Arab on Radar - The Stolen Singles
(Three One G)
In the late 90's, the Providence art rock scene threw a huge wrench into the American Rock & Roll machinery by fast forwarding its slow progression to the point of maniacal debauchery, raising the bar and largely changing the rules for any band that hoped to sound threatening or intense. This disjointed and atonal squall was a huge leap forward artistically for the American underground hardcore scene, but it was balanced with a sense of humor and playfulness that underscores nearly everything to come from Load Records (the label responsible for most of the notable records from this scene). There were a few bands who enjoyed some success that came before them (Six Finger Satellite, Laurels, etc), but it was Lightning Bolt and Arab on Radar who broke the concept of a "Providence scene" in 1997. It has since branched out to encompass many more bands, a few more cities and many, many record collections. In the fall of 2002, just before they were to play a handful of dates with Portland's Get Hustle (don't even get me started on them...), Arab on Radar announced that they were finished. And so, like all bands who achieve any kind of popularity, Arab on Radar have posthumously released a singles collection. For the collectors, yes, this is complete.
It starts out with 2 songs initially released on a cassette. The bass is still a part of the line-up at this point, though on these first songs it isn't the sloppy, distorted, and drunken threat that it later became on their debut, Queen Hygiene II. "Inventor" and "Aisle 5" are very similar with interchangeable bass lines and the standard chaotic rhythmically obsessed lead guitar lines.
The demo songs are split up at this point, as we move on to their first 7".
"Kangaroo" and "Pig Roast" are the midway point between the cassette and the first album. The sound is in place, and the songs are getting better and weirder, but something hasn't quite clicked yet. Track 5 is taken from an early Load Records compilation, The RePopulation Program, and the song "7.2" is still not quite there, but it's getting closer.
"Samurai Fight Song" and "Swimming With a Hard On" comprise their second 7" and mark the moment when Arab on Radar became a band that just had to be heard. After 5 years, I still get pumped listening to "Swimming With a Hard On." The bursts of distorted bass, the hyperactive energy of the drumming, the bizarre dischordance of the two guitars, and the high-pitched oddity of the vocals create unexpectedly invigorating art rock.
Jump forward two years to the split 7" with San Diego's hardcore legends, The Locust. In the time since their last single, they have released two more albums and lost the bass player. Rather than look for a replacement, they decided to move on without her, further fragmenting their already skewed sense of structure. As is evidenced on "3 Meals Away From a Crack Whore" and "Piggin' in the Pumpkin Patch," they have found a way to balance near bedlam with structures built on a repetitive riff.
Another two-year leap ahead brings us to the last new music they released; last year's split 7" with Kid Commando. This is among their most exciting songs. The rhythm is kept in check, and in comparison to their other songs it is almost hypnotically restrained. The new trick of detuning one guitar almost too low lends the music even more of a broken-down feeling, making it sound like the whole band has lost a wheel and is spinning in circles, bumping into walls and knocking over chairs. It's a shame they broke up right after setting off in this direction.
The last two songs take us back a few years. The first, "Miss American Hair
Pie" is from 1998's You're Soaking In It compilation on Load Records.
It's a very short and unexceptional song, fitting in somewhere between the two 7"s (a little closer to the far inferior first 7"). And the collection ends on a huge low where the band started—with a third song from the 1995 cassette. "O. Henry" is probably the dullest of their songs, with a slow tempo and lounge bass line.
As is to be expected with a singles collection, this is spotty. It offers some of their best moments alongside their worst, and the flow of the songs near the beginning and at the end provides some hurdles for the listener to get past. Although as is also the case with all singles collections, long time fans will appreciate hearing the lesser heard songs. I'd recommend that any newcomers try elsewhere for your introduction (personally I'd tell everyone to start where I did, Queen Hygiene II).
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