The Horseshoe Spatulas
Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Music
Press
The Spatulas are fun. I haven’t had this much fun with a record in a very long time. These are ten songs that remind us that music doesn’t have to take itself so damned seriously and that yes veronica, there are still good punk bands in Iowa. This record finds the Spatulas at their manic best, jumping all over their instruments like a tribe of over-caffeinated monkeys, hell-bent on world destruction. Grab this album for a cathartic listen after a ho-hum day at work to remind you that life is good. [4/5 stars] - Art Scene Magazine
The Horseshoe Spatulas' sound is a mash-up of '80s British metal - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest - and later punk acts such as The Vandals and Bad Religion. Their three-guitar lineup allows for surprising rhythmic complexity and a very interesting aural texture. Staffed by five guys with pseudonyms, the band has a deliciously wry sense of humor. In the best traditions of black humor, there's not much here that isn't funny, but it's all scary, too. The band's overt sociopolitical commentary is quite relevant, and is helped along by a fantastic liner featuring art by Drew Curry and Andrew Pratt. Live, they charge out of the darkness with a triple-guitar onslaught.... In every song they drop the hammer and don't stop pounding until the song's had all it can take. The band puts out a AAA sound - they could share the stage with one of their idols. If there's still hope for punk rock's future, this is it.
- Bill Cleary - Bill Cleary - Iowa State Daily
Discography
Unreleased:
1999 - 300 Squiggly - Full Length
2001 - Imitation Punk Rock Imitation? - Full Length
Self-Released:
2006 - Who's Next on the Doomsday Parade - Full Length
2009 [To be released] - Radio Frequencies of Love and Fear [EP]
Photos
Bio
**Update: "Room 108" music video has been selected to air nationally on FuseTV on Demand for May, 2009!**
Formed as a high school garage band in 1998, the Horseshoe Spatulas are one of the few (perhaps only?) punk rock bands from Des Moines, Iowa to have survived a full decade. Aside from crafting and continually honing their trademark "punk rock power metal circus" sound, the band members have spent the last ten years or so getting tattoos and having children. The eclectic group currently consists of a plumber, a law student, a computer programmer, a guitar builder, and a housing craftsman.
The band's music, while rooted in punk rock, has often incorporated power metal-esque guitar licks and aural theatrics that evoke imagery of a traveling lunatic carnival, all while spewing out biting--and often humorous--social commentary. The 2006 full-length release, "Who's Next on the Doomsday Parade?", is a shining example of this unique mashup of punk ethos, metal flair, and cartoonish sense of humor.
In their upcoming 2009 EP, "Radio Frequencies of Love and Fear", the Spatulas deliver a riffy, focused style of rock-oriented punk, complemented by introspective lyrical content and epic guitar work. Despite trying extremely hard to avoid adulthood, the Spatulas have transitioned from tongue-in-cheek roustabouts to grown men with strange shaving patterns and an acute interest in mankind's place in the cosmos. The new record finds the Spatulas tackling topics like parenthood, the work-a-day world, inner demons, and the nature of the universe. Though they would probably deny it, the guys have matured, and their music has matured right along with them.
The Horseshoe Spatulas have played countless live shows, and completed a midwest tour in 2007 to support their latest full-length release. They have shared the stage with a variety of national (and international) acts, including the following:
Reel Big Fish
Rise Against
The Toasters
The Briggs
The Groovie Ghoulies
The Dollyrots
The Suicide Machines
The Eyeliners
Links
