Spin This: Secret Machines

Ten Silver Drops

 by Ashley Harris
 published on Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Irony surrounds Secret Machines. They are the ultimate contradiction, having self-produced their albums Now Here is Nowhere and Ten Silver Drops while still being under Reprise Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. which boasts prominent acts like Green Day and My Chemical Romance. Producing their own music allowed the Dallas band to truly shape its sound -- from the heavy guitar riffs to even heavier synth. A definite must for fans of My Morning Jacket and Spoon. Self production also allowed the members to have creative control of their albums, including scrapping the first round of recordings for Now Here is Nowhere, and starting over in order to be satisfied. The band also boasts an impressive resume of "former bands," including The Polyphonic Spree lead singer Tim DeLaughter's first claim to fame, Tripping Daisy. They evolved from those earlier bands to being the two-piece Captain Audio, then escaped to New York City, lost a band member; gained two new ones and formed Secret Machines. Their new album doesn't drop in the United States until April 25, but the record debuted in the United Kingdom at No. 43, and soon leaked on the Internet. However, it is now (legally) available on iTunes (www.apple.com/itunes) and select songs are available to listen to on ...altogether now: MySpace.

Reach the reporter at ashley.e.harris@asu.edu.