WhatzUp

The New Deal
Definitely Gary
by Jason Hoffman

After two years the whimsical power trio known as Definitely Gary finally follow up their smash-hit debut album (No. 2 in two out of every five Alpine villages) with The New Deal. There are approximately 10 songs that stretch the boundaries of what can be achieved with wood, wires and alternating current, casting great amounts of fear upon all who attempt to share their stage and continuing the fine tradition set years ago by Jackie Fly.

The Garys waste no time in getting down to bidness with “Well, Alright,” an instrumental of a repeating guitar motif that is punctuated by machine-gun drums and culminates in a party that tumbles over into “It’s Going Down,” a driving, funky, off-center rocker that takes off its hat to early Van Halen and replaces it with an oversized fedora. “Weatherman” is classic Gary with a nearly comatose, chemically induced first verse and lyrics like “I can tell that you combed your mustache today.” Then big guitars and big drums bash in to serve as the wake-up call to a rousing funk-fest of slapped bass that ebbs and flows into a frenzied finale. Twisted Sister meets Greenday in the feisty “Dr. Doctor, Ph.D.,” a fun punker that sports a very nice instrumental passage in stereo! After this song presumably ends there is the first of many mini-songs, this one a 40-second repeating riff of a completely different character.

The influence of Zappa and Primus are heard in “Filthy Dirty,” a ditty filled with an amazing bass line and buzzing guitars - all of which stop abruptly two minutes in to make way for a 50s sock hop hosted by Johnny Rotten. As if you doubted that bassist Casey Stansifer was a monster on the low end “DÈjı Vu” will put those to rest. This song turns things up to at least 12 in terms of energy, cramming more notes into this single song than some people put on an entire album. Zach Smith’s mammoth guitars force the rabid bass into submission in the chorus, but only with the help of percussion master Jon Ross, a man who is a member of more local bands than he isn’t (I’ll wait while you read that again).

The band channels The Squirrel Nut Zippers in “By The Wayside,” a very silly song about revenge-seeking, neglected rodeo clowns that will give you a sugar rush while it lifts your wallet. “Scheidler Family Practice” mixes Talking Heads with early Adrian Belew for near disco euphoria, spinning you around before beating you into submission with “Radio,” a manically aggressive song that includes everything it can to ensure it never gets airplay: unorthodox poly-rhythms; copious musical changes in a variety of styles; some light wah guitar; an actual guitar solo; and, eventually, a nice raucous jam session.

With their silly album cover poses, afro-laden guitarist, upright rubbery bass, twisting melodies and pliable rhythms, it seems that Definitely Gary are intent on following their own path, bravely forging genre-defying music in a Midwest full of safe cover bands. The New Deal is more than just a good bargain, its chock full of musical goodness that will stick in your head as much as it sticks in your teeth.