It takes a certain kind of music lover to appreciate the music Tonnage creates since it's abrasive, noisy and loud. Thankfully for Tonnage, there are plenty of music fans (myself included) who prefer those qualities in music.
Trying to describe Tonnage's sound can be difficult. It has elements of rock, metal, a dash of punk thrown in for feel and then amplified to an intense, but not unbearable level. The song structures are relatively simple, driving and have some grooves to get your head bouncing.
Tonnage is guitarist/vocalist J. Bartell, bassist Dave Ott and drummer Jeff Moen. The members seem to say it best when they describe their craft as "The working man's noise-rock."
"We're just three working class guys, doing this as much as we can," Bartell elaborated.
Bartell writes the lyrics and he doesn't necessarily expect you to figure out what he's talking about. In fact, in most cases you won't be able to and that's exactly how he wants it to be.
"I would rather have you listen to the song and figure out what it means to you, not what it means to me," he said.
Tonnage has released two CDs, "The Fujita Scale (2005)" and a shorter five-song EP "The Panzram Session (2006)." The CDs come in a self-printed white sleeve, with simple black and white printing and have a very DIY feel, without feeling cheap. Both CDs were under their self-created/operated label Round13 Records.
"We think of it more as a collective than a record label," Ott said.
Ott and Bartell started Round13 Records as a way to help promote not only their own band, but also other musicians they appreciate, are friends with, and want to help as well. It seems to be working well for them so far; the Round 13 Records roster currently consists of Tonnage, 20 Dollar Love, The Ugly Fat Kids, The Dunwich Whores, Poney, The Skullcranes and If You Want Blood.
It's apparent Tonnage draws heavily on influences such as noise-core legends Unsane and the Melvins, but the band wouldn't have it any other way.
"Unsane is one of my favorite bands and we just create the music we love," Bartell said.
They don't really care if you don't like their music, but if you do, they'll thank you and be happy to give you a free CD at one of their shows.
"If people come to one of our shows, they are going to walk away with something. We create music to give it away and share with people," Bartell added.
Performing live is something Tonnage takes pride in and it shows. Their live shows are tight, loud and energetic. There are no rock star attitudes with this group either; having a good time seems to be the primary focus.
"We bring the house party to the bar," Moen said with a smile.
Being at a Tonnage show definitely is a fun, positive atmosphere, not unlike a house party with friends. Everybody just wants to have a good time and it's certainly not difficult to make new friends over a beer or maybe a shot at the bar.
Tonnage plays extensively around the Twin Cities, primarily at some of their favorite venues such as Club Underground, Big V's and the 7th St. Entry. But they're no strangers to the road either, and they tour the Midwest as much as possible.
One of their favorite memories of this past summer was driving to Des Moines, Iowa, to play at Hairy Mary's in 100 plus degree heat and high humidity. The show was with a band called Blood Cow. There weren't a whole lot of people in attendance, but the bands were good and Tonnage was paid $50 and a case of Schlitz. Warm Schlitz. Proving the band knows how to make a good time out of just about any scenario.
The future for Tonnage is wide open and they plan on putting as much effort and hard work in to their project as they can. Balancing family, work and other life commitments, Tonnage surges forward to record five or six new songs in December, once again with Adam Tucker (The Panzram Session).
Until the new material comes out, Tonnage would appreciate any and all to come out to one of their shows and check them out. And don't forget to pick up your free Tonnage CDs when you're there – you'll be glad you did.
www.tonnage.net |
