Capgun Coup

Omaha, NE

Billboard

The members of Capgun Coup aren't very good at listening to people compare their music to other bands. They aren't interested, and probably aren't familiar with the artists mentioned. Pixies, Pavement, Madvillain, Archers of Loaf, the Unicorns, the Books: Capgun Coup seems to harken to each, whether they know or not. Perhaps because Sam Martin, Greg Elsasser, Eric Ohlsson and Andy Matz are not the most well-versed students of rock music, their debut release, Nebraskafish, demonstrates a refined style that is largely unhindered by the type of hero-worship that often marks a young band. The Capgun Coup story starts somewhere in the cultural void of suburban Omaha, Neb., where Elsasser and Martin began playing music over three years ago. The mutual bonds of boredom and interest in avant noise colored their early work, but after a move downtown and the addition of Matz on bass and Ohlsson on drums, Capgun Coup turned its attention toward indie pop and nerd rap. Steeped in basement show tradition and house party culture, the debut material from Capgun Coup fits neatly with other bands that recently emerged to wide acclaim from the Midwestern culture vacuum. But that doesn't mean the boys aren't bringing something new to the table. Nebraskafish is the wonderfully schizophrenic product of the rich interplay within Capgun Coup. Ever tinkering with noise and samples, Elsasser serves as the band's spacey Johnny Greenwood to Martin's more song-oriented Thom Yorke. Ohlsson and Matz give Martin and Elsasser's compositions backbone and organization. Recorded over more than a year, the album demonstrates an evolution in songwriting, from the band's early folk songs ("Oh My Mod"), which were recorded mostly at legendary Presto! Studios in Lincoln, to the Guided By Voices-by-way-of-Cursive pieces ("Social Security Number"), which were self-produced. The album is sandwiched by moody sound collages. These negative tracks were produced separately by Martin and Elsasser with the intention of tying the last two years of songwriting together. All together, it's music meant to be heard in a close setting with friends - preferably a hundred of them, all dancing. Just don't request a Minutemen cover.