For the first time this year, the band slated to play the 'Sco Saturday night is not going to rock-out. On the contrary, it will roll, smooth and sultry-like with female-fronted vocals accompanied by an airy stream of percussion. Madder Rose, the New York band with the mellow rock sound, is touring in support of their newest release, Hello June Fool. They will be joined by junior Bridget Matros, who will open the show.
Though Madder Rose has been around for nearly a decade, in and out of CMJ's top 10 and rock magazines worldwide, Hello June Fool marks a turning point in the band's career. Once reputed for their tendency toward more poppy, innocent lyrics a la Velocity Girl or Belly, the band has now come into full with a polished, mature song-crafting style.
Of course, "mature" can be both a good or a bad thing in reference to pop music, too often translating into "boring" for otherwise talented bands. Never fear; Madder Rose are hardly about to be boxed into the Adult Album Alternative category (known banally as Triple A in the industry), which would deny �them all hopes of earning respect from college audiences. They've already earned respect - they earned it with their first three albums; now it's up to us to pay our dues and see what's up this time around.
In the past five years or so, few female-fronted bands have made it past the hype that boy bands have been stirring within the MTV- and radio-friendly cliques. Sure, bands like Portishead and the Sneaker Pimps have succeeded in making a dent in the trip-hop genre, but little has been produced in the cross-over to intellectual psychedelic rock. Madder Rose run with more of a Cowboy Junkies crowd in that both bands have been around long enough to navigate their niche and be comfortable enough to thrive in their environment.
Madder Rose will undoubtedly surprise a few concert-goers this weekend. Their music may be more toned-down than most we've heard from this year, but it's about time the 'Sco took on a laid-back, mellow tone on a Saturday night. It's hard to say whether audiences will want to observe from their seats or sway and gaze with a beer in hand, but either way, Madder Rose will undoubtedly spin a smooth soundtrack for the evening.
Madder Rose and Bridget Matros perform at the 'Sco Saturday at 10 p.m. Tickets are $3 OCID, $5 others.
Copyright © 1999, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 128, Number 5, October 1, 1999
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