Some bands are diamonds in the rough – undiscovered talents, possessing strong musical integrity and always remaining true to their sound. They spend many nights playing at dive bars, hoping for a well-deserved break.
Mobius Band, however, does not fall into this prestigious category.
The band performed Sunday night at The Basement to a crowd of 14 people. The words terrible, earsplitting and senseless provide a good description of the concert. The group’s sound is comparable to a poor man’s Death Cab for Cutie, lyrically fitting into the indie genre with some techno overtones, which ultimately create a painful noise.
The lyrics were completely drowned out by the high-pitched synthesizers, resembling what one would imagine the sound of a small rodent’s death to be like. The band is comprised of a bass, drums and keyboard/synthesizer; however, the bass and drums seem almost insignificant, as the chief sound that rings throughout every song is the droning, high-pitched synthesizer.
Despite the mindlessness of the music, the tiny group of followers for Mobius Band certainly put forth immense effort into making the Brooklyn-based group feel at home. The mosh pit, however small, was alive with crazed dancing and a general sense of jubilee. The fans themselves put on a better show than the actual performers.
The opening band, Tiger City, also outshone the headliners. The group’s sound parallels the progressive rock style of The Killers, with classically trained vocals paired with a progressive techno-rock sound. Although also heavy on the synthesizers, Tiger City seemed capable of blending each instrument together in harmony, which Mobius Band did not do.
Although experimental rock seems to be one of the last creative facets for musicians, perhaps Mobius Band should try to play music that does not cause listeners to wish they were temporarily deaf.
Alexandra Coleman can be reached at [email protected].
