CARAVELS
We can’t think of a more apt song title for a hardcore band specializing in mathy rhythms than “And They Say Algebra Is Useless.” Except, maybe, for “Fucking Algebra,” the epithet listed for the streamable version on Caravels’ MySpace page.
The Henderson outfit began playing that number three years ago, when guitarist 
Matt Frantom, bassist Cory Van Cleef and drummer George Foskaris were chums at Green Valley High. A few months later, they added guitarist Dillon Shines, Van Cleef’s bandmate in The Tramlines. The lineup wasn’t truly solidified, however, until singer Mike R approached the quartet after one of its high-energy all-ages shows and announced he wanted in. “We weren’t sure about adding a vocalist who shouted, but once we heard Mike R’s ‘progressive shout’ we realized we’d totally misjudged him,” Foskaris says. “He’s added a lot to our sound.” Indeed, listening to MySpace-exclusive cut “First Blood,” new track “Apollo Creed” and, yes, the still-performed “Fucking Algebra,” it’s difficult to imagine Caravels’ carefully constructed epics without the blood-curdling roars to buttress them (and keep us guessing as to what the hell the dude might actually be roaring about).
Keep an eye out for a limited-edition five-song cassette (?!?) this summer, a full-length vinyl release (with accompanying CD-R) sometime after that and a late-June tour swing that will take the band from Tijuana to Seattle. In the meantime, get off your couch and check out these bad-ass 18- and 19-year-olds firsthand, preferably in quarters so cramped that Mike R can jump up and come crashing down on your head. Want to hear these guys for yourself? Click here to listen to the Caravels!
THE LURKS
The Lurks don’t have delusions of grandeur about record contracts and European tours. They’re perfectly content playing the Double Down and Bunkhouse a few times each month, and enjoying the modest perks that come with that territory. “We’re just having fun, drinking beer,” laughs drummer Omar Villain. “That’s one reason I joined this band. Everybody out there is so focused on making it big, but you have a better chance of making the NFL than hitting it big in music. These guys are just trying to have fun.”
Last fall, the trio emerged from the ashes of The Pharaohs, when singer/guitarist Quint Olsen and bassist Rick Keever found themselves running ads for a new third member. Villain, a scene veteran who can tell firsthand stories of old-school desert shows, came calling. “Omar has more of a punk background than our previous drummer,” Olsen says. “So our music is still rootsy rock ’n’ roll, but maybe with more of a punk-rock edge.”
Ultimately, Olsen’s songwriting—a blend of early-era Social Distortion bar punk, Del Fuegos-style roots-rock and some Johnny Cash twang (he also fronts alt-country outfit Quint & The Cowpunk Calamity)—sets The Lurks apart from most of their peers. A Freakin’ Frog recording of “Dinner for a Dog” on the band’s MySpace page is appropriately rugged, but offers the kind of melodic instinct that might just appeal to the right A&R man, were Olsen ever interested. “I don’t have any crazy fantasies of becoming a rock star,” he insists. “I like building my name locally, and this is some of the most fun I’ve had.” Take a listen to "Dinner for a Dog" and toe tap away.
MOTHER MCKENZIE
Wyatt McKenzie has been a mainstay in Vegas’ underground music scene for far longer than any 20-year-old ought to have a right to. Playing with such groups as The Invisible Orchestra, Meat Over Moscow and Back on Speed—and self-recording some 20 full-length solo albums, usually on 4-track, at home—McKenzie has spent his life building for a moment when he would step out of his basement and into the spotlight. That moment might be now.
After tinkering with band lineups for months, McKenzie appears to have stabilized membership in Mother McKenzie, the three-piece project he hopes can bring a sense of permanence to his music. “I’ve wanted to get a band together for a while, and these two have been solid,” he says, nodding toward bassist Quinn Beagle and drummer Christopher Reitmaier. “It’s been very relaxing working with them; in the past that’s been hard to achieve.” Likewise, Reitmaier refers to “a nice ease to the way we work together. The songs are great, and we enjoy being able to incorporate our elements into them.”
McKenzie’s most recent MySpace posting, “Jennifer” (recorded for local label National Southwestern Electronic), suggests a new, fuller sonic direction for a young man best known for his heartfelt, solo acoustic performances, and McKenzie says that’s only the beginning. “When I’m solo acoustic it’s more sad and isolated, but these guys bring a spirit to the music and inspire me to be more upbeat,” he explains. “We’re in the studio two to three times a week, and what we’re doing now might even be considered poppy in comparison to what came before.” Click here to tune into Mother McKenzie's "Jennifer."
MOB ZOMBIE
If, as Nas suggested, hip-hop is dead, we’re really digging what sprung up from its grave. Las Vegas’ Mob Zombie—a New Yorker who goes by Phil A, a Chicagoan who calls himself Polo and a Los Angeleno nicknamed Bambu—have been haunting the underground scene for the past two years, getting together through their mutual distaste for commercial beats and rhymes, and their love of zombie flicks. “We got bored with the regular hip-hop stuff out there,” Phil says. “We have original beats and lots of live energy. It’s not just a typical hip-hop show.”
The tracks on Mob Zombie’s MySpace page tell a story of an undead rap force slaying everything in its path. “Why is hip-hop dead?/Mob Zombie is the answer,” Polo expounds during “Me and My Gang.” The songs also reveal a trio with a knack for setting intelligent, informed lyrics atop engaging sonic landscapes. “Z vs. H,” for example, interposes lines like “This is folk-rock with a jolt of hope from the soap box” and the haunting heart of Leonard Cohen’s “The Partisan.” All three members are music fanatics who grew up digging through record crates; Bambu even spent three years hosting KUNV’s “Pushing the Boundaries” eclectic radio show. “Our stuff is different, but I think Mob Zombie is establishing its own niche in Las Vegas,” Bambu explains. “When people hear us, they love it.”
Live shows see the core trio supplemented by DJ Theory (“He’s our Mixmaster Mike,” Bambu says), who will accompany the group on a full-fledged tour scheduled to coincide with the 2008 release of first album Join the Mob. Remember to aim for the head. Groove to "Z vs H" and hear why hip-hop is alive and well in the hands of this threesome.
See more photos of our local darlings in an audio slide show.