Roost — 4 December 2019 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour
Roost joined guest hosts Mollie Allen and Corrie Lyndes on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/roostvt.
On Wednesday, December 4, Roost took the Rocket Shop studio to parts unknown with their eccentric “dance punk.” Their Bandcamp page says it best:
“Roost is like finding an old pair of rollerblades in the closet... tossing em on and boogyin on downtown to the laundromat, next to the graveyard, to pick up your clothes you forgot the other day. Then on a joyous afternoon ride home you spot Eugene at the 'ole full-service gas station and stop to smoke a few smokes and talk about things that just don't matter.”
If you would like a tangible comparison, they may remind you of a heavier New Order, or Echo and the Bunnymen. In short though, Roost is not a band you “get,” rather they’re a band you feel.
Roost consists of Zach on guitar and vocals, Braden on guitar, Graham on drums, and Mike on the synth. The band began at Johnson State, where Zach met Braden on a roof, and as the pair traveled, practiced, and performed, they ran into a pair of helping hands. Graham joined the group as a temporary drummer for a quick tour of Canada, but stuck around longer than he expected following their northern expedition.
Roost opened with their song, “The Capital.” Indicative of their dance punk style, “The Capital” begins with an ethereal intro, conjuring images of space, stars, and transcendence, before incorporating Zach’s mysterious lyrical-collage. The song incorporates a series of news articles and headlines into an exploration of apathy and the numbing repetitiveness of news articles, with the repeating line of “keep me comfortable” showcasing a piece of the song’s message.
Zach writes most of the lyrics, but the creating process, he says, is collaborative. Each member brings their own songwriting abilities. Zach highlighted the rewards of songwriting, mentioning how he “loves seeing something come together.”
Roost’s second song lacks a title. “Untitled” is in the works, but still demonstrates the group’s stereotypical sound. A techno beat and a radar signal lasso the listener, and house bass line keep them hanging on. This song was inspired by Hakim Bay’s anarchist book, T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone. This is the kind of music hardcore aliens listen to.
Roost’s first album, Roost, a collection of live recordings, came out last January. Ten months later, the group has released their second album, Basic Phases. Released on December 6, Basic Phases does not deviate from Roost’s formula. Still weird, still punk, and still danceable. The album includes four songs, but still taps out at over twenty-six minutes of audio.
Roost finished with the album’s first song, “Developments.” Isaiah Palmeria created a music video for the piece, full images as evocative and uncanny as the song’s lyrics.
The band has traveled to Portland and Montreal, but currently explores the Burlington scene. Catch them in bars and basements, rockin’ hard. Events can be found on their Facebook page. If you attend, bring your dancing shoes and a compass, because these guys will take you on a trip.
Text by Luke Vidic.
Photo by James Lockridge.
