Umami

Who is Umami? What the heck does umami mean? Here's what they have to say for themselves:

we are:

all from chapel hill, north carolina
all live in new york city
all play rhythm instruments
guitars are for pansys

we look like this

One wants to be able to take bands at their word when reading bio statements such as the above. Dear Umami: we'd like to believe what you say, but can you be trusted? We hardly even know you... Fear not loyal readers, I shall dig deeper.

I can say for certain that they're not lying about the first three statements. I know they live in New York, they played a show with two of Ear Farm's NYC favorites (Limbs & SUSU) and they also played a Todd P show recently. I know they're from Chapel Hill, we've got some NC friends in common. I know they all play rhythm instruments, the syncopated bang bang slam of their Shinhoto-Chi-Ha bass-bass-drums attack is driving me crazy right now as I listen to "Honeysmack" and try to type. Crazy in a good way. The bass... the other bass... the melodic rhythm-ness of it all... shit! There's SO much of it! Must. Move. Body. Dance. Head dance. Mini-headbang. Damn I bet these guys are a kick ass live band.

Where was I? So, okay, after listening to "Honeysmack" a few times in a row, maybe they're right to say "guitars are for pansys". This band sure doesn't need no stinkin' guitars (I'd just like the record to show that I looooove "stinkin' guitars", and that's perhaps the best evidence yet of why you should pay attention when I say that this band, sans guitar, is a force to be reckoned with). Umami has found a guitar-less happy place for their music to live. An in between zone where they've combined the low end growl of Death From Above 1979 (I also hear a certain Trans Am-itude at work, and, to be frank, quite a bit of Peter Hook in the bass playing) with the understated rhythmic vocal grace of Pinback. I just call 'em like I see 'em. Or, hear 'em rather.

Which is why I'm going to call out Umami on the one lie in the above "biographical" statement. Hello sirs, excuse me, I'm sorry but you do not look like this. That's just a cartoon drawing of two woodlands creatures drinking and playing cards and I've met at least one of you before. And THAT Umami member was neither cartoon rabbit nor squirrel. Whatever, I'll let that one slide. It is, after-all, kind of an adorable little picture. And hey, maaaaybe the other two Umamis do in fact look like that picture. If so, those little critters sure do kick out the jams.

Listen:
"Honeysmack"
"Congo"

See Umami live.

Visit Umami on MySpace.