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theMigsAlbum
- Available online at www.themigs.com
Surf's Up!
The
MiGs
"The MiGs Play Loud!" (2003)
By Herden A. Daza
You
are cruising the Pacific Coast Highway in your Chevy
shortly after noon. Just off the shore, a half dozen
surfers, bronzed and statuesque, teeter on their longboards
as they attempt to hang-ten while a gaggle of pie-eyed
nymphettes cheer them on. The smell of the sand and
the waves pour through the windows, settling on you
like errant strands of a spider's web. And from the
radio a Stratocaster twists a melody, heavy on the reverb
and ringing as true as a bell. No, this is not a rerun
of the TV-series "Gidget." This is not the
early 60's either. It is three years after the second
millennium and you are listening to The MiGs latest
offering, "The MiGs Play Loud!" - a compilation
of instrumentals featuring material written and performed
by Bernard Yin of the MiGs.
Saaaay
moondoggie! Courtesy
of Themigs.com |
Fronted
by six-string specialist Bernard Yin, the MiGs formed
in 1999, as an outlet for Yin's surf-addled noodling.
In recruiting a crew to round out his idea, Bernard
enlisted musicians with a solid background in the indie
rock scene. Bassist Jamie Danesh tempered his mettle
with groups such as IM A Robot and Banyan, while drummer
Jimmy Paxson has slapped the skins for the likes of
Ronnie Montrose and Alanis Morissette. The resulted
conglomeration has since been honing their performances
with a .series of live shows, playing mostly tracks
from earlier collaborations with groups like Monk With
Gun and Brazil 2001.
Fluttery
passages marked with heavy guitar effects and mild distortion
are layered over bombastic drums and an easy-riding
bass rumble for most of the album. If your memories
of surf-rock are hazy or if you have simply never paid
attention to the genre, this album is a good way to
acquaint yourself with the rudiments of the style. As
a compilation, the focus would not be on the overall
quality of the album but the quality inherent with each
song. This being said, there is a ton of quality on
this disc.
Notably,
the track "Heavy Water" gallops with an urgent,
syncopated attack, while the second track, "Penetration,"
chugs along, bass and drums keeping the action tight
while the guitar gallivants with single-note runs and
raked chords. "Sake Bindings" is the emotional
journey of the album, beginning with some manic, punkedout
bar-chords before dropping the mood to eerie and somber
and then ramping up the frantic chords again. And as
a special treat, the MiGs break form as surf-rock heavies
with "Muchacha #3," a sleepy jalisco number
featuring some delicate marimba-work.
Despite
novelty being in short supply these days, The MiGs seem
to have tapped a rich vein. Going back further than
old-school and retro, The MiGs have set a new level
of cool, and the rest of us are just trying to catch
up.
This
is a limited edition, available only at shows! www.themigs.com
October
24, 2003
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