Crooks on Tape is the new band from John Schmersal (Enon, Brainiac), Rick Lee (Enon, Skeleton Key, Butter 08), and Joey Galvan. I know what you’re wondering, why not Crooks on Hard Drives? Or Crooks in Pro Tools? Crooks on USB Dongles? Well, after a little research, I’ve discovered that there’s actually an obscure law in the American penal code that makes it totally illegal for “convicted felons” (the technical term for “crooks”) to use digital methods to produce music. Honestly, this explains a lot about Steve Albini.
Crooks on Tape’s debut release for Misra Records is entitled Fingerprint because that is something the prison system takes from crooks when they are “booked.” The album came together through recorded instrumental improvisations between 2010 and 2012 which were then condensed into pop songs with vocals. Fingerprint finds the band at their most accessible, and they have plans to “get weird” on later releases. If only they’d been allowed to use digital production methods, those two years of blood, sweat, and tears could have been condensed to like 30 minutes of finger jockey-ing on a computer. I applaud these guys for their commitment to their craft, but at the same time, I guess they should have thought about all this back before they did all that illegal stuff.
The album is out October 22 on LP (a limited pressing of 500), CD, and cassette , though you can preorder it now from the Misra Store. In closing, readers, I beg of you to think before you commit a crime. Television programs like CSI: Miami and The Mentalist make crime look like it’s all fun and games, but let Crooks on Tape serve as a reminder. Crime doesn’t pay.
Fingerprint tracklist:
01. Duper
02. If Feelings Mean a Thing
03. Tito’s Riser
04. The Regiments
05. Melting the Ice
06. Summer’s End
07. River Bait
08. Milo’s Creeper
09. A Hazmat Dream
10. Wandered Again
11. Clergyman Segway
12. Barging In
• Crooks on Tape: https://www.facebook.com/crooksontapemusic
• Misra: http://misrarecords.com
[Photo/Collage: Toko Yasuda]