Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to dismiss his contribution to the band. It’s just not entirely clear to me what he does. I know that he hits that chimes tree thing a lot during live shows, and sometimes he gets tangled in the chimes tree and it falls over and he gives it this look like it attacked him. Or he’ll bang on his guitar strings with a drumstick. And then he’ll have to urinate at some point during the set, and the audience is encouraged to cheer.
But how does he figure into the soundscape of At Mount Zoomer? Where is he weighing in? I’m not saying he’s not in there, somewhere, but where? Is it that breakdown in ‘Soldier’s Grin’ with the double-tracked guitars riding that open E, Crazy Horse-style? Is he responsible for those peripheral tones that haunt ‘FYC’? I concede that I am lazy about this stuff. It’s probably already out there somewhere on the internet. But I am willing to bet that if you’re the kind of person who can tell what he does, you’re also the kind of person who likes to tell other people.
Thank you in advance for your time.
June 9, 2008 at 2:17 pm |
actually, the chime tree has been reduced to a tamborine with chimes strung onto it…i think Dan once said that Dante is one of the most technical guitarists he knows who just makes it look so easy.
June 11, 2008 at 10:35 am |
you want to see what he does? Check out the videos on Youtube- Search La Sala Rosa
June 11, 2008 at 12:32 pm |
Thanks – that’s very helpful. Even though Spencer’s thigh is the most prominent feature in those clips, they are illuminating.
June 14, 2008 at 5:44 pm |
Hey Matt,
I don’t know that Dante is playing on the album — he hasn’t done any of the promo press, and it is unclear to me whether he’s a touring member or a full-time member.
In live shows he plays guitar and bass, and note the twin guitars all throughout AMZ. One of those [probably the left ear] could be Dante, or they could be Dan double-tracking.
Also, the songs on AMZ that do feature bass — e.g. FYC and Language City. Those could very well be Dante, especially as I only hear one guitar on those songs.
June 15, 2008 at 3:37 pm |
Jay -
This makes total sense. In live footage I am seeing him mostly doubling up Dan’s part, so I suspect you’re right.
July 18, 2008 at 1:29 am |
I saw Wolf Parade this past week and was wondering the same thing. he played the whole show with his back to the audience while chewing gum…somewhat pre-madonna-ish
July 24, 2008 at 11:08 am |
he is a “satellite” member. not an official member which basically means he tours and only occasionally plays in recordings.
August 4, 2008 at 12:18 am |
chews gum. plays barefoot.
August 4, 2008 at 9:57 am |
I would add to that list that he occasionally sings backup vocals, but instead of singing directly into the mic he rests his chin on its surface and sings ‘above’ it. This was his gesture of choice at a recent show at The Paradise in Boston, at any rate. I couldn’t tell if he was barefoot or not.
December 5, 2008 at 12:37 am |
dante decaro is brilliant. you will see. keep watching.
December 5, 2008 at 11:01 am |
I have no doubt about that – I saw him open for Wolf Parade a few years back as…I can’t remember the name of his band, but Arlen was holding down the drums. Anyway, I really liked what I heard. I just don’t know what he does in Wolf Parade.