Super Blog Sunday Edition: Salem's Massive Moth release new album

Hey Salem and Friends from all over the world,

First of all just wanted to say that this weekend has been "Super" for me for a very different reason *drumroll*... My wife gave birth to a wonderful healthy baby boy this morning! Right now, we are in Silverton going through all the motions and biding our time. One minor downside to being here is that I have very limited Internet access, so I apologize in advance for any errors with my links/videos, I am currently unable to double check them. The piece I chose for my "Super Blog Sunday Edition" was a very difficult piece for me to have written. When I was approached about writing a review for a local band that has done so much for Salem's music scene, I found myself somewhat torn. Here is a revised version of the piece I wrote up for OregonMusicNews.com about the local band Massive Moth's "More Scenery Than Man".

In every town there is always one band that everyone stands behind, if not for the music, then for the simple fact that they did it first. In Salem, that band is Massive Moth.

Jason Stringer, the co-founder, bassist and vocalist for Massive Moth, has made some very notable waves in the realm of live music in Salem. Back when live music was a house party, Jason would rent out halls and other various locations just to give bands a place to rock within the borders of Oregon's capital. Now that we have music venues popping up all over the place, it's easy to lose sight of where it all began.

Massive Moth, originally consisting of Kevin Rafn on vocals and guitar, Jason Stringer on bass, and Doug Hoffman on drums, made great strides in Salem to create the close-knit music community we have today. Hoffman along with Stringer helped shake up Salem's noise ordinance policy with the birthing of The Space (RIP), a local hole in the wall venue that housed many local and international acts but unfortunately closed this past September. The Space reportedly lost the battle with the noise ordinance and had to shut down, but Hoffman has since moved on to a new project called Monoplane with Ranch Records owner David Ballantyne. Massive Moth then picked up Sean Ireland in the spring of 2010 and went into Warble Records studio to begin recording for the album, titled "More Scenery Than Man".
Upon review of the album, there are a few things, good and bad. The first track "House On Holiday Hill" starts and stays heavy and whimsical all the way through--a formula executed very well by Massive Moth. It's big band swing with a hint of indie and a cool eerie-ness, the anthemic vocals blend well with the down-beat dance grove laid down by Ireland.

Here is "House on Holiday Hill" performed live at Boone's Treasury (I hope):

This is iPod-worthy alongside old Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. The tracks that follow slowly begin to miss the mark. Rafn's vocals at times are too prominent and have a somewhat distracting tone, and as the album continues, the energy starts to take a dive. The guitar is a bit sloppy, but not in the raw indie sort of way--the lines have a few unflattering notes and rough rhythms.

All in all, Massive Moth is a band still shaping and carving out their sound, and More Scenery Than Man seems to catch Massive Moth right as they step out of their old habits and begin looking for a new, evolved sound.

Massive Moth recently celebrated the release of "More Scenery Than Man" on Friday, February 4th at the Doug Fir Lounge along with more album releases from Soft Tags, Sustentacula, Monoplane and The Murmuring Pines (cassette release).


... and a little something to commemorate the Super Bowls and Music:

Top 5 Worst Super Bowl Halftime Shows

This Space Vacant

I've been watching as "The Space", Salem's iconic music venue, has struggled to stay afloat since it's birth. Noise complaints were hitting The Space and hitting it hard. So it came as no suprise to me when I read that The Space had closed down.

For over two years, The Space and Salem's Music Scene were one in the same. Massive Moth, a band Doug Hoffman (owner of The Space) had established in Salem, was well know, well respected, and rightfully so. In my mind Doug, along with a small handful of others, is Salem's musical front-runner. So when The Space lost the battle with it's neighbors and had to shut down, there was a literal silence in Salem. There has been a Facebook page dedicated to the revival of The Space already built titled "Save The Space" as well as others waiting on the call from Doug himself who had sent a email stating that he has his eye on downtown Salem for a new potential location.

The outlook on music life in Salem is not bleek, however. New places like Clockworks and Wasteland are growing in popularity and bands are coming out and making a splash. The battle of The Space is viewed by many as a crippling blow, but we will most certainly press on.

Best of luck Doug,
Alva

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For more about Doug's band Massive Moth visit: Massive Moth's Profile