Cactopus

by Dana Mastrangelo

Locals are thrilled Durango native band Cactopus is returning to Colorado for the summer, having recently moved to Austin. The dark and whimsical art-rock four piece has a talent of producing music with a multitude of different influences. Each song has the capacity to incorporate various genres into one cohesive sound, from jazz-fueled upright bass riffs to experimental tempo and chord progression alterations. Popular for their skillful original work as well as covering musicians ranging from Modest Mouse to Britney Spears, Cactopus released their 5 song EP Pesticide Paradise in April of 2014.

This summer will be spent performing locally and rehearsing for their upcoming album, which is to be recorded beginning in July. Their EP followed a semi-political, nihilistic, yet lighthearted analysis on the state of the world, and their upcoming 12 track album- the title yet to be revealed- follows a specific story line with alterations of viewpoints but consistently tells a tale of a protagonist named Scotty. One song from their EP, “Hallucinating At A House Party”, has made its way onto their album, the lyrics depicting a juxtaposition of sensuality and ere. “Her nails are rusty/But her fingers are soft”. Whether Cactopus is performing at Animas City Theatre, a local bar, or a house party, hips are bound to swing, fingers snap with enthusiasm, and clothes tend to disappear. To find their music online, visit https://soundcloud.com/cactopus-2. - Tim Wenger

What is a Cactopus? Some say it’s a cactus with eight legs, others say it’s a spine-covered octopus that lives in the desert.

Turns out it’s a local psychedelic funk punk band.

Cameron Beamer (vocals and guitar); Madeleine Froncek (bass, banjo and vocals); Travis Moore (guitar and bass) and Mark Sturdevant (drums) began playing together four years ago in Durango.

Beamer and Moore played in the band Frisky Business their freshman year of college. They met Froncek at a jam session shortly before Moore returned to Austin, Texas.

“The first night I was back in Durango,” says Moore, “we played our first show,” and the band, Cactopus, was born.

Sturdevant joined the band after seeing them play, “I met them after the show and told them I was going to be their drummer.”

The band has a uniquely dark and whimsical sound, set over upbeat bass and percussion. Drawing from folk, reggae, metal, country, psychedelic, punk and hip-hop, their music has an eclectic feel with a fantastic rhythm that invites people to dance.

They will be releasing their first full length album, “Scotty Found a Rocket,” on Friday.

“The album is structured as a storybook, beginning and ending with a folk song,” says Beamer. “It’s about a guy who goes crazy and decides he wants to fly a spaceship to the moon.”

The album is progressive. Many of the songs fall under the style of “swing grass metal,” taking inspiration from bands from the White Stripes to Belle & Sebastian. It tells the story of Scotty, who mentally cracks during his first year at Harvard. The songs are all told from different perspectives and shows scenes of new, post-apocalyptic worlds and the inner workings of a broken mind.

The album composition is impeccable, each song complementing and building on the one before, while being extremely different. Some songs mix blues beats with banjo melodies (“Hallucinating at a House Party”), while others consist of heavy metal guitar riffs paired with funky vocals (“Sterile Faces”). The result is an upbeat, unique album that invites listeners to dance.

“Scotty Found a Rocket” will be on sale at the Animas City Theatre release party for $10 or a download code can be purchased for $7.

Cactopus has spent the past few weeks touring Texas and Colorado and is excited to return home to Durango for the album release party at 9 p.m. Friday at the Animas City Theatre. They will be playing with Baconsteins Monster, a local funk band, showcasing songs from their new album while also playing songs from their EP, “Pesticide Paradise.”

“Scotty Found a Rocket” and homemade merchandise will be available for purchase at the show. - Durango Herald