I love Secret Machines

By Ginny Friday November 7, 2008

How do I love The Secret Machines? Let me count the ways. I love that they are a three-piece with a really BIG sound. I love that they take their time to really let their songs develop. I love that the drummer Josh Garza plays really hard and isn’t afraid of cymbals. I love that they put a lot of thought into their stage setup and use BIG lights to emphasize their BIG sound. Not to mention they have the David Bowie stamp of approval, which is a valuable and hard to come by aquisition. There are many more ways. How about a little exposition?

These guys are originally from Texas but have been based in New York in recent years. Their sound has been referred to as “space rock,” yet I don’t think that does it any justice. When I first heard their first album Now Here is Nowhere back in 2004, they instantly became my new favorite band. When I saw them live on that tour, I was blown away by the sound and the lights, and “favorite band” status was reinforced. When Ten Silver Drops came out in 2006, I was only slightly disappointed by the production, as I thought some of the songs could have had much greater impact. It felt like they were holding back slightly. But don’t worry, they maintained “favorite band” status despite that. When I saw them again supporting that tour at Coachella, they did not disappoint. It was a blazing hot day in a sweltering tent and they still managed to put on a great show, even pulling out the giant lights and really setting the place on fire (figuratively of course). When I heard that brother Ben left the band to pursue a new project, School of Seven Bells , I was a bit concerned. Usually it doesn’t bode well when 2 brothers split in band situations, and in fact I was downright saddened by the news. I thought it was over for my new favorite band.

Last week I got the news that they were touring in support of the new self-titled record and I got tix immediately. The show was beautiful and fantastic and quelled all my fears and misgivings. They had a simple yet impressive stage setup which consisted of a 3 dimensional framework supporting strips of material, creating a very orthographic space onstage, all backlit by their usual fantastic lights. All the songs were great. New guy Phil Karnats is a perfect addition to the other 2 (Brandon Curtis and aforementioned Josh Garza) and is my new favorite new guy. Also, I am very pleased with the production on this record. The songs are as big as ever, perhaps slightly more aggressive in some spots and it definitely has a few more keyboard sounds and textures. I really can’t contain myself regarding these guys. Are you getting that I really like them a lot? I’m going to include songs from all three records so you can hear the progression through the years. Maybe I’ll throw in a video so you can see the visual presentation that I keep raving about. Enjoy!

First Wave Intact (from Now Here is Nowhere)