Abner Trio / Man At Arms :: Joyful Noise Recordings

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Abner Trio / Man at Arms
Abner Trio / Man at Arms

Catalog Number: jnr13
Release Date: 11/14/06

CD + MP3: $10

MP3: $7

Track List:

The Spotlight (Abner Trio)
The Reckoning (Abner Trio)
The Hysteria (Abner Trio)
The Victim (Abner Trio)
Who Died and Made You the Voice of Reason? (Man At Arms)
Making Conversation (Man At Arms)
The Drooling (Man At Arms)
White Hot Nuclear Winter (Man At Arms)

With trashy elegance characteristic of Abner Trio, the first track of the bands split with Man at Arms touches on subjects as diverse as "nationalization, spaghetti, [and] old people." The Indianapolis based trio released their debut Distant Thunder of the Sacred Force on Joyful Noise in January 2006. Since that time the band has developed a more epic and (art)rocking sound, recalling a late 70's early 80's folk-punk sub-genre that never actually existed. These are songs of exultation and despairing regression; loose, harsh, sweet, mathy ballads about being a member of this final and dissolving generation. Paquette's lyrics come through as a sail of breathless longing, maimed faith, garbled redemption, and Zen impressionism reacting to a hyperactive pop-culture landscape.

In terms of noise and tempo the split intensifies on its B-side when Michigan based duo Man at Arms takes over. What might appear on the surface to be solipsistic or psychotic about Man at Arms, we here at Joyful Noise feel to be highly original and radically innovative. Man at Arms has been orchestrating clever, half-crazed, noisy punk-rock critiques of late stage consumer capitalism since their first appearance with their Friction Records 2005 debut Being and Commerce. The split album with Abner Trio showcases the band with a tighter, more developed sound, without sacrificing any of the hysteria of their previous recordings. Their sound has the metallic droney wang and spastic muttering of a primeval brit-punk record, coupled with the more contemporary arrangements of modern math-rock.

Co-released by Friction Records. Art by Casey Roberts.

"Loud and abrasive post-punk indie rock... two great indie bands join forces and release a mighty split CD."
Smother

"Amazing."
Dagger

""I hate it. 'Thoughtful' guitars, 'intelligent' and clearly enunciated vocals... Quirky, mathy... I'm going to throw this CD in the garbage now. I don't want anyone else to ever hear this; I hate it that much."
Razorcake

"This joint venture from the Midwest indie rock bands Abner Trio and Man At Arms stays gold throughout its eight tracks... Indiana's Abner Trio is shambolically charming, with dense layers of noise attempting to obscure a heart that beats with a pop intensity. Man At Arms... are decidedly more aggressive and tightly focused. Each song is a short-lived whirlwind awash in inhuman drumming, lacerating guitar riffs and clipped vocal lines which spew indictments on modern life. I'm looking forward to hearing more from both of these groups, and, really, that's the ultimate sign an EP has done its job properly."
Ink 19

"This eight-track split ep pits abner trio's melodic noise-rock against man at arms' more abrasive song fragments. i'm really digging the hooky indie rock of the former, which is sort of like a mashpash of dismemberment plan, cap'n jazz, and three mile pilot. especially great are the urgency of "the spotlight" and the melodic build-up of "the hysteria", though the 3mp bittersweetness of "the victim" is pretty gnarly as well. man at arms is considerably more impulsive, shedding the poppier end of matters for a much noisier method."
Indieville

"Two different musical visions are found to comparison; on one side are the math rock ballads of the Abner Trio, on the other, the aggressive and fragmented noise punk of Man at Arms. The Abner Trio prefers a more elastic sonic structure, with more experimentalism, yet still remaining berthed to pop-rock roots. Man at Arms has a more aggressive style. They propose four compact tracks with locked up rhythm, melodies that graze paranoia, and pure energy unfolded in haste and fury."
Kronic (Finland)

"This neat little eight song split features the indie rock punk of Indianapolis' Abner Trio (Joyful Noise Recordings) meeting the squirrelly punk noise of Michigan's Man at Arms (Friction Records). Abner Trio opens with two indie numbers "The Spotlight" and "The Reckoning" that both present an image of mid-90s college radio indie; that signature amateurish sound that is endearing. With such in place, the trio surprises you with the third track "The Hysteria." The opening to "The Hysteria" has all the elements of an indie gem with a perfect meeting of guitars and quirky lyrics. After "The Victim," Man at Arms begins with "Who Died and Made You the Voice of Reason?"... props do go to the early 80s new wave punk featured on the redundant "Making Conversation." If nothing else Abner Trio should be your new favorite local indie band."
Exoduster

"I love it when both bands on a split rock."
Evil Needles