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After
three years existing as a member of Cleveland’s underground music  community,
The
Flat Can
Co.
has finally
released its debut full-length album.
The self-titled CD is available in a limited
run of 400 and provides 45 minutes of material
from the group’s live appearances at Pat's
in the Flats
on January 28th and February 24th,
2006.
The
Flat Can Co. cites influences as diverse as
the New Zealand noise outfit Dead C to the glacially-paced
feedback punk of Flipper... but the group
doesn’t necessarily wear its influences on
its sleeve. The Flat Can Co.'s music is crafted by
musicians who have synthesized a variety of
styles rather than being an attempt at
becoming “the latest thing” or a tribute
band – which is a rare find in a local
group. Considering that The Flat Can Co.
claims veterans from local legendary bands like
My Dad is Dead (drummer Scott Pickering), The
Heathers (guitarist/vocalist Miss Melvis), and
Speaker/Cranker (guitarist Keith Pickering,
bassist Jimmy D, and Scott Pickering) as
members, its refreshing sound is little
surprise. When
asked what genre he’d consider
The
Flat Can Co., bass player and
Lakewood resident Jimmy D (pictured) answered “avant-hardcore,”
which I interpret to mean hardcore punk, minus
the bland and imitative clichés of the genre.
The Flat Can Co. could also be described as
experimental metal or, with their entirely
improvised performances, free rock.
Comparisons to bands like Earth and Sunn
O))) are
tempting, but The Flat Can
Co.
is more energetic, guitar-oriented and less
doom –
and drone-driven – which saves them
from the self-indulgent and frankly boring
tendencies of both bands. The
CD’s odd song
titles
(“The Back of the Woman is Served,”
“Loudspeaker Thrusts the Microphone and is
Cut”) as well as the
music bring
to mind Japanese performers like Boris
and Fushitsusha,
and comparisons to these groups seem a bit
closer to the mark. However, The Flat
Can
Co.
is innovative enough to make all comparisons
to contemporary artists fall short. This
disc provides a new perspective on The Flat
Can Co.’s sound. Live albums typically
do little more than document a band, but this
one has much to offer, even for those who have
already seen the band in the flesh. The
subtleties of The Flat Can Co.
can get lost in the context of a live
performance, when sheer volume can often make
the listener overlook the
complexity of the music.
Due to skillful recording and
production work, the
sound on this
album is more balanced and
nuanced than I remember the band
sounding during the few opportunities I’ve
had to see and hear them live. The
Flat Can Co.’s debut album is available at Bent
Crayon at 11600 Detroit
Avenue, and at My Mind’s Eye, 13727 Madison
Ave. They will also be performing on
June 14, 2006, at The Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Heights
Boulevard
in Cleveland Heights, with Bardo Pond and
Neil Blender.
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