Totimoshi

Mysterioso? (Berserker/Crucial Blast)
by Craig Regala

One of my favorite live surprises of ’02 was seeing these guys pinch hit for Spirit Caravan at The Emissions fest. Subbing for a legend ain’t easy, but they came up with the goods in spades. A classic power trio line-up drawing on basic rock pound, they winnowed the noise/crank stream of the Touch & Go/Boner/Relapse labels into the cool aspects of wadded-up hard rock. Enough breathing room to let the songs hang out there, enough power to let’m play with Bottom, enough of a dynamic to gig with Spickle, and enough presence to play with High On Fire.

If you want to dive into a rock nerd argument (one of the reasons you’re here), call Totimoshi a “hard rock” band defined by the loud, pushy, but non-metal, non-punk course they steer. Test bands from The Who to Chrome to Mission of Burma to Steel Pole Bathtub to Jesus Lizard and you’ll find traces of their DNA in Totimoshi’s double helix. The drilling guitar tails into power chords and little licks, the density of the drums splatter vs. splash approach, the continual rolling pressure of the bass and the mid-tempo breathing room… well, it’s just great.
(PO Box 364 Hagerstown, Maryland 21741)