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TonyDoug's CD Reviews: Otasco, The Umbrella Sequence

by tonydoug wright

Otasco, This Product Is Extremely Delicious! (Apocalypse the Apocalypse)

THE BAND: Dag Luther Gooch (guitar and vocals)

THE HISTORY: Dag Luther Gooch is the lead singer and guitar player for the Louisiana based band Otasco. Gooch is also the founder of a fanzine titled National Jetbunny.

THE REVIEW: After listening to This Product Is Extremely Delicious it is easy to make comparisons to They Might Be Giants and Ben Folds Five because Otasco delivers with cheesy jazz rhythms and vocals. Despite the overall silliness, This Product Is Extremely Delicious does have some highpoints with 'The New Love Affair Academy', 'Concubine Workshop' and the Pavement influenced 'PSA: Tomorrow's Heroes'. The CD includes three self-produced videos.

A COMMENT FROM A FRIEND AT WORK: "This band sounds like a bunch of children who stumbled upon instruments for grown-ups and started playing them."

WEB SITE: www.otasco.com

The Umbrella Sequence, The Disappearing Line/Athena (Ohev Records, 2003)

THE BAND: Ryan Rupprecht (Vocals and Keyboards), Aaron Hagebak (Drums, Percussion, Programming), Jacob Swogger (Guitars and Keyboards) and Ryan Masterson (Bass)

THE HISTORY:

The Umbrella Sequence is a four-piece outfit from Minneapolis, MN. They have released two albums: The Disappearing Line/Athena and Sparkler Cliché.

THE REVIEW: The Disappearing Line/Athena is a respectable five-song Radiohead influenced release from The Umbrella Sequence. Actually, it is a four-song release because there are two versions of the song "The Disappearing Line". Let it be known that the first version is far superior to the Burke and Casey Robot Mix. Ryan Rupprecht's moments of vocal tranquility and the band's erratic electronic outbursts make The Disappearing Line/Athena an enjoyable album.

WEB SITE: www.theumbrellasequence.com

Issue 26, September 2004


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