LP Review: "Welcome To Fat City" by Crobot

Welcome To Fat City

It's been a few years, but on a hot sweaty night, my introduction to Crobot was made.

Without realizing what was to come for me, the bassist and I had a very nice conversation as I was waiting to interview Rex Brown and cover the show.

Well, their show was the stuff of legend for a band that was the first one the bill.

Years later, describing their music to people who aren't familiar is still difficult.

There's a lot to like about our friends from Pottsville, PA. They're the hardest working band out there today. They tour constantly. It's a mystery how they even had time to write this album much less record it!

Interview: Crobot, There Will Be Touring!

In a world of iTunes, The Kardashians, and millennialls with long term memories of approximately eight seconds, Crobot, somehow, still exists.

Their sound, which they just call riff rock, feels timeless because, even though in parts they look and sound like what Stillwater should have been in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, their music has never really existed in any time period of popular music.

Full of riffs, doom, frenetic tenor vocals, and a rhythm section that Mayans could build their pyramids by, Crobot is truly isn't just in a league of their own, it's a sport they created.

Their career won't be made by power brokers getting their material played on MTV (which no longer exists), FM radio (which no longer exists), but by pouring their hearts out on stage before any band that'll accept them on stage.

Crobot has played my city in at least three different venues opening up for at least four different bands since the fateful day they crossed my path and sold me my first piece of new vinyl.

Their names will be made on the road. They've toured with Volbeat, Moorhead, Kill Devil Hill, and countless others. If they miss your town on opening up for someone, don't worry, they'll catch you on the next tour which probably starts the weekend after the one they're on now.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking the time out your insanely busy schedule to talk with me.

Crobot: No problem at all! 

Album Review: Familiar Looking Strangers & Crobot EPs

Today is another one of those firsts on Glacially Musical. There has been a great deal of music coming my way lately and it's been hard to keep up...so in order to catch up at least a little bit, I'm doing a two for one post.

These bands came to me from different avenues. Familiar Looking Strangers came to me via email and Crobot came to me the old fashioned way, touring.

I caught their show with Kill Devil Hill in May and I could not help, but
buy their album. I was surprised to find it was vinyl, but it came with a digital download.

The reason I'm doing this as a two-fer is twofold. Both of these bands have only released EPs right now and there is only about 30 minutes of music between these two of them.

Apart from that, both of these bands are, for lack of a better word, retro. They both have a very distinctive 70's vibe, but they do it differently.