One of the world’s most promising record labels took over St. Louis last week when Nadine, Centro-matic, Waterloo and Varnaline played their fine brands of rock `n’ roll over two great nights.
Undertow, managed by Bob Andrews, is currently building itself as a record label of the new millennium and should serve as a blueprint for anyone who wants to share new music with the masses. The label is based in Chicago and part of the Undertow Collective that specializes in music, film and design. Like Poptones, the new Alan McGee project, Undertow is overwhelmingly attractive because they pride themselves on simply putting out great records. Comparisons to Creation and Rough Trade can help exemplify the potential of Undertow.
Nadine, the second best band connected with Undertow (behind the Posies, of course), played a scorching show on Friday at Frederick’s Music Lounge in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Since finalizing their new line-up two months ago, Nadine confirmed all suspicions that they are turning into a dominant rock band. The Americana comparisons will always be surrounding the St. Louis quintet, but songs like “Shining On You” and “Poor Man’s Holiday” proved that their finest moments consist of steady rockers that elevate an audience with Adam Reichman’s soaring vocal or Steve Rauner’s fiery guitar solos.
From the opening “Losing Track” to the fitting closer “End of the Night,” the crowd went absolutely mental. The fact that some 200 fans in the segregated St. Louis music scene were collectively singing and dancing to “Ready to Go” speaks well for Nadine. In fact, some even knew the words to “Chicago,” a new song that has only been played out twice.
The night before Nadine’s stormer, three other Undertow acts came together at the Hi-Pointe for, as one fan put it, “one hot night of rock.” The best of the bunch was Centro-matic, an indie four piece from Denton, Texas. After lead singer Will Johnson’s gorgeous acoustic set at Vintage Vinyl earlier in the day, Centro-matic played their first show together in a few months, and they never sounded so together.
A good reason for their cohesiveness is the amazing Matt Pence, who may be one of the finest musicians in music today. Like Andy Bell in Oasis or Kevin Shields in Primal Scream, there’s a tendency to take Pence for granted, since the others in the band are such great players. But make no mistake about it, he’s the reason Centro-matic is half of what they are, due to his solid drumming and gifted production.
When the two best Centro-matic songs were played back-to-back Thursday, something special happened on stage. First came “Flashes and Cables,” which starts off slow, but builds into Will Johnson claiming, “No one told us that the bastards were here.” Then came “To Unleash the Horses Now,” which was one of the best songs of 2001, with the chorus of “Oooohhh” speaking for itself.
An hour before Centro-matic took the stage, a rare appearance by a St. Louis quartet called Waterloo came off very well. Waterloo and their impressive 2000 debut, Going to the Sun, are essentially the brainchild of leader Mark Ray, whose passion for well-crafted songs is evident. Next to nobody has heard of Waterloo, who might be the best-kept secret on Undertow. If you get a chance to hear them, you’ll be hooked.
They started out with their best song, “Picture Start,” which was introduced by a euphoric guitar riff and later built to a fuzzy, drum-heavy climax, before sputtering back to a peaceful finish. At first listen, the song could be so much more (like some distorted instrumental anthem a la “Death In Vegas”), but that may be the point. Beck once said that he loves songs that come off as sketches, letting the listener’s imagination run wild. Beck should listen to Waterloo.
Mostly playing new material, Waterloo hit stride with their final two numbers, “Slightly Growing” and “Engines to Hold On (Engines to Fly).” The latter ended rather abruptly with a startling drum break that created an odd silence that finally gave way to warm applause.
Headliners Varnaline also played on Thursday, and are now comprised of leader Anders Parker with Centro-matic as his backing band. Though it was the least successful set of the night, a full band finally breathed some life into Anders Parker’s very personal songs.
In many respects, Anders Parker is a lot like Jay Farrar. His songs are often quite boring, but are packed with emotion. Like the first time you actually got “Tear Stained Eye,” Anders Parker compositions always have the potential to be amazing. “Broken Song” lived up to the potential on Thursday, providing a moment that saved the set from being forgotten.
With ace bands like this on the roster, be optimistic about everything on Undertow. It is the ultimate American indie label at the moment, riding a small wave of success that hasn’t even come close to peaking. As a general rule, consider any record with the Undertow label on it, because chances are you’ll play it forever.
