Obits: Live at WFMU on Evan "Funk" Davies show 4/21/2009
Album Description
Obits return to the WFMU airwaves just weeks after their awesome live set at the WFMU/Aquarius Records SXSW showcase. As you no doubt know by now, Obits are the latest band from Rick Froberg of Hot Snakes/Drive Like Jehu fame -- but don't tune in expecting to hear carbon copies of those bands. Froberg's unmistakable vocals this time play over a twin-guitar attack that's edgy and twisted, but with a classic and timeless sound that hasn't been in evidence in his previous bands. (-Evan "Funk" Davies)
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Live at WFMU on Evan "Funk" Davies show 4/21/2009
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evan davies on 04/23/2009 at 04:25PM
Tuesday night I was sitting in WFMU's Studio B about 20 minutes before the start of my show. On the proverbial -- and literal -- other side of the glass, Obits were checking their instruments, setting up and getting ready to soundcheck for engineer . A loose mix of guitars, bass and drums wafted over the monitor speakers while I was on the computer. (I'll admit it: I was emailing someone at a record label about the next live set I'm trying to set up. I also think about what I'm going to have for dinner while I'm eating lunch.)
I was engrossed in making the case for this other band to squeeze in a stop at WFMU in a few weeks when I heard That Voice. Rick Froberg had started to sing, and I was suddenly compelled to stop what I was doing and just watch and listen. If you're a fan of Froberg's previous bands - Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Pitchfork - you know what I'm talking about. His arresting, urgent voice has a way of getting your attention - but with Obits that's just the start. Froberg and onetime Edsel member Sohrab Habibion combine for some mesmerizing guitar action, supported by the solid rhythm section of Greg Simpson and Scott Gursky (who employs a maraca as a drumstick on a couple of numbers, which I love). Give a listen to these live tracks and you'll hear what I'm talking about.
Bonus: they're four of the nicest, most gracious guys that you'd ever want to meet; we got into more than one thank-off during the course of the evening (Me: "Thanks so much for coming down" Them: "Thank you for having us," etc.) My only regret is that I forgot to bring up Froberg Hall, one of WFMU's ancestral homes, during the int