-text-link.gif){kind=small}
press
MORE
THAN ZERO
Peter Moore , former singer-songwriter for the art-rock band Think Tree
and for nine years the frontman for Count Zero, has written some dense,
complicated, polyrhythmic songs in his day. What Moore would do with his
five bandmates is "foist" the songs on them. "I was a foister," he admits,
"but for this record [`Little Minds'] I tried to de-foist a little bit.
It made them feel more part of the process." To do this, he went up to
his figurative attic, dusted off some older songs, and "reupholstered"
them. (About half of the CD's 12.) The decision to mainstream the sound
a trifle, he says, "was probably not a conscious one. I wouldn't consider
these Count Zero songs years ago, but my vision has changed as the band
has changed. This is less high-tech, more of the organic." In "Hello Somebody,"
Moore sings, "This world it loves to pigeonhole/It helps the demons keep
control/Folks knock their heads but don't embrace the soul behind the
face." "It took a long time to write that song," says Moore. "It's about
general loneliness. Everyone feels alienated; we live in a world that
alienates us 24/7." Does music help break through? "Yeah, probably. .
. . Lyrics are reality therapy for me."
Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe
Ò[the
music of] those intriguing cats owes nearly as much to the guitar rock
of yore and the trippy grooves of Funkadelic as it does to RadioheadÕs
otherworldly electronic adventuresÓ
Hayley Kaufman, The Boston Globe
"stellar,
brilliantÉI canÕt do it enough justice in a reviewÉa mesmerizing trip
Count Zero hasÉ marvelously achieved a sound that is grounded in the elements
of warm, living and breathing rock musicÉmemorable choruses, pure melodies,
expressive and emotive vocals and musicianshipÉbeckons one into another
worldÉa welcome blast of true musical ingenuity.
Debbie Catalano, Soundcheck
ÒOne
of the most striking things about much of this material is the genuine
soul with which itÕs delivered. MooreÕs É.impressive rangeÉlends true
power to the hooks"
Pitchfork (on-line magazine)
ÒTake a listen to most of todayÕs rock music and youÕd think ambition and intelligence were dirty words. NotÉfor the band Count ZeroÉTheirs is hard, progressive rock with deep, heady grooves" Jim Sullivan, Boston Globe
"a
unique and innovative take on what pop and rock can beÉIf youÕre looking
for repetitive uninspiring angst rock, go elsewhere. If you want to hit
the bong and get messed with, then count to zero and blast off."
Joe Eich-Bonni, Weekly Dig
"Outstanding"
Gino Robair, Electronic Musician
ÒthereÕs
an appealing quality to its sound right from the dreamy mix of keyboard
melodies and chugging drums that kicks things off...Count ZeroÕs music
gives even the most removed diatribe's warmth and bounce. Much of thatÕs
in the careful web of bright melodies Moore has madeÉÓ
Ted Drozdowski, Boston Phoenix
ÒFinally
we come to the main course, Count Zero. What I heard was the perfect fix
for a case of drag-ass. Up-tempo pop, funky, chunky fun. Count Zero own
the stage and crowd, and they know it. Count Zero weave a tapestry of
in-yer-face bass, industrial synth blurbs and (no so) subtle guitar interaction.
Great stuff, and I will be back for more."
Brian Westbye, The Noise magazine (Boston)
ÒÉ songs are magicalÉ massively heavy and funky and with stellar vocal gymnastics from Peter. Steve Gisselbrecht, The Noise magazine (Boston)
ÒCount
Zero takes the reigns of the room's energy and steer it right into a frenzy.
Peter Moore, ably assisted by the confident Will Ragano, is the consummate
showman, and the pair lead this outstanding band through a too-short set
of edgy progressive rock. Swirling easily from spacey jams into straight-ahead
rock grooves, Count Zero prove once again that intelligence and risk-taking
are valuable commodities if you want to stand out. By the time Count Zero
go on, the room is packed. I'm a huge Count Zero fan, CZ put on a great
show. We also get "Good News," which always makes me happy, as Peter Moore's
vocal gymnastics on this song are inspirational.Ó
Lexi, The Noise magazine (Boston)
"Peter
Moore oozed rock-star charisma"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The
sound coming out of theÉspeakers knocked my fucking head off...haunting
sounds were shifting from speaker to speaker like ghosts. Drum loops combined
with live Bonhamesque grooves make me want to twist my girlfriend up like
a pretzel. But cooler than the production were the hooks. Mr. Moore has
writtenÉsongs you can sing to. And this is why Count Zero are in an electronica
league all their own."
Einstein, The Noise magazine (Boston)
Think
TreeÕs (Peter & WillÕs former band) Hire a Bird was listed as #18 on maverick
college radio station WZBCÕs top 93 songs in the past 25 years.
Count Zero subject of Matt GallagherÕs full-page "Pro-File" article in
February 2002 issue of the internationally distributed Electronic Musician
(attach).
The latest CD (Little Minds) was delayed as Peter washes the blue
off (he spent much of last year touring as the lead vocalist with the
Blue Man Group rock show and the year before that writing songs with fellow
Boston songwriter Bleu, one of which ended up on the Spiderman soundtrack).
Awards:
Finalist in 1997 WBCN rumble
Finalist in Independent Music World Series 1998
Best Live Band in Boston 1998 (The Noise Magazine)
Best Male Vocalist in Boston 1996-1998 (The Noise Magazine)
Best Guitarist in Boston (Will) 1998 (The Noise Magazine)
Discography:
Affluenza (1997)
Robots Anonymous (2001)
Little Minds
(2005)
