The Catheters

Static Delusions and Stone-Still Days (Sub Pop)
by Brian Varney

What this reminds me of more than anything is Monster Truck 005. I don’t really know why I’m mentioning it, since you’ve more than likely not heard of them unless you’re from Columbus, Ohio (which I am, so don’t laugh, fucko). They were a group of guys who started out as a Pussy Galore cover band, started writing original “songs” (collected on some shitty 7″s on a variety of local labels), and eventually discovered The Rolling Stones and morphed into a greasy, sleazy, dirt-under-the-nails rock band. They put out a couple of boss CDs on Sympathy for the Record Industry (home of The White Stripes and a million other bands) – seek ’em out if you can.

So, The Catheters. That’s what they sound like. The press sheet tells me they’re fresh outta high school, and though you’d never know it if you weren’t told, it makes a whole lotta sense. This album is shaking to the rafters with the small frustrations of everyday life (y’know, the stuff that fuelled songs like “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody”), trembling with a rage exclusive to the hormone-addled young man. And this is four of ’em, bud.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but, other than some band you never heard of, what’s it sound like? Well, it’s the most Sub Pop-sounding record to come out on Sub Pop in quite a long fucking while. The guy at the label told me it sounded like Mudhoney circa 1989 and I’m not quite sure I agree with that – the attack is too clean and furious, the guitars aren’t fuzzy enough, and the songs are much too catchy (“Nothing” has been stuck in my head for two fucking weeks, no lie). The vocalist does kinda sound like Mark Arm at times, though. I suppose you could say they sound like Mark Arm fronting Nevermind-era Nirvana and not be too far from the mark.

Oh yeah, one more reason for you to buy this rather than download it is the stupendous packaging, which features every conceivable layout fuckup in one glorious bundle of anarchy. Kinda like the band’s music. Neat, huh?
(PO Box 20645 Seattle, WA 98102)