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KISSINGER
Me and Otto (WCI)
By Andy Smith
Kissinger has survived the slings and arrows
of self-reliant indiedom for eight years. During
that time, these four rock warriors have produced
two full-length records, an EP, and a 7-inch,
and have undertaken some fifteen regional and
national tours, all of which the band has done
completely without the benefit of label support
or management. In the beginning, Kissinger believed
in the brass ring of major labels, but lately,
says singer/guitarist/songwriter Chopper, the
band is focused more on the purely creative
rewards: "Now there is more of an internal
motivation to make great music instead of trying
to be rock stars."
 On
its latest record, Me and Otto, the band's second
full-length release (Charm was released in 2000),
Kissinger displays the confidence and polish
of a seasoned outfit. Produced by Robert Shimp,
known previously for his work with the Donnas,
Me and Otto is a big step forward in the development
of the band's chunky power-pop sound. Though
they were always one of the more image-conscious
and prolifically self-promoting bands in Austin,
Kissinger's earlier releases relied a great
deal on energy and attitude, but here the band's
chops, honed by years of playing together, shine
through. The songs are loaded with hooks as
always, but there is more refinement in the
arrangements, and guitarist Steve Garvey's work
as co-engineer certainly contributes to the
band getting the sound it wanted instead of
being subject to the whims of a house engineer.
Tying it all together is Chopper's songwriting
which leans heavily on both his love of the
Kinks (he cites Village Green Preservation Society
as a favorite) and a strong literary influence.
This shows through both in the cast of his own
characters that populate songs like "Sister
Vikki" and "Hannah," and in his
mining of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' Chronicle
of a Death Foretold for the lyrics to "Vicario."
The record's centerpiece, the almost Springsteen-esque
epic "Outta the Car," was influenced
by Chopper's own experience as the victim of
a armed carjacking, but aside from his personal
knowledge of the subject matter, the song's
story is entirely fictional. "I've always
felt that with fictional characters you can
really be more honest because the facts don't
get in the way," he says.
But if "Outta the Car" provides the
record's most ambitious moment, the title track,
which opens Me and Otto, is an autobiographical
battle cry where Chopper name-checks his fellow
band members while comparing life in a band
with an addiction to buying lottery tickets.
Is there a more apt metaphor for the life of
a working musician?
Ironically, Kissinger has recently been able
to cash in a lottery ticket of sorts. The band
was recently awarded a $15,000 grant as part
of the Austin Music Foundation's incubator program
and can use the money to record and prepare
its next release as long as the record is completed
in the next 18 months. As a result, instead
of having to pack themselves into their trusty
van and go out on another string of grueling
tours, the band can focus on writing and recording
with a reasonable budget and few concerns about
running up major debt. What it also guarantees
is that it won't be five years before we see
Me and Otto's successor, and thank goodness
for that. Me and Otto is available from Kissinger's
online store.
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