OKLAHOMA GAZETTE, NOV. 1ST, 2006
En Gardes!
Wide ranging in their tastes, laid-back multi-instrumentalists and Oklahoma natives The Gardes never rest in their search for new sounds.
By Timothy Bradford
Syd Barrett, Woody Guthrie, The Velvet Underground and Smoky Robinson- The Gardes count an eclectic host of musicians among their influences, all while keeping their ears open for new ones.
"(Bassist) Tanner (Longhway) took his ukulele the other day and was trading licks with this old guy. That sort of stuff comes into our music," said guitarist Aaron Siemers.
"We use a lot more instruments than are listed (on our Web site)," added Longhway, such as the trombone, glockenspiel and accordion.
Although guitarist Brett Horton has used the name "The Gardes" for all his various bands since high school, the current quartet is merely months old. But this newest incarnation balances itself well, and all its members act as vocalists.
Drummer Jim Gorton said, "We're constantly checking the other members. We get to a point where someone says, 'That's ridiculous,' and most everyone agrees."
Given that their song "I Want To Start A Fire" features a vibrato vocal version of the Oscar Mayer commercial jingle, The Gardes' point of "that's ridiculous" may lie outside that of other groups, but this marks part of their appeal.
Their driving bass, snare-dominated drums and multiple-part harmonies- reminiscent of early Violent Femmes- also draw fans.
"Right now, we have a band, but not too many preconceptions about what we're doing," offered Horton.
Gorton used to be in rap and space-rock groups, Longhway played in a bluegrass act and Siemers recalled a former group called the Livers that included Horton. And as in an ideal democracy, all of the voices have a say since they all write lyrics and compose music.
"Everyone shows up with different ideas and parts, and if it all works together, we keep it. If not, it goes on our solo albums," said Siemers.
The Gardes have recorded several albums, but only Horton and Siemers appeared with these earlier manifestations. The current group, in addition to playing shows from Norman to New York City, plans to record an album and work on a video or two in the near future.
But for now, the emphasis is on live shows, and despite the advantages of the Internet and Myspace, they still feel that posters, fliers and word of mouth backed up by great shows equal the best PR.
Live shows feature most of the members in suits, Longhway literally on his stand-up bass and Gorton venturing into the crowd with his trombone. Recent venues have included The Deli, Roxie's in Tahlequah, The Hi-Lo and Blue Moon On Paseo. As for highlights, Gorton said, "They're all better than the one before."
Upcoming shows include Saturday at Blue Moon with It's Hysterical, Nov. 11 on The Strip in Stillwater and Nov. 18 at Roxie's.
In this age of mega-labels and mega-money in the music world, The Gardes keep a refreshingly downbeat attitude toward their music. Making a living off their music isn't the point; living to make music is.
Said Gorton, "I just want to satisfy people every time I play. I don't care if I make money."
"Our music speaks for itself," added Siemers. "We want to make people shake their asses."