11/09/2011 - ANO BAND BLOG #3: THE SWEETENERS

ANO BAND BLOG #3: The Sweeteners

by Jeremie Fincher

There are some serious health risks associated with the use of Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Anchorage Night Out recommends you select all natural cane sugar, honey, agave nectar, or perhaps the November Homegrown Artist of the Month to sweeten your hot beverages or cereals. To accompany your eggnog and fruitcake, KZND has brought you a tasty treat in perfect time for the eminent Holidays.

The Sweeteners are three young men, hailing from the same community in the musical landmark of Aberdeen, Washington. These three musicians and friends have similar life paths and influences, all culminating in the present, of course, here in Anchorage, Alaska under the guise of a rock band. The Sweeteners are a cornucopia of rhythms, inspiration, tones, textures, and musical phrases we've all known and loved for years, with a new, fresh face and unique twist. Their music is everything one could love about blues, pop, and rock delivered with thoughtful and familiar discourse from capable musicians.

Click here to view The Sweeteners' Facebook page:

"We all went to grade school together," Mark Nelson, bass player and backup vocalist, remarked when I asked the band how they met. Mark is a true rock bass player, in style and technique. His playing is sleek and classy, with carefully selected and timed effects and dynamics. Eric Neet, drummer, adds to Mark's answer, stating that the two played on the same football team. These gentlemen make a fantastic rhythm section. They are solid, expressive, and rehearsed. Eric is extremely tight and structured behind the drums. Quite impressive for someone who doesn't think he's a drummer. Eric is actually at home on the guitar, and jokes that he doesn't even own his own set. Luckily, he's got a guitar player and frontman, Chad Reynvaan, that is convincing enough to make Eric to play the role. Chad says when he heard Eric play drums, he knew was a drummer, and he was going to make him put the guitar down so he could focus on drums.

"Yeah, but it was a girl's flag football team..." Chad chimes in on the previous statement with a cleverly timed joke that sets the mood for the rest of the interview and erupts the room in laughter. I have known Chad Reynvaan as a solo act for almost year now. I've seen him at Tap Root a few times, and his solo act is completely different from The Sweeteners gig. It reminds me of an artist removed from their element, like a young Bob Dylan on the road, away from the Village. "I write all kinds of songs and I like to perform them. Sometimes I like to fingerpick and write folk songs, but I really love to rock out with my band and I'd really rather do that more often if I had the choice." The differences in genre between the two acts are pretty astounding, and it even bleeds through in apparrel choice. Solo, he's got a hip, reserved, intelligent facade, and that personality comes out in his music. The group project is a different story.

Click here for The Sweeteners' profile on www.AnchorageNightOut.com!

The Pack Rat is an interesting local business where one can find all sorts of treasures, or in the case of the infamous tassle shirt, where the treasures can find you. I saw the Sweeteners for the first time, also at Tap Root, for the Monolith Agency Showcase. Chad was wearing this white or cream-colored tassle shirt that was straight Elvis Revival, minus the sequins and rhinestones. It was pretty impressionable, as it caught my eye immediately and piqued my interest before the music had started, a worthy tactic in a small music community like Anchorage. "I've always held the motto the band has got to look better than the people they're playing for. You get four guys in jeans and T-shirts, it just doesn't have the same effect." says Chad. "Loud rock and roll kind of allows you to more easily fit a different persona and not feel so weird about it."

The boys have a few musical philosophies they uphold that attribute to the tones and styles you hear coming from them. "We love our gear, we're junkies. Pre 1980s, tube-powered, vintage gear." Chad has hand-built or modified all of the guitar pedals he uses to make them heavier, bigger, and more 'rock and roll' than you can buy off the shelf, and both him and Mark are working on their collections of vintage guitars. Eric also holds a minimalist view toward drumming. "I go as simple as possible on the drums. If you get too carried away or overly-creative, it kind of takes away from the simplistic sound we're going for. You won't see me with any splashes or chinas, or double pedals, just very stripped down..."

As far as recording, the same rules apply for The Sweeteners. Simple, concise, and vintage. "All the records we grew up with and we love, they were all made with this older gear, so that's the sort of gear we oughta be using. I mean, that was kind of the high point, as far as recorded music goes," says Chad.

They don't even plan on using click tracks. They rehearse enough that they can "go into the studio, play in front of microphones, and have that be the recording. It's still got enough personality, yet also tight enough, that it's probably the way we're gonna do it in the future. Just go in there and shred and put it out on record."

For three boys from the Pacific Northwest that grew up playing in punk bands and listening to good old rock and roll, the origins of their music are quite apparent. "I think we're really bringing some guitar rock and heavy influences that a lot of people aren't hearing outside of the metal scene. Not that we're a metal band, but I think we're exposing more people in the mainstream clubs to a heavier sound that they might not normally hear." They even throw a groovy instrumental in the set, here and there.

These boys are a delight to catch live. In fact, this Friday, November 11^th, The Sweeteners perform with Emma Hill and Evan Phillips at...surprise! suprise! Tap Root! Music starts at 8 PM and The Sweeteners go on at 11:00 PM. Also, look for another big Monolith Agency production near the Year's End. The Sweeteners will be headlining an entire weekend at the Sitzmark filled with amazing local indie rock.

KZND will be hosting an Artist of the Month Party at Chilkoot Charlie's for The Sweeteners on November 26^th. The Young Guns and Ghost Hands will be there in full support. You have plenty of opportunites to see this band live in the next month, and I suggest you do so. Get a little sugar in your life, with The Sweeteners.

Jeremie plays bass guitar in Anchorage rock band Robots Helping Clones and is an Assistant Editor at Anchorage Night Out. You can reach him at bands@anchoragenightout.com.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

a href="http://www.e-zeeinternet.com/" target="_blank">