30music.com review of " Dumbwaiter " - Josh Hoey -
This Boston band sits at the intersection of two trends in "punk" that are just now cresting. The first is the DIY Replacements aesthetic (messthetic?), whose leading practitioners include Bent Outta Shape, Modern Machines/Used Kids, and the Hidden Spots. The other is the big-budget, super-slick Springsteen apers -- ...(band names - leave to your imagination)...., with surely many others to come. You can argue that the first camp is creating vibrant, authentic rock and roll, while the second is stealing certain stylistic tics and clichés and mining them for big bucks. Hopefully Cold Beat head in the first direction, though they clearly have the chops and songwriting ability to do anything they want.
Chris Amaral's vocal stylings have graced a number of outstanding Boston bands over the past decade, and he's never sounded half as good as he does here. Less reliant on his trademark Westerberg growl, the melodies soar, especially when coupled with triumphant backups. There is some very nice guitar interplay, now enhanced by the tasteful employment of some delay. At times, the result is not unlike the Killers at their most anthemic, a recombination of the Boss and new wave.
Amaral's lyrics are in keeping with the spirit of the music -- these songs are about the search for one's place in a complex world, delivered with passion and subtlety. The resulting album is a complete package, and one that instantly vaults the Cold Beat to very near the peak of Boston's indie scene. Be on the lookout for these guys. They have the potential to be a great band, or a huge band, or both............................................................................................................. http://www.dieshellsuit.co.uk/article_detail.asp?rID=3754
The Cold Beat " Dumbwater "
This is a (fairly early, admittedly) contender for my record of the year, I think. Six of the best songs I’ve heard in ages, and they all just happen to be on the same CD. Imagine if the Gaslight Anthem has listened to the Replacements instead of Bruce Springsteen, and had a singer that sounded a bit like Rod Steward when he was young and awesome. Add a smidgen of more summery Leatherface and some massive great big dollops of catchy songwriting nous then multiply the resulting awesomeness by ten and you’ll be close.
I just can’t help popping this on at every possible opportunity. It’s rapidly becoming the soundtrack to my summer, and you could do a lot worse than make it the soundtrack to yours too............................................................
The Cold Beat- Dumbwaiter (Self Released) - Tom Haugen
Having been born and raised in the Twin Cities, I naturally grew quite fond of The Replacements pretty early on. Probably one of the most underrated bands ever, the Replacements went from a slapdash garage band to one of the most influential outfits to ever record music. With that said, anytime I hear a band influenced by the Mats I'm interested in hearing it.
So when I got the press sheet with this disc and it stated The Cold Beat were unapologetically Replacements influenced, I immediately threw it in. Not unlike mid-period Replacements, when the guys were actually playing their instruments with skill and moving away from the straight up brashness of their early records, The Cold Beat play powerful, gritty, fun punk n roll, the sort of music you're likely to hear emanating from the basement of a drunken house party or someone's garage on a sunday afternoon.
Dumbwaiter is the kind of disc you'll like on the first listen and play repeatedly all day. Catchy, impassioned, vibrant rock with punk roots and a flair for unforgettable harmonies, riffs and choruses. This is hands down the best thing I've heard all year; Paul Westerberg would have to be impressed with these Boston rockers- amazing!................................................................................
Altsounds.com Review of " Dumbwaiter "
The very second I started spinning this disc I knew I what I was in for, a band who seem to have been primarily and unapologetic-ally influenced by The Replacements, a band I deem to be one of the best and most underrated of the last 30 years having written 3 of the albums which reside in my all time top 50 (Let It Be, Tim and Pleased To Meet Me). Please excuse me... I'm not prone to gush much (if ever) but 'The Mats' are one of only a handful of bands I just can't get enough of.... and now that's out of the way on with our review.
The Cold Beat (the fact that their name holds a close resemblance to fellow Mats acolytes 'The Hold Steady' is probably no coincidence) are a band who seem to arrive custom built for cult status, taking the deceptively tight chaotic guitar rock of 'The Mats' mid years (i.e. the best years) and infusing it with harsher, lo-fi edges. It's melodic, powerful and cathartic music but in a musical American landscape where bastardised motown-lite baby making musak and bullshit, over-earnest stadium rock for kidz(sic) is apparently the music de jour. Is there really space in the mainstream for the The Cold Beat? In my eyes the answer is a resounding yes... but I have been wrong before (Hope of the States anyone?).
This is a record chock full of real, balls out rock and roll anthems. The drums pound, the guitars explode and the singer sounds like a really pissed off Jeff Tweedy. The opening 4 songs are pretty much faultless by genre standards and set up the EP well. Opener 'Watch and Ward' bursts into life over a 'Song 2' beat and an incessant vocal melody which is given extra weight by grinding guitars. The melodies are far from subtle and the rhythm section sticks pretty solidly to the rock and roll template but everything is so full of life here it's almost impossible to nit-pick.
In fact, my only major criticism of the record is that you could pretty much copy and paste that paragraph above and apply it to almost every song here. It's far from a diverse record but at just under 20 minutes it never once drags. I can't actually pin-point a duff track... which could conversely be because the tracks are so similar it's hard to tell them apart. 'Like A Blister' sounds like a modern 'Bastards Of Young' and though 'I Wanna Be Free' is the weakest track of the records opening half it's still got that energetic and sun-kissed charisma.
There are no slower moments here which is a real shame as I would loved to have seen The Cold Beat try their hand at a song akin to The Replacements 'Androgynous' but they are a young band so one should forgive them for sticking to their comfort zone for now. The shining star of the record for me is 'Antiquing' with it's anthemic grandeur and defiant lyrics ("we're running off the rails, like a disaster you read about") sounding like a call to arms. It's a stunning song.
The EP seems to tail off a bit after 'Antiquing' as the last 2 songs 'Comfortably Clean' and 'Circus Catch' seem to be treading water a little. They are by no means bad songs, it's just that they happen to be in the company of 4 very similar and much better songs, this really underlines the point that a little dynamic in the song-writing would go a long way. 'Comfortably Clean' has a great chorus but the rest of the track seems like almost a second thought and 'Circus Catch' ends the record with more of a snap than a bang, sounding almost like an average Foo Fighters song (to this day I can't believe the irony in one of the worlds most overrated bands borrowing so much of their sound from one of it's most underrated)
All in all though this is a really solid record from a fantastic band who should sound incredible live and should keep the bands coffers full until they decide to record a full length. The Cold Beat are a great band with unique lyrics and a classic sound, next time a little variation wouldn't go amiss but for now 'Dumbwaiter remains a record of almost limitless promise and potential.
hey so we're back again with new members and completely new songs. It would be cool if you could check out our page and let us know what you think, even if you don't think anything of it. We have all the info on what's been happening in our new blog. We are playing shows again so come see one and come talk to us. -and again sorry for commenting like this. thanks american art
The play will be broken up with intermissions featuring the projects performing.
More info on the play:
We are all Ulysses’ crewmen. We’ve got wax in our ears and a madman lashed to the mast.
The Situation: Ulysses' Crewmen have mutinied. The captain has been captured and the moral of Homer's tale has been reversed. All the mutineers perished but one, who is now left alone with the hero of all western civilization struggling against obsolete morality and the impossibility of ethical action.
Unplug your ears, release the madness, hear the siren’s song and let yourself be dashed against the rocks!”
The Exposition, in the form of a fictional news report: A member of the US delegation has been kidnapped. Police are currently out in force searching for the mi
Awesome show and great playing with you guys at Ralphs the other weekend! Hope you had a good time in Worcester! I threw some photos up on my myspace page if you want.
Limelight is hosting local, state and regional competitions for the largest amateur singing competition in the world! http://www.youtube.com/LimelightKaraoke e-mail us at contest@limelight-us.com for free registration form.
