What's this band all about? What's been at the heart of every Ian
Svenonius-led band? What are his intentions? Does he have any?
If he does, he's certainly clever enough to disguise them in satire
or flaunt them in excess. And if he doesn't, we'll make them up for
him.
But one thing seems clear: this longtime underground punk-rock hero
wants to cream the scene — not meaning he wants to rise to the
top and win it over, but meaning he wants to actually kill it.
How does he create music in an environment he so badly wants to
destroy? Easy. It is such animosity that actually turns the wheels
for Svenonius, driving both his former bands (Nation of Ulysses, The
Make-Up and Weird War) and his current (Scene Creamers).
But what spins out of the turning wheels is sometimes perplexing: Is
he serious, sarcastic, satirical or what? Is he making fun of
himself? Is he making fun of the "scene"?
This much is certain: The wheels are always turning and racing,
churning out ideas and sounds that at once birth and oppose the
"scene."
The Scene Creamers' debut album, I Suck On That Emotion, might
be paradoxical, satirical, political, even sentimental. It's mostly
likely a combination of all that; an amalgam of thoughts, theories
and feelings that's fun for the listener to explore. Better yet, the
sentiments are wrapped up in sounds that, too, travel varied terrain.
Remaining within the realm of rock 'n' roll, the album dabbles with
punk, psychedelic, funk and garage. Led by Svenonius' distinctive
singing that moves from attitude-driven throaty wails to light,
high-pitched croons, the record swaggers and struts at a confidently
laid-back pace, gets an edgy feel from some dirty guitar riffs and
stomping trashy beats and an airy side from the shimmering tambourine
shakes.
We'll probably never know what the Scene Creamers — Svenonius
alongside bassist Michelle Mae (who also played in The Make-Up and
Weird War), guitarist Alex Minoff (Golden, Six Finger Satellite) and
drummer Blake Brunner — actually stand for. Hell, they're not
even sure themselves and that's beside the point anyway. Forget the
"scene" and make one up of your own.
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