Steel Train

Posted by Steven Robertshaw on 10-Mar-08 @ 04:42 PM

HQ: Teaneck, NJ
NOW PLAYING: Trampoline (DRIVE-THRU; drivethrurecords.com)
WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Because what other band can you name who has a fanbase that encompasses hippies, punks and indie rock elitists? Plus, if you didn't like Steel Train's debut album, don't feel bad. They didn't either.
YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: The Format / Apollo Sunshine / Dr. Dog

STORY: Jonah Bayer
PHOTO: Chris Chrisman

There are a lot of misconceptions about Steel Train. For example, although they've toured alongside frat-friendly acts like O.A.R., they're no longer a jam band-and alternately, while they share a label with bands like Something Corporate, they're far from pop-punk. However, perhaps the biggest fallacy about Steel Train is that although at one point they sold personalized rolling papers as merch, they're not stoners.

"I don't think there's anyone more sober than me in the world; it literally wouldn't be possible," explains frontman Jack Antonoff over a plate of steak frites at a Manhattan restaurant. "Still, we have kids who have gotten tattoos with our band name and pictures of drugs under it." Admittedly, listening to the band's 2005 debut Twilight Tales From The Prairies Of The Sun, it's understandable why Steel Train's fanbase would have a penchant for marijuana leaf tattoos; however, the band claim their new album Trampoline is less of an evolution than it is an accurate representation of who Steel Train truly are.

"We recorded our first album four years ago, and it came out two years later and we were not psyched on it," explains bassist Evan Winiker. "We weren't psyched when we finished it," Antonoff clarifies, "but we're almost pleased with the commercial failure of the first album because if it had sold any more copies, the task of removing ourselves from it would have been harder." So in an attempt to distance themselves from their past, the band holed up with renowned rock producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182) to record Trampoline, which is a diverse pop album that's got more in common with the Beach Boys and Beatles than, say, Disco Biscuits.

For example, the swinging piano-fueled opener "I Feel Weird" shows Antonoff musing about 9/11 over a backdrop of music that's so upbeat you'll hardly notice the opening line is "When I was 18 and everything was alive..."; "Alone On The Sea" is an epic, orchestral rock song featuring backing vocals from the Format's Nate Ruess; the psychedlic guitar romp "School Is For Losers" showcases the band's technical prowess; and the austere closer "Women I Belong To" sounds like Jackson Browne and is ironically optimistic despite the fact it centers around loss and loneliness. "The whole point of this record is for it to be an inspiring statement" Antonoff responds when asked about the bleak-and often morbid-lyrical content of Trampoline. "Without sounding egotistical, I hope someone would hear the stories on this record and feel uplifted instead of feeling terrible," he continues, adding that listening to the Mountain Goats motivated him to explore that dichotomy. "It's a difficult thing to pull off, but I think even if this record sounds like it came from a darker place than the first one, it came from a moment of clarity."

In the end, Steel Train just hope people will give them a second chance-and if you're not into it, well, the band could care less.

"If someone listens to this record and doesn't like it, then I could really give a shit," Antonoff plainly states. "With the last record, if someone didn't like it, I wanted to call them and be like, 'You don't understand, this isn't how it was meant to sound. But on this record I think it's all there. We couldn't have hoped for anything more." ALT UNDER THE INFLUENCE "I think THE FORMAT's DOG PROBLEMS is an amazing record because we grew up playing with them, and it's really inspiring to hear how much they've progressed," says Steel Train singer/guitarist Jack Antonoff. "They took it to the next level, and that's what we're trying to do, too." ALT