EE

keyword: earth engine; ee; alien rock; squirrel pit; squirrel pit studios; sts; broken robots; neoprog rock; progressive bots; prog pop; tectonic rocks; space volcanoes

Take a minute to think about what progressive rock means as a rock subgenre. Sidestep all of its over-usages, generalizations, and cliche taglines, and get right down to exactly what you like about it. Now, add to your refined and *highly* selective characterization of prog rock the qualities sharp, tight, amorphous, complex, sideways, ground-rattling, unified, popy, experimental, fuzzy, energetic, ambient, heavy, thick. This comes pretty close to Earth Engine’s sound, but it still fails as a completely satisfactory description.

Here’s the thing: “progressive rock” is such a boring, outdated term with lots of potentially inaccurate (and diminishing) connotations that, if not for its cachet in the music world, I would avoid using the term entirely to characterize Earth Engine. And what’s more, they’ve earned more than that. They’re genre-spanning eclectic Detroit musicians, all of them -- and that fact is wholly reflected in their music. There’s no doubt that what they are is progressive, and it is rock, but it is much, much more. There are elements of pop, rockabilly, and something beautifully sinister -- maybe something itself Detroit. Prog pop maybe? Neoprogressive? Who cares, just listen.  

The rhythm section is heavy, hard-hitting, and just downright dirty and obnoxious -- but it’s also finely tuned, elegant, and methodical, overlayed with brassy trombone flares, organ, and piano. The arrangements are astonishing -- and there’s really no mistaking this; the music is as precisely written and rehearsed as it is performed. Guitar is technically proficient (a must for “prog rock”), but direct and punctuated when it needs to be, supplementing -- and not overshadowing -- the rest of the ensemble. The vocals are an absolute perfect complement to the heavy, gritty, smooth syncopation of EE’s sound, and they just work so well with the lyrics. When it’s all happening, it has the feel of a progressive epic, but with the fine touch of brevity, deliberation, and expertise. Look, I think really highly of this group, but not without reason.       

via bensencore.com

I never miss an opportunity to see these guys play -- they perform all over Detroit and the metro area, and they’re adding more shows all the time. Most recently, they played the second annual Hamtramck Music Festival and utterly rocked the Polish Sea League (many thanks). Each performance also has a super special secret treat inside -- this past show’s set included a very Detroit cover of Kenny Rogers & the First Edition’s “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” (see Gutterball), with a twist only Earth Engine could manage to crank. EP coming out soon! I have so much love for EE.