ATROPHY by ELDRIDGE RODRIGUEZ
- A Feeling That Won’t Go Away -
- Megalodon -
- The Strange Things That Happen to People -
- Without All Your Teeth You Won’t Get Into Heaven -
- Dry Atlantis -
- The Ghost of Emily Post -
- Have I Gone Too Far -
- Casual Jesus -
- Help Me Help Me -
- Scars in the Vein -
- Black Hearts on His Chest -
- Take Yr Time -
STREAM
VINYL LP - *** coming soon
CD - $12.00
MP3 - $8.00
MDRF041 | SEPTEMBER 2023 |53:58 | CD, MP3 and VINYL *** coming soon
Atrophy is the fifth full length release from the band Eldridge Rodriguez. The album demonstrates the bands wide range, veering away from the electro-rock and poli-power pop of their last two releases, The Castrati Menace and Slightest of Treason, in favor of a slacker indie feel while still incorporating the noise pop that the band has leaned on for over a decade. The themes on the tracks are more personal this time around focusing on love, loss and the burden of memory. In many ways it’s lighter than previous albums. The band is having a bit more fun while still presenting a brooding exterior.
In late February 2020 Midriff Records put out the 8th release by Eldridge Rodriguez titled "Slightest of Treason", an album inspired in part by the shift toward conservative dogma in US politics. The band planned supporting the release with live shows starting with their record release party at Great Scott in Boston in mid/late March. By mid March the live music scene was dead, most media outlets were stymied, clubs were shuttered, radio was figuring out how to broadcast remotely and "Slightest of Treason" was lost in the chaos and shuffle created by the initial months of the pandemic. With an abundance of time on their hands the band went back into Bluetone Studios (owned and operated by David Grabowski) and started to safely work on the "Slightest of Treason" follow up. The product of which was 25 plus new tracks many of which wound up on “Atrophy”. It’s a more relaxed, contemplative sound accompanied by lyrics that reflect the past few years. “Have I Gone Too Far” may be the best example and captures the day to day isolation, monotony and depression that went along with quarantining during the hight of the pandemic.
Like previous releases, Atrophy was recorded at Bluetone Studios in Somerville Ma which is owned and operated by David Grabowski and released on Clayton and Cameron Keiber’s Midriff Records label. The track “Scars in the Vein” features vocals from indie rock legend Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull, Uzi).
Atrophy will initially be released digitally and on CD and include 12 songs, with a deluxe LP coming soon.
Cameron - guitar, keys, vocals
David - bass, keys
Clayton - guitar
Dennis - drums, percussion
Bridget Nault - accordion on tracks 1, 5 and 12
Erica Mantone - additional vocals on track 1
Thalia Zedek - additional vocals on track 10
Recorded and mixed by the band at Bluetone Studio, Somerville MA.
Engineered by David Grabowski.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering, Newtonville, MA
Special thanks to Mike Quinn
Album Art:
Cover Photo by Cameron Keiber
Design- Bea Talplacido
”Boston noise rock legends Eldridge Rodriguez veer away from the electro-rock and power pop of their last two releases on their fifth full length release Atrophy. Rooted in a laid-back indie feel infused with their signature noise pop sensibility, the album weaves a personal tale touching upon topics of on love, loss and the burden of memory.
“Blending a brooding yet fun vibe, the 12-track collection manages to be lighter but more personal than previous albums.” — EARMILK
”The new material is perhaps typified by ‘Megalodon‘, the record’s lead single which shows off new pop and slacker influences. “A sound that’s a little brighter, possessing a carefree bounce however wry and cutting the lyrics,” as we put it in a preview. “As though the band have stumbled across a certain slacker rock acceptance amid the trauma of the moment.” If Slightest of Treason was the alarmed soundtrack to a country sliding ever rightward, then here we find life after such a turn has taken root. More specifically, an attempt to exist in spite of ignorance, cruelty and unvented anger. “The best you can do is move on,” as the refrain offers.” — Various Small Flames
”I was intrigued by the fact these “Boston noise rock legends”, have released 4 albums already and never registered on my radar, so tentatively I clicked the link to the album stream and what unfolded in the proceeding 54 minutes was nothing short of beautiful.” — Backseat Mafia
”Eldridge Rodriguez Show No Signs Of Atrophy On Lively Latest LP
Pre-pandemic ER release, Slightest of Treason, was an immediate and urgent sounding affair whereas Atrophy, existing in the post-whatever world where the only constant is that nothing is constant, is almost the exact opposite with its’ approach sonically. Still fueled by anxiety and existential dread, Atrophy presents something of a laid back vibe while still excelling in the songwriting department as it chooses to let the songs seep into your consciousness with their unsuspecting denseness instead of bombarding your senses outright. — Rock and Roll Fables
“Boston's Eldridge Rodriguez are swinging for the fences on their latest single. "The Strange Things That Happen to People" has a huge sound that is nearly arena ready, but will still sound perfectly at home in dive bars. The song has this epic thrust to it that reminds me of U2, but also a much darker feeling that is more like Joy Division. — If It’s Too Loud
OTHER RELEASES BY ELDRIDGE RODRIGUEZ
REVIEWS
"It’s too early into 2020 to declare a record one of the best of the year, yeah? Well, if it’s not uncouth to do so then I’d like to submit the long awaited new full-length from Boston’s Eldridge Rodriguez as worthy of those kinds of accolades. It’s been five years since Eldridge Rodriguez delivered a new full-length and in that time personal conflict, as well as living in a world with a political climate that is so absolutely toxic that one is constantly gasping for air, has provided the necessary fuel for a fire that burns bright throughout Slightest of Treason. It’s an emotional sonic rollercoaster of a record and a journey that music fans of all kinds will gladly take.
Barely 30 seconds in, and before vocalist/guitarist Cameron Keiber even opens his mouth to croon, “Country and Western” is already buzzing. Propelled forth with a sense of urgency by Dennis Grabowski’s stunning and powerful percussive assault as Clayton and Cameron Keiber’s guitars put up a wall of sound that is both monolithic and melodic, the track captures a modern Americana feel which screams “Boston!” (Think Modern Lovers in particular) mixed with that 2004-2005 British new wave of Indie (Was there an official title for this movement???) that yielded instant classic debuts from the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Maximo Park, and Bloc Party.
“Your Dead Boyfriend” has more of the feels and adds local (And national!) favorite Sarah Borges to accompany Cameron on the mic with David Grabowski’s playful plucking on the bass swelling into a decidedly morbid yet undeniably grand chorus. Elsewhere, “Miami Dade” is dreamy, seven-minute Alt masterpiece that you didn’t know you needed in your life while “Psychic Darts” is like the greatest Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band classic never recorded. You know those coveted bootlegs where your favorite artist has that one song that they always jam out to live but never put to tape? That’s this little ditty…and they even got their own Clarence Clemons with Joe DeGeorge providing those smooth saxophone sounds.
“Count Me Out” crosses hemispheres with glistening guitars and harmonica flourishes bringing to mind Porno For Pyros’ “Tahitian Moon” combined with Bob Dylan-style storytelling and later, “The Girl Who Made God” was made to be played in the Bang Bang Bar or in some other Lynchian world. “The Last of the Strongmen” brings in the string accompaniment as well as Borges’ uncanny pipes once again with Cameron Keiber’s sultry baritone laying it all bare before “There’s No Control” ebbs and flows through a final track that has the Keiber and Grabowski brothers delivering an iconic new Alternative anthem for the Kurt Cobain-wearing kids of today who’ve yet to discover R.E.M. or Pixies.” — Rock and Roll Fables
“Originating as the solo moniker of Boston’s Cameron Keiber, Eldridge Rodriguez soon evolved into a full band with Keiber (guitar, keys, vocals) joined by David Grabowski (bass, keys), Clayton Keiber (guitar) and Dennis Grabowski (drums, percussion). Together, they crafted a sound pitched somewhere between post-punk, dance rock and country, a versatile vehicle for their weighty and often politically-charged writing.
This month saw the release of the latest Eldridge Rodriguez album, Slightest of Treason, via Midriff Records. Described as “looser and more accessible” than previous releases, the record retains the brooding post-punk style but balances it with a human spirit too, leading to a collection of songs caught up in the tension between disenchantment and longing.
Opener ‘Country and Western’ offers the perfect example of this vision. Though balancing a runaway, near-celebratory rock momentum with Keiber’s downbeat vocals, the track has no sense of contradiction. Rather, the triumphant energy feels like the product of leaning into the discomfort and desperation of the lyrics—catharsis not as some promise to change or become something else, but rather through an embrace of where, and who, you are.
Such a spirit is shot through the entire album, be it in the assertive Walkmen-esque indie rock numbers or the slow-burning post-punk creepers. The peppy ‘Dead Boyfriends’ brings to mind Todd Goldstein’s ARMS with its pressing impetus, Keiber’s frantic vocals surfing the insistent beat and cracking and breaking with breathless feeling. ‘Count Me Out’ might not pack the same tempo but there’s a notable earnestness in the delivery, while closer ‘There’s No Control’ is far more chaotic and a little playful too—burning through the post-punk murk to offer something more uplifting.
This energy is always matched by a lingering darkness, though it is a darkness of many shades. ‘MiamiDade’ is a smouldering slice of wistfulness, rising to certainty and falling again as the marching drum beat rolls on, while ‘Another Boy With a Broken Heart’ channels the wry despondency of The Smiths in a more self-deprecating manner. The grungy opening of ‘Psychic Darts’ has a mean edge, though the track shows a hopeful heart as it progresses, and ‘The Girl Who Made God’ combines classic post-punk gloom with an almost unhinged, theatrical feel, like a preacher from a Western demented by drink and desert sky.
The song captures the Eldridge Rodriguez aesthetic within its four minutes. Moody and stark and prone to escalation, be it in noise, in rhythm, in desperation or feeling. There is energy to be found in the unlikeliest of places. In anger and fear and sadness and doubt. Slightest of Treason does not so much harness this energy as unleash it, letting the deluge follow whatever tributaries it finds, trusting in the intuitive connect that comes from such an authentic outpouring. — Various Small Flames
“Let’s face it, the world is a bit of a mess these days. People are pissed off and rightfully so for the most part. Either they’re working too hard for a paycheck that isn’t enough, they’re tired of being treated unfairly because of their race, gender and/or orientation or they’re just on edge because they don’t know what the next day is going to bring. We live in scary times, so frontman Cameron Keiber from the Boston alternative rock act Eldridge Rodriguez put this angst into art with the band’s fourth full-length album Slightest Of Treason. It’s due out via Keiber’s label Midriff Records on February 7 and it’s purely electric with an intense vigor.
Rounding out Eldridge Rodriguez’s lineup is David Grabowski on the bass and keys, Keiber’s brother Clayton on guitar and Grabowski’s brother Dennis on drums. The quartet recorded everything at Bluetone Studio in Somerville, Massachusetts with Grabowski doing the engineering. Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice also handled the mastering duties at Peerless Mastering in Newtonville, Massachusetts. The audial quality of the album is fantastic with the guitars having a big presence. It’s sonically reminiscent of Bob Mould as it echoes a lot of Husker Dü’s raw tones.
It has been said that anxiety and pain can bring out the best art and often that is true. It doesn’t have to be centered on the artist either, it can also be existential in an empathetic way. With Slightest Of Treason, Keiber explores a bit of both. The result is a great rock record with a no nonsense approach that’s also abundant with riffs. Lets check out my top tracks of the Album Of The Week for the sake of further examination:
With saxophonist Joe DeGeorge lending his talents, “Psychic Darts” has tight rhythms while the sax in the background adds a nice, avant-garde touch. I’m a sucker for songs that start with a cool bass line and “Your Dead Boyfriend” is a great example of why. There are driving rhythms while fellow Boston musician Sarah Borges sings on backing vocals during the chorus. “The Last Of The Strongmen” also has Borges in the fold while exuding a celtic vibe. If you like The Pogues, then you’ll probably love this number.
As of press time, Eldridge Rodriguez doesn’t have any shows announced for the forseeable future. They are a fixture in Boston’s music scene so be sure that they’ll be performing around the city sooner rather than later. Until that happens, grab a copy of the new album. It’s the kind of music that rock purists crave for. It’s also the kind of music that comes from the heart, even after it has been ripped to shreds.
— Rob Duguay, Medium