Antelope - Reflector

Antelope - "Mirroring"
Antelope - "Wandering Ghost"

The first time I saw Antelope was in 2003 when they played at the Triple Rock with Q and Not U and Black Eyes. They were positively magnetic and wrote the coolest songs based on atonal structures and really smooth dance moves. Since that show, I quickly bought everything they had released, two EPs: Antelope and Crowns/The Flock. Both good, CTF was better. After the quick consumption of those two, I heard a rumor that they broke up and wrote these guys off as another sweet-ass Dischord band that broke up before its time. But like most rumors, it just wasn't true and have just released an awesome full-length, Reflector.

The band was formed in Washington, D.C. in 2001 by ex-members of the Vertebrates, Bee Elvy and Mike Andre and El Guapo's Justin Moyer. So they're a bit of a D.C. supergroup. They recorded Reflector in Nov. 2006 at the Dischord House with Ian MacKaye. Pretty cool.

Here's "Wandering Ghost" and "Mirroring," both a bit repetitive but it gives you an idea as to how they function. Pay close attention to the interplay between the bass and drums, drums and guitar, and guitar and bass -- you can even ignore the vocals, they just function as window dressing. Each plays off the other effortlessly when what they are doing is actually rather difficult -- and creative as all get out.

MySpace Page

(Ian Anderson)