Sampling: Tubers - Shell Out

TUBERS
Shell Out
Bakery Outlet Records 2007

By Nick McGregor

Local St. Augustine bands typically play easy-going covers to pay the bills, but the trio Tubers concentrates on original guitar rock interspersed with jagged melodies and intelligent vocals, tourists be damned. Their latest release Shell Out, on local label Bakery Outlet, contains enough post-punk riffs to please any fan of thinking man’s hardcore. But unlike bands like Minor Threat or Fugazi, the Tubers boys shy away from blatantly political lyrics in favor of personal and heartfelt odes to complicated relationships, natural surroundings and the intricacies of modern life. A rootsy, home-recorded vibe keeps Rich Diem’s shouting vocals and noisy guitar fragments organic, especially on “Ambulate” and “Dine on the Process.” A little bit of indie rock appears on the instrumental “P52,” while “No Ornament” embodies the angular guitar work and start-stop song structures of popular (and hard-to-classify) bands like Pavement and Built To Spill. “Schooner Than Later” and “Late Bloomer” feature incredible interplays between Diem’s vocals and Jeff McNally’s basslines, proving that Tubers have put in their practice time and know how to create complex yet enjoyable songs.

But the most devastating feature of Tubers’ latest album has to be the drumming of Jacob Hamilton, which ranges from blitzkrieg speed to downbeat funk, giving all 30 minutes of Shell Out a rock-solid foundation that never backs off. You can catch Tubers at a variety of local venues, but these guys know the value of touring as well, with several swings through Europe a testament to their perseverance and dedication. Singer and guitarist Diem also heads Bakery Outlet Records, but there’s no favoritism here.

A potent mixture of early punk (minus the mohawks and jackboots) and late indie-grunge (minus the flannel shirts and walls of amplifiers), Tubers brings a much-needed dose of originality to the St. Augustine music scene. Add in liner notes printed on recycled paper and a steadfast commitment to environmental politics, and Tubers is a local band we can all be proud of.