Northeast Sticks Together, Part II

About a month ago, a complimentary new cd reached the desks of 440r enterprises by Pittsburgh's own Centipede E'est. Admittedly, this was the first I'd had heard of said band, but I was very familiar with one of its principle parts.

Back in 2001, Centipede's frontman Nicholas "Nick" Falwell cut his early chops locally in a band he had with his good friend Alex known simply as Shopping. Shopping was a brightly burning star before they up and left for Pittsburgh in early 2002. They played a bunch of shows with The Secrets (you know, the guys who now make up the Carlisle Sound, Reports, and Harry and the Potters), and got to open for a then unknown A.R.E. Weapons in a secret loft party in Dudley Square.

Now fast forward several years down the road: the Shopping spree has ended, but Nick, still remaining in Pittsburgh, has managed to wrangle a few like-minded musicians to form a new group with the sharpness of a sea god's trident.

The nine tracks on Centipede's debut, "Cheeks of Neptune" were recorded in a barn in Alabama and seem to rumble on a mystical highway like a possessed 18-wheeler. There's a little bit of everything on this record, from sounds liken to 60's Sci-Fi B-movies, to 70's style big rock jam sessions, to sludgey southern indie rock of the early 90's. Like, if Centipede E'est had existed in Durham, NC in the 1993, Merge wouldn't have been able to scoop them up quick enough. To me their compositions could easily stand next to that of Polvo or Verbena, or similar contemporaries of that forgotten era.

Their music is just groovy and southern enough to capture the attention of the keenest ears in a rural juke joint, yet weird and experimental enough to wet the panties of a Brooklyn barista. In fact, brooklyn has indeed taken notice, as C.E. has embarked already on a few mini tours with new friends Oxford Collapse.

The lyrics are all over the place, but circle around an overall theme of water (even sampling a babbling brook for one outro). Nick may never escape the comparisons to Isaac Brock vocally, but make no mistake, his voice timbers out of control in his own distinct way.

Check 'em out for yourself:

Centipede E'est - "Zion is Cyan"
Centipede E'est - "Franciscan Position"


[posted by mac]