks and grays. Picture yourself trudging through North Campus late, late Saturday night, penniless and freezing, mulling over the day's events: Your girlfriend left you, the Bucks lost by 20, your car's on fire. This record replicates drab, cruddy Ohio weather with astounding clarity.

That's a compliment. The Stepford Five bristles with grungy, discordant rock energy, well represented here by tunes like Pretty Exit and Foot Soldier. All this ain't pretty, but it's got unmistakable drive, and the five-star Workbook Studios production treatment suits it well. Weird guitar effects, random patches of aural weirdness, disembodies backup vocals, cool drum sounds - it's almost too much, to the point where you wonder if Self-Defense would sound very different (and very plain) without all the hoo-hah.

It very well might, but it doesn't have to, and the tunes resonate accordingly. Expectations is a slow-burner that avoids dragging on, thanks to a huge vocal assist from Miranda Sound hootmaster Billy Peake. The Fall is a well-placed bomb in the album's second half - 2:36 of less complex pop sensibility with a melodic outro that hits the bullseye and gets the hell outta there. In fact, Self-Defense works best after the hook's buried and the lyrics dealt with - the set ending Showing Through starts slow but ends on a similar instrumental high.

Neither the structure nor the vocal matter here rates as particularly transcendent - basically the Five are a roughed-up, pissed off hybrid of Goo Goo Dolls-style guitar rock. But this time out, they're very much in their sonic element, and committed to making the most of it. The Art of Self-Defense is quite high art indeed.

The Art of Self-Defense went on sale today exclusively (dude!) at Virgin Megastore in Easton. Buy it there or online at Stepfordfive.com. The band's next show is Friday Nov. 9 at Bernie's.

Full MESH Review: June 6, 2001

Review: Mesh by Indie-music.com


Once again, it's Columbus, Ohio calling. Is there something in the air, water, or sewer system that is breeding flocks of talented musicians from the underground? Those of you out there who are wondering where to find all the good bands these days... get thee to Columbus!

The Stepford Five, duly noted as a four-piece (I'm sure that one never gets old, does it guys?), is the latest and greatest in a gaggle of midwestern bands that are gunning for the great industry brass ring. Keith Jenkins (vocals and guitar), Jason Dziak (guitar and keys), Tim Minneci (bass), and Mark Kovitya (drums) have somehow managed to channel some of my favorite bands through their very own amplifiers and somehow kept their sound original and fresh. There are some very obvious influences at work here, and for those of you out there who revere the Afghan Whigs, Catherine Wheel, The Stones, the underappreciated Howlin' Maggie, and the late, visionary Jeff Buckley, then this band is FOR YOU. Read no further, just click down below and buy the damn disc.

For those of you still reading, take note. The Stepford Five takes a soulful approach to guitar-drenched rock, breaking traditional and archetypal sounds in two, and experimenting with the underbelly of rhythm and melody. By "soulful", I'm sure you can gather what I mean, but I'm going to explain it anyway just in case you all have actually been listening to commercial radio schlock lately. Soul is passionate, raw, fluid, and lush. But most of all it's personal, uniquely adaptable to every individual, and gushing with energy. And all of these characteristics can be used to describe MESH. While they may experience a few pitfalls along the way due to the uncanny resemblances to the aforementioned Whigs, this is in no means an imitative approach to music-making and appears to be a sound that has developed straight from the psyche of all four members. And being immersed in Whig-heil! country (of which I am an active member of the regime) is bound to rub off.

The band shows great range in theme, songwriting style, and innovative use of rhythm. The first track, "Contact Illusion", sets the tone for that, with Kovitya showing his drumming chops off right away, as if they could be buried at some point. Some of the best tracks on this disc use powerful guitar chords and create a waterfall of sound, that reels and changes directions on a regular basis. "Need To Know", the Catherine-Wheel incarnate "Broken Skin", the Midnite Vulture-ish, funky Beck-ish "Get Yourself Together", "No Chance", and the Firewater-branded "Making Sound" all literally leapt out of the speakers and grabbed me by the, well, whatever...

The Stepford Five exhibit a ferociously unapologetic approach to music-making that puts MESH in the upper echelon of indie rock releases. If they keep this up, they might just take the industry by storm.

For the unabridged version of the Stepford Five and how they came to be, log onto www.stepfordfive.com

Full This Christmas Review: December 14, 2000

Full review of the This Christmas single from December 14th, 2000 by Brian Lindamood of the Columbus Alive from the book Are You Making A Sound? The History of The Stepford Five.

This Christmas, the new single from Columbus quartet The Stepford Five, is probably the band's quietest moment yet captured on plastic. The polished big pop of The Stepford Five's previous recordings, and their hard-driving live sound, have been tempered to a mid-tempo lament for the holidays. This Christmas, written by Stepford guitarist Keith Jenkins, adds ethereal electric guitar fills to an acoustic guitar (and sleigh bells!) foundation, but the plaintive lyrics really get their blue-for-the-holidays pathos from Jason Dziak's haunting organ. Hey, even rockers get a little sad when they have to spend Christmas alone.
The holiday single is backed with live acoustic versions of Need to Know and Broken Skin, both originally from the band's terrific full-length Mesh. 

The Stepford Five perform at the Limbs & Light Benefit tonight, December 14, at Little Brother's, with Jerkwater Jive, F** Bomb, The Hellbound Truckers and others.

Full This Christmas Review and Gig Preview: December 14, 2000

Review: Limbs and Light Benefit/Christmas CD by Aaron Beck of the Columbus Dispatch

The sticky sweetness of holiday songs getting you down? The Stepford Five has recorded a Christmas tune that's a bit more down to earth.

This Christmas speaks to the loneliness of spending the holidays alone. Singer/guitarist/sleigh bell maestro Keith Jenkins takes on a weary melancholy as he sings, "This Christmas, stop me from falling apart."

The CD also features two acoustic songs: Need To Know and Broken Skin, recorded live on-air in Otterbein University's WOBN studio. The album is destined to be a collector's item - the band only pressed 100 copies, and they're only available online or at the Five's shows.

Proceeds from the "Limbs and Light" benefit will provide support cash for Miles Smiley, a Canadian man who will be driving a truck filled with medical supplies and artificial limbs to Nicaragua to give to landmine victims. Smiley is on his way to Texas for a New Year's Eve fundraiser and then he's heading to Central America.

Full MESH Review: June 21, 2000

Review: Mesh by Ben Ohmart of Music Dish


Here's a guitar-heavy group of 4 men who are ruining my eardrums with the damn cd player on minimum volume. However the rock they project could be worth being hearing impaired, since songs like 'Get Yourself Together' never really have a moment of come down. I'm reminded of an airplane crash without the metallic sounds scraping all over the body. Loud modern rock, nothing heavier. 'No Chance' is equally busy with electric guitar shouting. These guys are from Ohio, so perhaps being in the middle, they have to shout so the rest of the country can hear? Well, they've produced 11 songs like hard exercise, so watch your pulse.

Full MESH Review: June 12, 2000

Review: Mesh CD by Theodore Defosse at Splendid E-zine


The Stepford Five are a rare find these days, in that they actually seem to have no hang-up with good,straightforward rock. That's highlighted by "Overcoming Eve", a song that starts where the Goo Goo Dolls left off, then adds some heavy guitars to scrape a little bit of the sensitivity away. Not all of their songs (like "Strange Days" and "Get Yourself Together") are as good as this one or "No Chance", which starts out with a riff straight from Sarge, but none of them suck either. They even succeed at "Misplaced You", their attempt at a ballad. Production could be a lot better -- either that or their guitars just gravitate toward the "soundwave uglies" -- but they're a band to watch and, for label owners, a band to pursue.

Full MESH Review: April 24, 2000

Review: Mesh CD by Frank Lazar of 181.4 Dftn!


Bands that list their influences within the liner notes of its first release take a lot of guts in my opinion. Within the notes of The Stepford Five's debut, "Mesh, " the Columbus Ohio band lists power-pop bands to that of soulful rockers Afghan Whigs. "Mesh" includes some of both, and plenty of other influences upon its first release. However, unlike its influences, the band has not yet gelled as a formidable unit capable of joining the ranks of a national ac t like The Afghan Whigs or Superdrag. Where the band is original, talented and clearly capable of writing good songs, it lacks in the area of production and musical cohesiveness. What makes a band like Afghan Whigs so great is its ability to create a powerful song structure that not only displays the song but also reinforces it through a powerful music backing. The Stepford Five has not yet reached such a "plateau." "Mesh" wavers into an individual member's influences and the band does not always come together as the sum of its parts. This combined with the lead singer's limited voice makes The Stepford Five a band with very good material but desperately in need of a good vocal coach and producer. The influences are there, and the band has been able to create something original based upon those predecessors with "Mesh," but maybe The Stepford Five could do better by re-recording it.