Boxbomb Feature

Boxbomb

February 28, 2005

The stories and rhymes of the immortal Dr. Seuss have given us a vast amount of paradigms for everyday life.  “Green Eggs & Ham” encouraged us to try new things.  “The Cat in the Hat” addressed the uneasiness one might feel when faced with a choice between right and wrong.  “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” served as a motivator for the journey through life.  Everyone can find some moral codified in one of these enduring storybook exemplars.  Such is the case for Triangle-based quartet Boxbomb, who pulled their title from a peculiar name mentioned in a Seuss classic.

 “(Guitarist) Rob was reading ‘Oh the Places You’ll Go!’ to his girlfriend, when he found the name Buxbaum at the end.  He pronounced it Boxbomb, and we thought it sounded good,” guitarist and vocalist Ryan Gustafson says.

Ryan, along with lead guitarist Rob Mcfarlane, drummer and backup vocalist Justin Holder and bassist Rosean Alexander, pulled the act together in the spring of 2003 and have been steadily developing their art ever since.  With an eclectic assortment of cross-genre influences, Boxbomb is offering our local scene a characteristic sound, harkening back to the glory days of grunge. 

“We classify our music as moody rock with chill moments, but it can’t accurately be categorized,” Mcfarlane says.

While Boxbomb may feel their sound is immune to the musical taxonomy that afflicts numerous Triangle groups, many have labeled them an Our Lady Peace reproduction, the primary emphasis being placed on vocals. 

When asked about this undesirable nomenclature, Gustafson said, “I wasn’t really going for that sound.  It just kind of came out that way.  But I like the label.  Our Lady Peace is awesome.”

Unfavorable typecasts aside, the aural mood Mcfarlane, Gustafson and Alexander generate is reminiscent of the emo-lords Sparta, and frequently echoes the ambience of early Radiohead.  Couple that with a bluesy approach Holder brings to the drums, you’ve got a distinctive unit poised to re-sketch the illustration of mainstream rock. 

“Most of mainstream music sucks,” Holder says.  “In about 5 years it’ll get better though.”

Clearly disenfranchised with the state of conventional music, Boxbomb is pushing to expand beyond the social norms placed on an “integrity-deprived” industry.  Their means of renovation?  Lyrics and sundry musical approaches.

When asked about the lyrical theme of Boxbomb, Gustafson says, “We’re trying to open people’s minds.  We want our fans to think outside of the box.  My lyrics indirectly promote peace.”

The band has just finished a 6-song EP, recorded partially with Go Studios, that is due sometime in March. 

Boxbomb will be co-headlining a show tonight at The Brewery along with Ashwin, The Fight and Classic Case.  Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 7:30.  

So, as the good Dr. Seuss would say, “You’ll find the bright places where the Boom Bands are playing!”

-Posted with permission from Laura Wilkinson, Editor-in-Chief of The Technician