innovation and tone
April 2013 - Music Connection
April 2013 - Music Connection
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THE MIDDLE EAST Cambridge, MA<br />
Contact: sasha.alcott@gmail.com, chris.m.viner@gmail.com<br />
Web: http://whenparticlescollide.com<br />
The Players: Sasha Alcott, guitar, vocals; Chris Viner, drums.<br />
Username: whenparticlescollide<br />
Material: With this electrically charged duo from Bangor, ME, buzzy guitar provides<br />
a sub-harmonic backdrop that’s nearly drowned by a relentless avalanche of drums<br />
as primal lyrics recall the romantic, innocent charm of earnest punk. Think Pixies<br />
or Sleater-Kinney stripped down to an intimate pairing with a lopsided emphasis on<br />
percussion. The invigorating result refreshes, yet quickly wears thin.<br />
Musicianship: Guitarist Sasha Alcott doesn’t push her Gretsch to uncommon<br />
heights. Rather, she seems content letting her axe play second fiddle to Chris<br />
Viner’s monstrous drumming, which ranges from polyrhythmic grooviness to heavy<br />
metal mashing. Meanwhile, taking apparent inspiration from rock & roll sirens like<br />
Joan Jett <strong>and</strong> Courtney Love, Alcott’s fiery vocals set the roof ablaze.<br />
Performance: Although she seems unaware of it, Alcott’s tart yet bubbly<br />
personality was deployed effectively as she cracked jokes <strong>and</strong> bounded about the<br />
stage. Regretfully, her movements were limited due to the curious choice to wear<br />
high heels. Viner placed his skin pounding skills on display during an abbreviated<br />
solo, but he deferred the hefty task of relating to the audience <strong>and</strong> providing visual<br />
stimulus to his partner. Neither br<strong>and</strong>ing nor any allusion to the group itself was<br />
incorporated into their set.<br />
WHEN<br />
PARTICLES<br />
COLLIDE<br />
?????<br />
Summary: This unscientific experiment proves that a musical pair, when as tightly<br />
linked as a proton bound to an electron, can generate a luminously positive charge.<br />
Yet the nucleus quickly decays absent the variety necessary to sustain one’s<br />
interest. This could be accomplished by the addition of another player, although<br />
this would permanently alter the group’s chemical makeup. WPC sound best when<br />
lasered in on cosmically rhythmic, danceable passages, so they could exp<strong>and</strong> upon<br />
that dynamic, or they might try incorporating entirely novel styles to beef up their<br />
diversity. Either way, they need to conclude their set in a more dramatic fashion if<br />
they wish to generate more enthusiastic peer reviews. –Andy Kaufmann<br />
AQNDY KAUFMANN<br />
58 April 2013 www.musicconnection.com
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