Customer Reviews

Inter Funda Stifle

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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.

Fair to Midland is a band that opened a show I went to see for another band and they blew me away.
Buy this Cd and enjoy the ride.

I first discovered Fair to Midland after hearing their more commercial 2007 release, FABLES FROM A MAYFLY. It was only months later, after becoming so hooked on that album that FTM quickly shot up into my top 10 favorite artists of all time, that I bothered to look for this one. And man, am I glad I did, and that I was eventually able to get my hands on it from some obscure Amazon partner...

Unique as FABLES may be in the dreadfully bland landscape of 2008 rock music, the raw and "spacey" production on INTER.FUNDA.STIFLE makes it sound downright conventional by comparison. Of the 15 tracks, ten are full-length songs, while the other five are more or less segues. Of the ten songs, six are precursors to re-vamped versions that would later appear on FABLES: Dance of the Manatee, Vice/Versa, A Seafarer's Knot, The Walls of Jericho, Kyla Cries Cologne, and Upgrade^Brigade. The remaining four did not make FABLES, and I would argue it is these that are the most interesting and make this record worth hunting down. "Orphan Anthem 86" is quite possibly the group's most beautiful and haunting song to date, while "Granny Niblo" rivals anything on the newer album in terms of pure catchiness, with an infectious beat and euphoric chorus. "Timbuktu" and "Quince" both show off a softer, more folksy side of the band.

As for the songs that are repeated on FABLES, I actually prefer the production found here in a few instances. For example, the rawer guitars and vocals on "Dance of the Manatee" are refreshing after becoming accustomed to the slightly-overcooked 2007 version; plus, the way opening track "Preambles" slowly and hauntingly builds up to "Manatee" is far more dynamic and interesting than the fist-to-your-face intro you get as soon as you put in the FABLES disc.

While FTM tightened up their songwriting between this 2004 release and their more recent major-label effort, anyone who enjoys the latter is advised to locate a copy of INTER.FUNDA.STIFLE at all costs, and be prepared to be blown away all over again. This album has a wonderful, progressive feel to it with a continuous flow of music through all 15 tracks, accomplished through smooth transitions and segues. Darroh's vocals are delightfully bizarre and uncontrolled at times, adding extra intensity to a record whose music is already emotionally charged. I have a sneaking suspicion this album may become increasingly difficult to find as the band gains well-deserved popularity...

This CD is absolutely great. The first CD I purchased from FTM was their newest one "Fables From A Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True." There are 5 or 6 songs on this CD that were rerecorded from Inter.Funda.Stifle. It was really interesting to hear the band's first recordings of these songs and just to hear a different recording in general. This is one of my favorite CDs I own.

After nearly wearing out Fair To Midland's 2007 release, "Fables From A Mayfly...", I found myself unable to wait for their next album, due out later this year. I read inter.funda.stifle's song list and waffled for a long time, seeing that several of the songs were early versions of those I already had on Fables, but finally could no longer stand my craving for more FTM music. Luckily, the band re-released a limited run of 1,000 copies of IFS at the end of 2009 and I was able to get one. On the first couple of listens, it was hard to adjust to its rawer, less studio-polished sound compared to Fables...especially for those songs I already knew. But I quickly became hooked on IFS, in particular the full-length "non-Fables" tracks -- Orphan Anthem '86 (one of the most beautifully composed songs I ever laid ears on), Granny Niblo, Timbuktu, and Quince. It appears FTM is simply incapable of writing a weak song! There just aren't ANY I've heard to date that aren't of stellar quality. (Though I've not had the privelege of listening to their first album, The Carbon Copy Silver Lining, sadly out of production or I'd buy it too).

After a few listens of IFS, I also gained further appreciation for the earlier versions of Fables songs like Vice/Versa & Kyla. Overall this album has a more mystical, meandering feel compared to the tighter, driven energy of Fables (including even more fanciful lyrics - didn't think that was possible!) The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is for this CD's production; it sounds by turns overdone (with some of the echoing effects) and a bit sloppy (for example, the slightly buried vocals on Granny Niblo). But that's probably just personal preference and does little to dim the magic created by these brilliant artists. If you love Fables, do try to find this album and enjoy another trip down the rabbit hole with FTM.