[Ex]Band of the Week: Test Icicles

[2004-2006]
Test Icicles
Sounds Like: Art Punk / Noise Rock / Experimental
Drinking Buddies: Death From Above 1979, Pterodactyl, You Say Party! We Say Die!
Synopsis: Making grungy grotesqueties of music audible.
Makes You Want To...: Wild out!; Mosh; Rebel.

• Evolved Into: Lightspeed Champion
  

[Myspace]
[Fake Myspace]



This month is one of old and new.
Voilà! is featuring bands that have broken up.
This week, the featured artist is Test Icicles


It's one little phrase - a train of thought - that I follow as an avid music listener. An ideal that I pass on to fellow music listeners. You aren't truly a music buff unless you've seen a band come together and fall apart. There are plenty of stories of music superstars who's names are lined in gold internationally for all of eternity. Then, let's face the facts, there are some who just don't make it. Be it arguments and infighting, money problems, touring issues, or the prospects of life outside the music scene, there are many factors that can bring bands to their knees, and possibly their timely passing.

But if they make their mark, not permanent, but thorough, strong, and defined, they live in our hearts and music libraries forever. Some bands stay a whisper amongst the scene. Some fade into the limelight. Some inspire hundreds of bands to follow, or what's more, form into new and improved outfits. This month at Voilà!, we'll be honouring these bands that didn't make it, who's music still lives on.

With that, let me introduce a humble trio from England. They are Test Icicles, and they are a notoriously invigorating, wild, art-punk group which invigorated the English rock scene. If you're hoping for another Scottish-esque Franz Ferdinand, or a new twist on Bloc Party's style, you're barking up the wrong tree. This tree is jagged and juts out at wild angles, twisting everything you know about music into tiny pretzel shaped circles before smashing an electric guitar to pieces over it.

Test Icicles shine in their odd, eclectic, possibly deranged, but absolutely phenomenal blend of genres. If you can call this musical smoothie from hell a blend; compacting hip-hop with thrash,
electro with punk, and/or post-hardcore with dance-rock, Test Icicles seems to be more akin to destroying the definitions of of genres rather than defining them. With a edgy, disoriented, grungy, rigid rhythms, layer upon layer of feedback and buzzing, blaring, bleeding guitars, and vile, sketchy but oh so insane singing/screaming from every band member, Test Icicles brings a convoluted, wholly unique sound that is very difficult to find anywhere else.

Of course, Test Icicles was very short lived. In 2006, two years after their inception and one year after their debut album, the band had this to say in an interview with NME: "We were never, ever that keen on the music. I understand that people liked it, but we personally, er, didn't." Wrapping up a tour throughout the UK, Test Icicles through in their musical towels and bowed out gracefully. Since then, the trio stands as a testament for twisted musicians everywhere who are looking for something wild, with a little less sanity and a little more thrill.

Not all of Test Icicles has dispersed though. Mr. Devonte Hynes happens to have an alias: Lightspeed Champion, native of Houston, TX, and quirky pop-folk artist formally signed to Saddle Creek Records with the likes of Bright Eyes, Cursive, and Tokyo Police Club. Then there is Rory Brattwell, who is currently rocking with his band KASMs. But I digress, Test Icicles still make a steady impression with their debut album, For Screening Purposes Only, which debuted back in 2005. There were several singles here and there, released intermittently over their years playing, but their last work remains Dig Your Own Grave, Test Icicles farewell album. Of course, they still have their Myspace, but as far as music goes, they seem to be sort of lacking. I suggest hitting up this fan-created Myspace for some true tuneage (may I humbly suggest "Sharks"?).


One down, but we have three more musical funerals to celebrate.
Have an excellent weekend, reader; we hope you'll return again.