Inter Funda Stifle

Fair to Midland (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 2004)
• Label: FTF
• ASIN: B000A2GETE
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,050 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Preambles in 3rd Person

2. Dance of the Manatee

3. Vice/Versa

4. Cipieron

5. A Seafarer's Knot

6. Orphan Anthem '86

7. Inter. Mission

8. Granny Niblo

9. The Walls of Jericho

10. Abigail

11. Timbuktu

12. Kyla Cries Cologne

13. Upgrade^Brigade

14. When the Bough Breaks

15. Quince

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreams splendidly weaved from an atom bomb, May 9, 2006

By 

Luke Rounda "ThreeStarSmash.com" (Lawrence, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inter Funda Stifle (Audio CD)

Until recently, Fair to Midland was an unsigned anomaly from Dallas, TX, waiting for their big break like any other group of musicians. Well, not quite. It sounds lame on the tongue, but it's truly the synergy of each individual member -- what each one brings to the table -- that sets Fair to Midland apart from their peers (if such bands exist).

The phrase that comes to mind listening for the first time is probably alt-metal... but wait, electronica samples... '80s chorus guitar? Opera vocals? Native American throat-singing? This deserves to play on stereos outside of Dallas.

Andrew Sudderth's vocals careen wildly between the extremes of an over-the-top grunt/yell unlike anything you've ever heard, to a delicate Wall of Voodoo Leslie-speaker-in-the-throat quaver. But it's not just the vocals. Drum and bass hold down the stop-start rhythms, and shimmery guitar lines float in air until being crushed by iron-cast six-string growl, tethered by the whine of electronic jet engines and childlike Casio tone melodies buried under the din.

The entire production shines and sounds positively face-melting. Springy, rubbery guitar lines bounce off of church bells and a skittering piano line in "A Seafarer's Knot." "The Walls of Jericho" opens with a Morse code synth line and quickly expands into an electronica-tinged rock rollercoaster with Sudderth hitting notes higher than Fair to Midland's lyricist; there's more manic street preaching about nuclear bombs, chemists and butchers, oil and blueprints on this album than from the Manic Street Preachers themselves, and the music is even more bombastic and explosive, at times marrying alt-metal guitar crunch to a regal, almost baroque harpsichord arrangement. The bright, jangly, sparsely-arranged "Quince" finishes the record like a fever breaking, with the promise of more to come. Perhaps with the band's recent deal with Serjical Strike Records (a record label founded by System of a Down's Serj Tankian), Fair to Midland will get the chance to be more than fair to more than the midland.

Highly recommended to anyone, especially fans of Mansun, The Cult, Coheed and Cambria.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FAR FROM FAIR, July 13, 2005

By 

Thomas Bryant Law "Orpheous" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inter Funda Stifle (Audio CD)

Fair To Midland's growth with INTER.FUNDA.STIFLE is nothing short of amazing. On their promising debut THE CARBON COPY SILVER LINING while still delivering a unique sound, their influences from the likes of System Of A Down and Deftones were far more apparent when compared to I.F.S where they have truly perfected a definitive style. Andrew Sudderth is possibly the greatest vocalist in the rock/metal genre today, using Native American techniques to produce enchanting sounds from his voice box and a wide range of octaves perfect for capturing any emotion. His abstract lyrics, inspired more from poetry than music, paint pre-twentieth century imagery and even when using common metaphores like "I heard it through the grapevine" he puts a refreshing twist on it singing simply "A grapevine in my ear". Guitarist Cliff Campbell supports Andrew's unique vocal style with riffs influenced from nu-metal to Pink Floyd and other classic rock while keyboardist Matt Langley adds ambient soundscapes to their music. Drummer Brett Stowers and now ex-bassist Nathin Seals add subtle rhythms that compliment Fair To Midland's style perfectly. "Dance Of The Manatee" comes the closest to capturing their maniacal stage energy with Andrew singing high notes through most of the song and then dropping to a growl Jonathan Davis of Korn would envy advising us "Take a gander the bigger they are the harder they fall" backed by Cliff's Black Sabbath inspired riff. "Vice/Versa" follows with another great song showcasing Andrew's vocal range. "Orphan Anthem '86" utilizes a children's chior to back such lyrics as "Tell them all to chop me off with left handed scissors rusting when you're touched". Mitch Lerner's production has the band at times seeming more mellow than metal, but it works unbelievably well giving them a sound that crosses over from art metal to alt rock more reminiscent of Coldplay which suits the ambient moods they create. With short musical interludes like "Inter.mission" throughout the album and the mellow "Quince" closing it out INTER.FUNDA.STIFLE is simply one of the best releases of the past year.

1. Preamles In 3rd Person
2. Dance Of The Manatee
3. Vice/Versa
4. Cipieron
5. A Seafarer's Knot
6. Orphan Anthem '86
7. Inter.mission
8. Granny Niblo
9. The Walls Of Jericho
10. Abigail
11. Timbuktu
12. Kyla Cries Cologne
13. Upgrade^Brigade
14. When The Bough Breaks
15. Quince

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too good to be true!!!!!!, October 31, 2005

By 

Robert Rimmevik (umeå Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inter Funda Stifle (Audio CD)

I can't believe that this band is unsighned. They are just too great for that. The production is perfect and they are great musicians and the songs are outstanding. And the wierdest thing are that i just can't stand thier first album. This is the best album i've heard in years i just can't stop listening to it. I like most of the songs very much. But the song orphan Anthem '86 are so good that it's worth buying the hole album. Absolutely one of the best songs i've ever heard. This must be the most under-rated bands of all time. I just not hope it ends here, this can't be their last album.