Billy Mahonie
Beggars Banquet
Instrumental indie rock. But don't confuse it with Tortoise. For starters, they're British! And, while Billy Mahonie may occasionally incorporate jazz influences into their music, they create everything from flat-out rockers to sweet and quiet space rock compositions, often within the same song.
Sleek as an oiled-up alley cat, "People Talking When You Can't Hear What They're Saying" begins with swampy, twangy guitar and crunchy staccato rock chords over a precise drum pattern. Soon, the math rock complexity gives way to a delicate melody, with laid-back drums and smooth, jazzy bass, like the improbable beauty of a sunrise after a long night of irresponsible behavior. But just when you've gotten comfortable with the softer, gentler Billy Mahonie, the insistent guitars burst back through the delicate curtain, daring you to come out for one more round.
Billy Mahonie is filled with loveliness and complexity and everything nice about instrumental music. But remember: indie bands don't have to have singers, and instrumental bands don't all have to sound the same. Whether they are playing short, two-minute songlets or longer, more expansive compositions, Billy Mahonie's music is shimmering, warm, dynamic, and seductive.
Jeanne Acceturo
last updated:
08/10/01
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Tortoise, Trans Am, Mogwai, The Mercury Program, Broadcast, Epic45
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