Math/Twee/Hardcore Self-Released 2007
It is a rare occasion, but every once in a while you catch a local band that blows your mind. Fortress of Swatches is one of those bands. I went to a show once to see my friend’s band play, and Fortress was headlining said show. When the husband-wife duo went on, I was thinking “Please don’t play brainless indie rock, I’ve seen this one too many times…” They then went on to play one of the most mind fucking sets I have ever seen. I literally spent the rest of that night rethinking everything I knew about music, I didn’t think two people could generate that much noise.
Later as I became friends with Joe and Selena Kelley, I continued going to their shows and buying their records. “Captains of Captains” is their second album. It shows a mature mix of many styles of music, some songs so quiet you have to turn the volume up, and others ear drum destroying-ly loud. They can be as gentle as a twee pop band, and then in the same song play with more intensity than any hardcore band I’ve seen.
The couple shares duties, some songs featuring Joe on guitar and Selena on drums, and then vice-versa (which also makes an interesting part of their live show). Throughout the album the lyric contents change from captains to thieves and cobblers, their lyrics are as varying as their songs. Overall, this is a great mixture of math, indie rock, punk and even more. But really, Fortress of Swatches transcends most labels, and is really just damn good music for the listening.
For Listeners Of: The Minutemen, Shellac, Maps and Atlases, Lightning Bolt, Hella, Dilute, Don Caballero, Fugazi
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