Drums & Tuba
Battles Ole
(Righteous Babe Records)

Drums & Tuba is a self-proclaimed rock band, but the group defies most labels.
The trio is made up of Tony Nozero (drums), Brian Wolff (tuba) and Neil McKeeby (guitars). Together, they create big, expansive music that’s a mix of rock, jazz and electronica. There’s some other stuff thrown in there as well.

The group’s third CD on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe label, “Battles Ole” even features something different for the group – vocals. Nozero and Wolff add their voices to the recording. The music, however, is still largely instrumental, and it continues to lean toward the experimental.

“Battles Ole” begins with a few short, mournful toots from the tuba, but the CD quickly turns into something more challenging and tense when drums and other assorted sounds are introduced and build on top of one another. Hazy vocals appear about three minutes into the first song.

Another track starts off dark and edgy, but the song gradually changes into something much more romantic. Drums & Tuba has a flair for dramatic composition, and many of the band’s songs go through a transformation midway. Listeners never know where Drums & Tuba will take them.

Guest musicians Ben Ellman on saxophone, Rich Vogel on organ and Molly Pate on French horn appear on a song or two. As a result, the music features an unusual assembly of instruments not to mention the different noises and touches that the band throws in. - D. Kimura