Former Zulu As Kono return to Carbondale as Oh, Beast!

Straying from popular musical trends and making their own way is something the members of Austin's Oh, Beast! are used to. As former members of the fabled progressive rock band Zulu As Kono they refined their skills, but the remaining members are taking it all a step further.

Oh, Beast!, which performs at 10 p.m. Wednesday at Hangar 9, consists of Josh Chalmers on bass and vocals, J.D. Fanning on guitar and vocals, Brandon Crowe on drums and vocals and Brian Kelly on synthesizer and vocals. This foursome has become dedicated to the concept of "shorter songs, shorter live sets, shorter albums, shorter attention spans."

The sound the group creates can certainly be considered original and interesting, but an actual description and comparison are hard for Chalmers to come up with. However, a comparison to poo comes to his mind.

"I'm not sure exactly what it is we're going for," Chalmers said. "The polished poo thing came out of nowhere. I think it is in regard to the fact that we were writing pointless, obnoxious music with immature lyrics that were executed in a precise, polished manner."

Chalmers also said the group doesn't follow current music as a general rule.

"We just feel like too many bands regurgitate the newest 'post-punk-modern rock' crap, so we try to stay as far away from that sound as possible," Chalmers said.

According to Chalmers, the set Oh, Beast! plays is considerably shorter and more direct than that of the former Zulu As Kono. The group usually doesn't play for more than 30 minutes, but the Hangar 9 may see a 40 to 45 minute set.

"Yeah, it's normally 30 minutes - nine to 10 tunes," Chalmers said. "We've been covering a Pere Ubu tune and a really old Devo B-side as well."

The group's new release, the self-titled Oh, Beast! EP, contains five tracks that can be best described in the words of bassist Josh Chalmers - beautifully polished poo.

The group recently received some unexpected press coverage when Rolling Stone magazine credited Oh, Beast! for having the second most original name when the publication covered the coveted SXSW (South by Southwest) festival in Austin, Texas.

"I thought that was the coolest thing that could ever happen to a band," Chalmers said. "The name is the most important thing. Who cares about the music anyway?"

According to Chalmers, the band likes being part of Austin because of the fact that they are always kept busy. Contrary to speculation, Austin's allegedly competitive nature in its music scene doesn't really exist.

"It is true there is a lot of music here though," Chalmers said. "The underground rock scene is pretty cool. There are three clubs here that have good rock shows almost every night and a couple that have good ones at least once a week."

Chalmers said once this tour is done, the members will go back to Austin to save up for yet another tour to follow. The music is non-stop.

"We're actually playing a show the day we return, then we're going to go into the studio for a couple of days," Chalmers said.

We know our music isn't pop music, but we're trying to write with pop in mind to some degree," Chalmers said. "I think we'll just have to call this new kind of music poo."

Oh, Beast! is performing at 10 p.m. Wednesday at Hangar 9 with The Scrutineers. For more information on Oh, Beast!, go to www.pervertedson.com