Thee More Shallows
http://www.theemoreshallows.com

styles: avant indie rock
others: Mount Eerie, The Robot Ate Me, Why?, Radiohead (yeah, I fuckin' said it)

Monkey Vs. Shark EP
Turn, 2006
rating: 4/5
reviewer: chadwicked

Looking at the cover art of this EP, one sees an illustration of a rambunctious monkey and shark in a bedroom setting. What does it all mean? Is it a pictorial allegory where the monkey represents evolution and the shark religion (Jesus fish)? Is it a visual description of the struggle between the sexes—the monkey, male; the shark, female? Masculinity emphasized by such statements as "monkeying around," "monkey wrench," and the monkey armpit scratch; femininity by the sniffing out of lifeblood, water birth (the womb tank), and that smooth, sexy, and sleek dorsal fin? The gender war has been well documented:

Mick Jagger: "I'm a flea-bit peanut monkey...I'm a monkey man!" ("Monkey Man", 1969)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: "Sharks, they're state of the art/ They're top of the heap/ The T-Rex of the deep." ("Sharks", 2002)

T. Rex: "The sea beasts scull the waters." ("The Sea Beasts", 1969)

Then there was the following attempt made by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart at pacifying the situation, though ignored by the music industry:

The Monkees: "Hey, hey, we're the Monkees/ People say we monkey around/ But we're too busy singing to put anybody down." ("(Theme From) The Monkees", 1966)

And then there is the feather the monkey wields in the illustration. Is it for tickling—torture? Does it belong to Yankee Doodle? Has it been plucked from the plume of a peacock? The music on the EP is just as cryptic as the cover art. Thee More Shallows combine mature gadget noises with flimsy toy sounds. The band is playful, but deadly serious. As Buck 65 once said: "I like human contact, but I don't like to play-fight." This animalistic bedroom romp is more than just touching and teasing—it's a battle.

Dee Kesler, Chavo Fraser, and Jason Gonzales are clearly referring to an intimate struggle, as the lyrics of the title track indicate: "On creepy sheets in the dark / I was the monkey and you were the shark." The drone, percussive erraticism, eroticism, and siren squeals of the opening number even need the following track, "Int 3," to peter out completely. Peter, being a male, obviously.

The band's spooky rendition of Al Green's "I Can't Get Next To You" is startling. Clear and coherent lyrics over the band's occult music leave the listener numb with gummy flesh. Odd Nosdam and Yoni Wolf stop in to help their fellow San Franciscan performers with crunch and crunk production and lighthearted harmonies. From start to finish, the shark circles and the monkey swings. All that's left in the bedroom is shark teeth and ape shit.

1. Monkey Vs. Shark
2. Int 3
3. Phineas Bogg
4. Dutch Slaver
5. I Can't Get Next To You
6. Freshman Remix
7. Deadbeat Water

More Deep Cuts
Turn, 2005
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: cockle


This album is good. Really damn good. Thee More Shallow's Dee Kesler spent nearly three years in the studio with More Deep Cuts before finding it ready for the masses. What we have been presented is a nearly flawless release, which remains faithful to the luminous roots of rock and roll while brilliantly expanding into other arenas in the spectrum of music.

Theirs is a wide reaching sound on More Deep Cuts. While Kesler's vocals are immaculately clear, clean, and fit to be supported by a happy-go-lucky sound, TMS have decided to present their music tucked away behind the shadows, off in a corner of the room. From the weeping strings of "Int #1" (a la Godspeed You! Black Emperor), to the ominous surroundings of "Cloisterphobia," Kesler awkwardly fits the gloomy sound with his innocently maudlin presentation, introspective tales, and insightful descriptions. And the music is just so damn impressive.

Despite throwing in orchestral aspects, piano, bells, samples, keyboards, horns, drums, and guitars, More Deep Cuts has somehow managed to keep things simple and straightforward. While each individual track has its own unique sound -- the languorous aspiration of "Walk of Shame," the beat driven rumble of "Freshman Thesis" -- they all flow seamlessly together. The sequencing and spacing have made this an actual album rather than a collection of songs. The time Kesler and Thee More Shallows have spent with More Deep Cuts is apparent on the album. From the layering to the fine-tuning to the tweaking and the clarity, the production, mixing, and mastering are what make this record standout as one of the most original and best releases of 2005.

1. Post-Present
2. Pre-Present
3. Freshman Thesis
4. Int #1
5. Ave Grave
6. Cold Dis
7. Cloisterphobia
8. 2am
9. Walk Of Shame
10. Ask Me About Jon Stross
11. House Break