By Channing Henson
Once in a while a band comes along that transcends all the bullocks that are inseparable from your typical rock band. The labels, the fashion, the critics, and the buzz. The Standard are precisely that band. It's easy to say that it's the music that is important, but there are other factors that often subconsciously come into play when deciding if a band really cooks or not. What label they're on, what they look like, their attitudes, their demeanor onstage, and how they present themselves in person. Where they're from, or even how their album will bolster or lower the credibility of your record collection. I once bought a Dismemberment Plan album just because everyone whacks them off. Anyhow, these caddy elements of a band sometimes subvert what is important. What is important is the Standard. Because when the dust settles and everything that passes as cutting edge these days is dead and gone, the Standard will join an elite class of bands standing the test of time.
There are few bands out there that are making genuine and intelligent music, and even fewer that can do with the soul and purpose of the Standard. So how can I possibly articulate how amazing they are? How their delicate albums leave you shaken and inspired. Perhaps I can't, but I'll sure as hell try.
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I was introduced to the Standard in July of 2004 at Ralph's Corner Bar, supporting their Yep Roc debut album Wire Post to Wire. I sat outside outside playing catch up with a friend while some hack band attempting to be the next Jet caused a racket inside. We conversed with the guys from the Standard as they loaded in their equipment. Meanwhile, some toothless dolt with long hair kept interrupting our conversation by proclaiming his love for Black Sabbath and 80's butt-rock legend Ronnie James Dio. He also hinted of mad skills on the axe. Sporting prison tats and exuding an overall aura of sketchiness, this deranged bloke triggered images of the sort of fringe character my parents warned me about as a child.
On stage, lead-man Tim Putnam lights a cigarette and takes a drag as the band works itself into a progressive, piano-laden jam, building tension until Putnam joined in with a discordant, angular guitar lick. With eyes closed, his voice warbles not all unlike Thom Yorke. And I'm drawn in, one devastating song after another blending everything that I love about music and live performance. Sincerity, urgency, and vulnerability are all there, making it feel like you are a part of something transcendental. No attention to fashion, no inflated egos to avoid, no attitude, and no flailing about on stage like angry toddlers. The lack of theatrics is replaced with reverb drenched guitars, rich piano texturing, and a brilliant rhythm section replete with a genuine approach to how they perform and present the songs.
Apparently Ralph's doesn't have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" policy, because our old Dio fan was able to sneak past the doorman without a shirt on. Nearing the end of the set, even our old speed-freak hessian friend couldn't contain his child-like enthusiasm for the band. The last few songs he strummed his air guitar maniacally and attempted to sing along with Putnam in vain. Putnam's enigmatic and often bizarre lyrics could be easily interpreted as the work of such previously noted unstable fellows. So not surprisingly, the man got up on stage during the second-to-last song and grabbed the mic from Tim, improvising nonsense that surprisingly matched the melody. The song ended, but he wasn't ready to relinquish the spotlight. He offered to play a song with the drummer if the crowd didn't mind. The crowd drunkenly cheered him on, not knowing what to expect. He strapped on Putnam's guitar and played has favorite Dio song (which to our dismay wasn't "Holy Diver"). The rhythm section backed him even through the Black Sabbath cover that followed, but the plug was pulled after a few notes into a Metallica tune.
Aside from all of the sideshow nonsense, I left Ralph's that night completely floored, knowing that I had witnessed something remarkable and rare.
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The Standard originated in Portland, Oregon, spanning 4 albums in only 6 prolific years. Holding the opening slot on tours with such notable acts as Wire, the Shins, Clinic, Slint, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Stephen Malkmus, the Standard have worked exceptionally hard for their chance at the spotlight. It hasn't always been an easy road for the group. Their sophomore album Autumn on Touch and Go went mostly unnoticed, leaving the band to retreat back to the drawing board to figure out how to up the ante. The members of the band moved to Long Island and lived together in a one bedroom house. They worked 60-70 hours a week at the same restaurant and in their off time, wrote and recorded Wire Post to Wire, a collection of overwhelming, solemn songs that not only explores humanity at its most poignant moments, but also reasonably extrapolates on their own dire living conditions at that time. Listening to Wire Post is like walking the streets on the coldest winter night.
The Standard's power lies in how they control the emotional element of the band, which is always on the verge of exploding into angst and rage. Wire Post isn't heavy by conventional means, but the songs are aggressive in subtle ways that offers a new dynamic to the group's previous restrained sound on Autumn. What makes them unique is their perfect balance of tension and delicacy, allowing the songs to veer into any direction it so desires.
Following last year's Wire Post to Wire is Albatross, the group's most well-conceived, fully realized album to date. Where Wire Post is heavy-hearted and doom-laden, Albatross offers a more structured and sunnier side of the group. Forgoing the 6 minute epics for the standard (no pun intended) verse-chorus-verse approach, the boys haven't sacrificed any creativity or soul. If the transition from Wire to Albatross is any indication of their ability to mature and improve, the Standard will no longer be contained as an obscurity.
The Standard is currently on a headlining tour with label mates, folk rock quartet Kingsbury Manx of North Carolina. I recently had the opportunity to question the Standard, via email, about the process of making a new album and what makes the band tick.
You recently released a new full length album on Yep Roc. In what ways is Albatross different from 2004's Wire Post to Wire? Are you happy with the finished product?
This is the first album that we were able to write while recording. Also, we recorded it ourselves, or I should say Rob Oberdorfer (bass player) recorded it. The songs are quite a bit different also than on Wire Post to Wire or August. We wanted songs that were direct. I think after touring Wire Post to Wire for 7 months off and on over the previous year that Albatross in many ways was the next natural step.
I am very happy with the songs. We took a lot of time writing them and getting what we wanted. The only real parameters we set for ourselves beforehand were to make concise music that expressed where we were at as a band. Personally, it is my favorite record we have done.
What is the Standard hoping to achieve musically where other bands fail?
I don't really know. We try not to compare ourselves to other bands because it tends to be a waste of time. They do what they do, we do what we do.
That has always seemed like a sure fire way to get frustrated, especially if you are a band like ours. If a band can stay together, and continue to mature and grow both personally and artistically, then I think that is a very respectable achievement.
How has the band grown and changed over the years?
We've gotten used to the business side of being in a band. Musically we've moved in directions that I would imagine most bands move into over time. We've always gotten along, so that's never been a problem. Recording, touring and all the rest just gets easier after awhile because you know what to expect.
The Standard is very driven band, touring relentlessly and recording in between. Is there a life for you guys outside of the band?
Everybody does their own thing outside of the band. Two of us are engaged, one of us is married. We live on both coasts and reconvene for tours and albums--this after years of either living together or being in the same town. That's one of the ways we've grown--we've learned to establish our own lives outside of the band.
Classic question- What are your collective musical influences?
The classic answer--varied. Everybody listens to different things. We all really like the last Sun Kil Moon album. We've always been fans of Wilco and Slayer. Beyond that, we get divided up into British folk, jazz, singer-songwriters, and all the rest. We didn't meet over similar tastes. I think this helps the band though. Everybody brings something different.
The Standard rolls through Fargo on the 12th. Here's your chance to sway those on the fence; why come see the Standard live?
Hard to put that into words. If you want to see a band that spends more time concerned with its music than how we look, then come to the show. If you care about those things, come anyways and give us some new clothes.