A Rooster for the Masses: BeatCrave Fav of Month

Behold the power of the vote – your pick for BeatCrave Fav for the month of June is A Rooster for the Masses.

The Raleigh, North Carolina-based band is about as far from conventional as you can get - from their range of sound, to their overall message, to what is normally considered to be general history of band formation. We’re happy to report that there isn’t much general about A Rooster for the Masses – or AR4tM as they’re more commonly known to fans – and it seems that they prefer to be that way.

Let’s start with what would considered to be most simple, the make up of the band itself: each member – from frontman to drummer – goes by the name of Hank. It’s highly possibly that either they grew up in a really small town or  they’re just throwing things around for giggles – actually we wouldn’t put them past the latter. But along the same vein of  identity, the name A Rooster for the Masses seems to have been inspired by author David Sedaris, whose brother, Paul, is amusingly showcased in this excerpt from the story entitled You Can’t Kill the Rooster:

“The Rooster” is what Paul calls himself when he’s feeling threatened. Asked how he came up with that name, he says only, “Certain motherfuckers think they can fuck with my shit, but you can’t kill the Rooster. You might can fuck him up sometimes, but, bitch, nobody kills the motherfucking Rooster. You know what I’m saying?”

Seriously, those things have talons. They’re loud, they like to get with the ladies, and they’re persistent; it’s arguable as to whether or not a more appropriate name could have been chosen. What the story provided AR4tM as far as ’what’s in a name’, the state of the union in 2004 charged them in the realm of lyrical substance. It would be wrong to not think the state of the United States a heated and complex topic of discussion prior to the re-election of then President George W. Bush. In the two years to follow their formation, it was the aftermath of sizable build-up towards governmental decision-making that assisted in the production of the AR4tM’s debut EP, Gallo Rojo, an effective introduction of themselves providing listeners with an opportunity to concur, to see things differently during a high-tension then-current state of affairs - or to simply just enjoy the seamless genre variation showcased on the album, released in 2006.

AR4tM holds the knack to rock the alt.rock-reggae-ska-shoe gaze-psychedelic scene simultaneously and without explanation, just because they can. Prior to any album or EP, AR4tM had stayed loyal to the greater North Carolina area, playing regional shows, and building a repore with the audiences that have given them the most support over the years. Their follow-up full-length album, Broken Era, was released in 2008, not missing a beat in the providing ample political and social commentary to most anyone inside or outside the college radio station circuit. No matter the sustained regional quality of their shows, AR4tM has made sure that their music is readily accessible, which - based on the food-for-thought sensibility that permeates their sound - works out of consideration for whoever is listening, if not merely for the advancement of their personal endeavors as a band.

Taking on serious themes with colorful undertones takes a calloused yet enlightened understanding of the world; when displayed alongside the ability to strike a chord from the indie to the alt.rock scene, it’s apparent that we’ve got a force to be reckoned with on our hands. We’d be lying if we didn’t at least mention the slight envy that those back east have pretty much had them for themselves these last few years, but we’re glad to have been given what we have, which has proven to be more than we could ask for – to feature them as your pick of the month of June in our BeatCrave Fav series.

Let your voice be heard again during the month of July - be sure to cast your vote in our BeatCrave Fav poll every Friday!

Photo via Reverbnation