Perhaps 2009 will be the year that truly marks the death of the physical format. Radiohead got the ball rolling with their online release of In Rainbows, history will inevitably judge that as a pivotal moment in music distribution. The Chairs are an unsigned band from Wisconsin and you can download their first EP November, without even the hassle of paying for it! This will inevitably be a route bands take in 2009 and beyond, using free releases to demand music fans and bloggers attention. Using the Internet to build hype is nothing new, although giving away entire albums is rare. With every Myspace wall cluttered with musicians desperately trying to flog their wares, it is usually only the truly exciting bands that make it down this path (the execrable Lily Allen notwithstanding). So are The Chairs good or exciting enough to make it? Well on the basis of this five track EP, they just might be.
Their songs range from the jaunty haunty indie-pop of Polly to the ambient vocal-heavy rock of Fire and Ice, as well as a quiet grunge-tinged I Gotta Go. Lead singer Alex Schaaf sounds a lot like The Weakerthans’ John Samson, although perhaps half an octave lower. His songs are often a strange juxtaposition of mournful and hopeful. The excellent bassist Andre Juan paints the whole EP with a light shade of funk. This is an extremely accomplished debut, it doesn’t sound particularly lo-fi, but it is clear they will benefit from a more equipped studio and some experienced producers. It seems only a matter of time before The Chairs are signed, it isn’t inconceivable that when they are their label may halt the free downloads. The lack of foresight in the record industry never fails to astonish. Go download November now, if for no other reason than to wait till they get popular and say “I only like their early stuff.”
http://www.thechairsband.com
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