TURNING IT AROUND: The Noise Campaign. |
The West Warwick-based quintet the Noise Campaign have rocked plenty of local dive bars and club stages across Rhode Island in recent months, and this spry crew of 20- and 21-year-olds will begin recording their full-length debut at Strangeways Recording in February. Earlier this year, a demo titled "One Trick Pony" that was posted on their website (myspace.com/thenoise campaign) caught my ear. Lead singer Jared Aguiar's seismic vocal register keeps pace with the solid rhythm work of bassist Devin Kapko and drummer Mike Murdock, who is an absolute beast behind the kit both live and in studio. He'll take his talents to the Berklee School of Music in Boston come January, but will remain with the band. Dual guitarists Chris Roch and Mike Poulin round out the five-piece.
" 'One Trick Pony' was the first song we recorded as a band," Aguiar said earlier this week. "We don't go for a particular sound because we each bring something different to the table musically, but that's the way we like it."
Kapko, Murdock, and Poulin started a band during their sophomore year at West Warwick High called RightSideDown, and Exeter resident Aguiar lent some vocals. Chariho native Roch joined in mid-2007 and the Noise Campaign was born, but it wasn't until February '08 that the band had its full lineup set when Aguiar came back and took the role of lead singer.
Whether it's the slow burn of their live show opener "Hot Lunch Cold Feet" or their latest uploaded track, an alt-poppy number titled "Red Light Treasure Hunt," TNC are looking to add some variety to the standard indie-rock sect.
"What makes us different from other Rhode Island alt-rock bands is the fact that we do have a unique sound that I don't think you'll hear around here," Poulin said, "because we just write the music that we feel instead of falling into a certain genre." Another early triumph is "Idle Hands Do the Devil's Work" — upon hearing the hook, my indie-fossil friend inquired, "Is this Braid?"
The Noise Campaign continue to write away while preparing to record with Mike Poorman, who most recently lent a guiding hand to the Coming Weak's 2007 EP debut, Consider This.
"From what I've heard it's already quite a large leap forward in sound," said Jeff Langmaid, bassist from the Coming Weak. "I think that recording with Mike as well as their reputation for a great live show will help solidify their place in the Rhode Island music scene and beyond."
