Sybris - Gold On Hold [CD]

Monster alt. Rock. A triumphantly brooding, surprisingly catchy LP perfect for ex-goths, alt. Rockers, & heavenly angels struggling with life or looking for trouble. The loooong-awaited third album by Chicago's Sybris is their masterpiece, shockingly more relevant than ever. Sybris have always been a treasure hiding in plain sight in the cold light of day that was 2000's Chicago's indie scene. Singer Angela Mullenhour's voice is remarkable, combining the piss-off cool of Kim Gordon, the spontaneity of Life Without Buildings, and the sheer vocal power and prowess of Karen O or Björk. That's quite a crowd to live up to, but she deserves it. Mullenhour and co-founders Phil Naumann & Shawn Podgurski are joined here by drummer Clayton DeMuth, who has clearly unlocked something very special within the band. All four members mix the warm feedback of shoegaze, the complex arrangements of Tool and the Smashing Pumpkins, the moody post-goth rhythms and guitar lines sprung straight from records by the Cure. Not quite stoner rock either, but comfortable beside it in the way Sonic Youth was beside punk or Jane's Addiction beside metal. In their first run, accolades from Chicago publications (see below) and spots on Lollapalooza and supporting some of the best bands of the day painted a picture of a bright future, but artist development had begun to suffer industry-wide, music magazines disappeared, blogs on their way out, CD sales strangled by file sharing, their label (us) being forced out of business, and the band not so much breaking up as dissipating from sheer lack of momentum. The album, always called Gold on Hold, sat recorded and mixed for more than 12 years until we were able to return for our 25th and release it. Sybris decided to return as well, playing the famous 8k-attendee Dark Lord Day festival twice, two Chicago street fairs to packed blocks of people, and opening for Local H & Yakuza, with a tour and many more shows to come. "Fuck-all '90s guitar jangle... pop-metal stomp... shimmering, stormy shoegaze. Mullenhour (has a) ten-story voice. Sybris's long songs, tonal contiguity, deliberate pacing, and infectious melodies are... just right. This band (is) so evocative of the thin yet distinct seam between indie and mainstream. " - Pitchfork"Wouldn't sound out of place on a mix tape next to Nirvana or early PJ Harvey. " - Chicago Reader