Nine or ten years ago, Western Massachusetts was renowned as the home of indie legends Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, and the region's best-kept secrets were New Radiant Storm King and the drunken and brawling Unband. I wound up in college an hour south of the scene's epicenter and regularly traveled to Northampton to take in shows by local and national acts. It seemed everyone in Western Massachusetts between 18 and 30 was in a rock band.

Nowadays, Western Massachusetts seems to be where indie rock's '90s heroes go as they reach a certain age; the region is home to members of Sonic Youth and, if my mind isn't playing tricks on me, a farm owned by Frank Black. It seems very little exciting new talent has come out of the fertile pentagram of the five-college region since the mid-'90s. At least until now.

In early July, I was at work trying to mind my own business when a friend alerted me to the existence of the Amherst, MA-based act The Mobius Band. I soon became a compulsive listener of their throbbing rocker "The Lights Are Always On," a cut from their second EP Two. You can stream the song right off the Internet, and I began to do it a few times a day at work, you know, to keep me going, to keep my energy up. I didn't think I had a problem. I thought since I was also streaming The Mobius Band's number "Taxicab" (from the same release) a couple times a day that, you know, it was no big deal. I could stop anytime I wanted to.

A week later I saw The Mobius Band perform in a crowded and smoky basement club in Cambridge, MA. After the band began, a sweaty fan started flailing about, dancing in an erratic and sort of threatening manner. He alternately charged toward the band (there is no stage, per se, at this club) with his arms up and his fingers out like he was putting a hex on them, until he would recede, restraining himself with his chin tucked to his chest and his straight, stringy hair falling over his eyes a bit. This dude, who even when restraining himself couldn't help bobbing up and down on his tippy toes, must be a total Mobius junky, I thought. I made a mental note that only when I acted like this fucker should I become worried about my intake of the band.

Days later The Mobius Band released their third EP, Three. Somewhere, the stringy-haired guy is likely marching angularly around in (or on) ecstasy. Three is a collection of six songs made by an air-tight trio that skillfully pairs post-rock (drums, bass, guitar, strings, horns) with electronic music (keys, samplers and beat sequencers).

The EP's highlights include the guitar heavy "Snow on Snow" and "Burnoff," a thumping droner with dreamy vocals that seems to pick up where "The Lights Are Always On" (from Two) leaves off. "Snow on Snow" actually seems a bit uncharacteristic of the band, featuring fewer electronic elements, a Mark Robinson-esque vocal and plenty of thick discordant guitar a la the late, lamented Archers of Loaf.

"Well-Thumbed Page," another of the record's sublime moments, includes a subtle guitar solo in reverse laid over keys and then chimes. It is particularly enjoyable for those disappointed with the direction Trans Am has taken in the last few years, as it seems to deliver on the promise set forth in classic Trans Am records like Surrender to the Night.

Obviously, The Mobius Band is not without its influences, and many are evident on this recording. The band's sound suggestively straddles the laps of Chicago-style acts (Tortoise, Chicago Underground Quartet) and new and classic German indie bands (The Notwist, Neu!). Indeed, the opening track on Three, "Frozen Lake in Unison," opens with an assertive shuffle beat similar to the title track and opener of Tortoise's TNT. The Mobius Band's "Arrows" combines acoustic guitar with clicky beats, calling to mind The Notwist's "Trashing Days" (from the album Neon Golden).

That said, the combo brings a distinct voice to its music. As with Trans Am, their level of musicianship is extremely high, particularly Noam Schatz' muscular drumming. But its songwriting, a functional marriage of melodies, layered rhythms and heavy-lidded, heads-down Krautrock boogie, is the band's greatest strength. The act's clever melding of organic and electronic sounds is another asset.

For now, Three hovers around 406,000 on Amazon.com's sales charts. But The Mobius Band is one to watch, so start watching now and be the first cool kid on your block to get hip to the band and what may be the harbinger of a musical resurgence in Western Massachusetts.

Jay Breitling
September 23, 2002