Atlas mugged

Six Finger Satellite's Ruins, the Amazing Royal Crowns doin's

by Michael Caito

Six Finger Satellite

I almost drove off the road when I heard a radio spot open with a clip from Six Finger Satellite's song "Simian Fever." It segues into an ad for a skate shop, which is fitting. Pushing your body to the performance hilt, some athletes tell you, can only occur when the mind is calm and focused. But others find the opposite true, and can't pull off those gravity-defying, transcendent moves without a whirlwind of sound driving them to excel, to fracture rules, to break records, to sk8. To do things that make well-muscled Nike hucksters say "shoulda been playing thaton my Walkman." If that's your cup o' tea, Six Finger Satellite's new Law of Ruins (Sub Pop) is the experience you seek.

The quartet -- John MacLean, J. Ryan, Rick Pelletier and James Apt -- could be forgiven if their latest sounded haphazard, seeing it's their first chance to stretch in their fully-operational, self-constructed Pawtucket recording space The Parlour (That's no planet . . . that's a recording studio!). Those not familiar with the band's works, which initially jelled on The Pigeon Is the Most Popular Bird, through '96's Paranormalized (Sub Pop) and Clone Theory (Load EP), have missed a lot already, but another goal has been achieved on Ruins.

The sonic stew -- thickened by seared meat 'n' taters guitar, vocal shrieks and murmurs with their ominous, enigmatic pronouncements and bowel-jarring drums -- took a decided turn toward the electronic with the release of their Machine Cuisine EP. That coexisted with the various groove-based electronica then on the rise, tweaking a planet's ears. But the band, paramilitary uniforms and all, moved forward, justifiably smirking at the short-sighted people who gave more credence to what they saw than what they actually heard. These folks didn't get 6FS, and became frightened when the band steadfastly refused to commit against some pinheaded cant -- accusations that the quartet fomented some vile, thinly-veiled supremacist agenda. "Look at the uniforms," weasels whinged. And for a sad second I even fell for it, forgetting like a dope that in MacLean and Ryan (and Pelletier, though he clams up in interviews and Apt, the funny, philosophizing bassist and newest member) you have visionary musicians who derive mounds of pleasure from tweaking stupid people. They are the Grand Guignol quartet, the macabre Four Stooges, the sadistic boot-camp sergeants at music appreciation school, justifying all seeming contradictions while directing a lonely beam of a premise down a dangerous, unexplored path. A brash, unyielding confluence of laughing Larry Fines, old and new schools, guitar rock and electronica, analog and digital, Birthday Party and Shellac. Had Ayn Rand written them into Atlas Shrugged Dagney Taggart would have either had them as a depot house band or hurled them under a train. Maybe both.

Eleven songs clock in at well over an hour. Paranormalized's deep immersion into the crazed analog labyrinth of a vintage Moog rings true, but comes up for extended breaths of air on Ruins. The air remains suspect and a little acrid, and MacLean -- whose guitar playing is by miles his best work to date -- methodically warps convention, with the guitarist enabling tension through playing behind and in front of Pelletier's beat. Hell, he even plays a few (striated) chords, most effectively on the title track and the opening "Race Against Space." He doth rock throughout, but the way he economically creates mini-themes then yanks the rug out forever is masterful, and the arranging on Law of Ruins reveals a keen artisan's eye. The 11-minute "Sea of Tranquility Pts. 1 and 2" distills the band's strengths into one song, a darkling fantasy film soundtrack if ever there was one.

They temper and augment splenetic moments with three extended, mostly-instrumental compositions -- "Fall to Pieces," "The White Visitation" and the closing "Hertz So Good" -- which comprise about a third of the record. Even this comparatively lush minimalism asserts, and beside marking three points in the record where you really need to pause for air, this trio collectively reveal 6FS's newfangled facility for creating less frenzied moods with a not-quite-unheard, but rather sensed, sonic undertow. "Go on in, water's fine," they seem to coax and jeer from the shore. While some bands base entire careers around like-minded tracks, 6FS ford the fjords between the surrounding melee and this more subdued spirit without the latter sounding funereal. Of course it's challenging -- by now that's as much of a given as the fact that they rarely play older songs live.

In the big picture, bringing together seemingly ill-fitting elements and smelting a new ideal is the grail for many but a measurable result for few. So can you blame the band, given the strength and scope of Law of Ruins, for sometimes feeling like a small, vocal army in the face of numbing legions of bores who mar and defile the musical landscape? I'll never pin that blame, but if you do, you may end up proving Six Finger Satellite right with every syllable.

Six Finger Satellite play Brownies in NYC on Friday with Les Savy Fav and White, and at the Middle East in Cambridge on Saturday.

ROYAL NEWS. The Amazing Royal Crowns' website message board (www.amazingroyalcrowns.com) is similar to those of countless other bands -- 90 percent falls into two categories:"I saw you guys at the XYZ and loved it" or "My town XYZ is boring . . . please come and play!" Spiked here and there are hilarious, abusive messages from Providence pals (the In Your Ear gang, Paul Slifer from somewhere in Scotland). Singer Jason "King" Kendall's tour diary and the band tour pictures page bear out the fact that guitarist Jonny "The Colonel" Maguire did not accompany the band on either the Vans Warped or subsequent Australia tours, replaced by area veteran Dennis Kelly (ex-Little Frankie & the Premiers, ex-Boss Fuel, now of the Pull Tabs). A spokeperson at Velvel, the band's label, said Kelly's position is "temporary." One thing's certain, and that is the band's wholehearted support for Maguire's decision. Addressing a New York-based wag who likened the band to a sinking ship after seeing a show sansthe Colonel then missing their video's debut (announced, then mischievously not aired on MTV's 120 Minutes several weeks ago) Kendall responded online:"The Colonel has decided to stop touring and playing at the moment, and he is helping us to retain our sound. He is our friend and we stand by his decision. Second, we've got nothing to do with the corporate giant MTV, if they don't play our video then it's our tough luck." The vid aired two days later. Also on the message page: an earnest note from a member of the Royal Crown Revue, explaining the RCR's stance on the band name snafu.

Phone rings. Kendall's standing in a Quincy phone booth in the rain. More news: Maguire's departure is official, his replacement is Greg Burgess (ex-Speed Devils). Dennis Kelly is officially "part of the Royal Crowns family," and they're recording a Kelly-penned country-flavored tune at Sound Station Seven with Dennis on lap steel. Kelly and Burgess will both play today (8/20) at the 'BRU show at India Point. "Do the Devil" was added to 35 stations last week. Reverend Horton Heat tour for October-November confirmed, as is a February Warped Tour in Australia. "Australia last [month] was killer," he continued. "The Specials' horn section came up and played."

"What I said on the website was 100 percent," he said. "Jonny left the band of his own volition, and we back him all the way. He's got a son, he wants to see his son, and all we do is tour. None of us have apartments or girlfriends or anything. You gotta be a roach to be on the road. And Jonny's keepin' his hand in, DJing swing nights, and Ithink he's gonna do some guitar-oriented stuff now."

They've just recorded a Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover ("Howlin' Hootenanny") for inclusion on the Zombie-A-Go-Go compilation (DGCdistro) which also features Horton Heat and the Cramps, and more Sound Station Seven studio visits are scheduled, with Burgess as full-timer. "You wanna know what Dennis said first time he heard Greg?" Kendall asked. "He said `God, that guy's a monster.' "

As was the Colonel.

Right after India Point, the Bomboras and Thee Mr. Rogers Project hit the Met. Should have time for a pint before that with Buzz Buzzerio of QAZ at the Custom House, where he can tell you about their brilliant (a term used sparingly) new CD, Alternate Routes. If you like the Crowns, you'll dig this route. QAZ will also perform outside the Custom House Saturday at WaterFire. Also Saturday, Haystak Kalhoon hit the Century Lounge with tunes from their recent Hayride (Fishpit), a herky-jerky, sometimes manic and humorous take on life, love and Rollie Fingers. Titles: "Dr. Eggplant," "Gaboon Viper" and the memorable "Columbo." Hear and believe.

NEWPORT NEWS. The inaugural Music Feastival benefitting Partners in Ending Hunger debuts Saturday, August 29 and runs all night at the West Wind Harbour Grille. A strong lineup includes Beantown folkie Kevin Connolly and headliners Viperhouse, a funk / jazz / fusion amalgam down from Vermont. Info at (401) 846-3426, ext. 1.

Contrary to how it may have been phrased a few weeks back, Manny Silva writes to inform that Holy Cow is still very much in existence, with new recordings captured on RealAudio files for you at kft.dyn.ml.org/holycow.

ZIP ZERO NADA. No confirmations at press time does not mean nothing's shaking behind the scenes at the Strand, while the rumor mill continues to grind out numerous off-the-record hints of potential wooers, including the folks who run some of downtown's most popular nightspots.