Also this issue:

Aimless by Design
Indie elders Yo La Tengo finally get their day in the Sun.
-Sam Adams

Klasik Sundayz
-Ainé Ardron-Doley

Levon Helm & The Barn Burners
-Nicole Pensiero

The Postal Service
-Paul Burress

Dave Holland Quintet
-Kyle Parker

Assemblage 23
-Helen Thompson

Kevin Burke
-Mary Armstrong

Evgeny Kissin
-Peter Burwasser

April 17-23, 2003

music

Prcss of Elimination

Estranged rock band converges on Philly and drops the vowels.

by Maura Johnston

The first question that comes to mind when learning the new name of the artists formerly known as S Process is: What happened to the vowels?

"Vowels are so overrated," says Daneil Mazone, e-mail representative and drummer for the now local band that now goes by S Prcss. Mazone, Bob Doto and guitarist/DJ-about-town Julian Greffe make up the band’s core. For their last record, More Me, the three were more far-flung; only Greffe was living in Philadelphia."In the past, we wrote songs through the mail by sending cassette tapes back and forth with pieces of songs on them," says Mazone.

Mazone and Doto moved to Philadelphia (from Boulder, Colo., and Providence, R.I., respectively) last year. Continues Mazone, "Now we have a much more traditional songwriting process, where Bob writes the lyrics and the majority of the music, and presents it to Daneil for editing, which Bob resents to this day. Daneil loves to edit and Bob hates to be edited."

Their latest disc, MNML is 45 minutes of rock wound so tight every shift in the tension is audible. It’s a tension that goes way beyond the usual writer/editor hate-love relationship; MNML has a minor-keyed ferocity about it that recalls Mission of Burma and Sub Pop-era Soundgarden. Guitars shimmer darkly, like rain on a spring Philly night, on "Hi-Ya is a Karate Chop" while the fluffy New Order-on-repeat backdrop of "Our Bikes are Silver. Her Bed is Hers" belies the nihilistic, commanding lyrics barked by Doto.

S Prcss just returned from touring with Les Savy Fav, whose lead singer Syd Butler released MNML on his Frenchkiss label. The band will record one more album for Frenchkiss. Future plans include a cover of "Sex Type Thing," the first single from ’90s "alternative" stalwarts Stone Temple Pilots. Mazone, a big STP fan, will take over Scott Weiland’s duties. Her casually menacing vocals on the Six Finger Satellite shout-out "Spring Garden Drive-By" makes one wonder how much creepiness she will add to STP’s ode to sex and stalking.

One thing is certain; this will not be one of those "ironic" covers that have plagued many a college radio playlist. "I recently made Bob go see STP with me in Philly," Mazone said. "It was one of the best nights of my life."

The fourth slot in the band -- the one where the bass player goes -- has been filled by more than a dozen people since Mazone and Doto founded S Process in 1996. The April 18 show at the First Unitarian Church will be current bassist Timothy Loftus’ last show with S Prcss -- he’s moving to Colorado. The Clocks’ Rick Mitchell will take over bass duties for the band’s summer commitments.

After that? "Who knows?" says Mazone. "If anyone is interested in playing bass, please contact us. Those who apply need to feel comfortable with being in a band and having no say."

S Prcss plays Fri., April 18, 7:30 p.m. $10, with And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Erase Errata and City of Caterpillar, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 800-594-8499.