Classifying The Pilfers is every musicologists nightmare. Anyone willing to try should check out their show Sunday evening when they open for The Pietasters at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit.
For lack of a better label, the group is usually lumped into the category of third wave ska. They combine traditional Caribbean rhythms and horn arrangements with elements of metal, hard-core and rap. What also separates the Pilfers from many of their third wave counterparts is the band's musical message, "Elevate your mind, body and soul."
Coolie Ranx, the Pilfers' lead singer, reiterated this theme and related it to his own life in a recent interview.
"I just think about what I know and what I feel and that is elevation," he said.
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| Courtesy of Mojo Records The Pilfers bring a combination of ska, metal and rap to St. Andrews Hall. |
Each of The Pilfers five members adds a distinctive element to their sound. Ranx, former front man for The Toasters, has a singing style that blends traditional Jamaican toasting, which is similar to rap, with the performance energy of contemporary hip hop. The band also features trombonist Vinny Nobile, who shares vocal and lyric writing responsibilities with Ranx. Formerly of Bim Skala Bim, Nobile made a name for himself by providing the horns for two tracks on the first Suicide Machines album, "Destruction By Definition." Bass player Anna Milat and drummer James Blanck constantly churn out variations on old style Caribbean rhythms with fusions of funk and rock laying a solid foundation for the music. Also in this mix is guitarist Nick Bacon, who effortlessly shifts from intense bone-crushing riffs to soft romantic two-tone ska melodies. It is this intense mix that helped push The Pilfers to the forefront of the underground ska scene.
The Pilfers now stand at an interesting crossroads in their musical existence. Given the nature of the group's success as independent artists, they might not be an unknown commodity for very long. That is one probable result of the recent release of "Chawlaleng" on Mojo Records, a division of Universal Music. Prior to the bands singing with Mojo, they were self promoting their first CD "Jan 01/12:00/98" which sold more than 10, 000 copies despite being only available at their shows and on their Web Site, www.pilfers.com.
Ranx discussed the band's recent shift, and explained how it won't intervene with the group's musical direction. "We play what we want to play," he said. "It has nothing to do with the record label. The record label can say 'Oh we like that song,' and we say, 'that's cool, but were not doing that again.'"
As a result of their deal with Mojo, The Pilfers are being exposed to the promotional aspect of the music industry. "The easiest part about being a musician is just going up on the stage and singing, but in the business end you do have to promote yourself," Ranx said.
Fellow Mojo Records artists The Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Reel Big Fish have enjoyed considerable mainstream success since their albums' migration to the Mojo label. This was spearheaded by constant radio play and the popularity of their music videos. Ranx appears to understand the implications of this, but pointed out, "I'm not a video dude, I'm not that guy. I dread that part of it. But I'm sure there will be a video, because that's what comes along with the territory." His main concern is how the view of the music will change with the introduction of the visual media.
"I don't want to be shown in the wrong light," he said. "A lot of my songs are romantic, well some of them are, and I don't know what their going to do." He added, somewhat humorously "No chicks with thongs. Well, maybe one for me."
Beyond all the changes the Pilfers are still a group whose live shows have helped propel their career.
This Sunday would be the perfect time to check out the band "before they were stars" and see just how far they'll elevate their music.
10-20-99
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