Zoon Politikon - Krap Factory

Zoon Politikon

Krap Factory
self-released; 2015

​3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Pat Donovan (vocals/guitar), Joel Dallenbach (bass/vocals) and Kyle Carstens  (drums/vocals) are Zoon Politikon. They have played notable acts like The Apples in Stereo, The Rock Tots, and Jux County and recently released their debut EP Krap Factory. To be blunt I love this band and here's why. Everything about them reminds me of that band you would catch at the now extinct CBGB’s on a random night.

The band is loose, raw and just has a sound that is the polar opposite of the refined, overproduced music you find in the mainstream. From Sonic Youth to Television to Guided by Voices. There is something here that aligns with the aforementioned bands and you get the sense that these guys are jamming out in a confined space with amps that are ten years old and guitar strings that need to be replaced. It’s what rock music is all about and these guys capture that essence. 

The band kicks off with “Super Jerk” which is a fine song and basically has the same riff as “Fools Gold” by The Stone Roses but works just fine. You can hear a bit of The Stones in there along with some aspects of post-punk. It’s a fun, unpretentious song. He sings, “I'm jerkin' in your arms. I'm a super jerk. I'm jerkin' like a fish out of water. I'm jerkin' in your arms.”

Take some fuzz bass, jangly guitars and a swinging drum beat and you get “Shakin' With Fear.” I have no idea what Donovan was singing about but I liked it. He sings, “Make a new leader, he will be the tallest man. And he will tell me what to do, and he will teach me how to live.”

Next up is guitar centered “Jar Head.” I think it’s safe to say this song has a Yo La Tengo vibe. How can you not enjoy that? They close with “Anything Can Happen” which is a spoken word piece. I have to say I’m not a fan of spoken word pieces very much but at least Donovan tells a story about some hot number instead of hitting us with ambiguous blowhard poetry.

I would have liked to hear a little bit better production and recording quality the next time around. Nothing major just a bit more definition on the drums and some tweaking here and there. Overall this is a fun yet brief EP. I tip my hat my hat to these gentlemen and say good day.

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