ARMS OF KISMET: Cutting Room Rug

Arms of Kismet

Cutting Room Rug

© 2005 Wampus Multimedia (634479084836)

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Brooding and poppy, funny and foreboding, it's toe-tapping, tragicomic rock 'n' roll.

notes

If Arms of Kismet's 2004 debut, Eponymous, was a heartfelt affirmation, the new Cutting Room Rug is its prankster twin, fusing parodic rants with tragic laments in a playful cocktail of satire and sincerity. From the mischievous "Clover" to the ominous "Coil," the new CD is a dark joyride, careening from track to track like a condemned man in a funhouse. Its inhabitants can only cry at weddings, can only laugh at funerals.

Fans of postmodern popsters like Beck, The Flaming Lips, and The Postal Service will find a kindred spirit in Arms of Kismet. Cutting Room Rug forsakes pimpin' and rides for pointed salvos wrapped as sweet confections. Split into three "acts," it attacks with guitars, hooks, and dancebeats, wooing the listener with sugary, stuck-in-your-head melodies and fractured lyrics. The format recalls The Firesign Theatre and The Who Sell Out, veering between spiritual yearning and crass commercialism, compelling passers-by to forget their troubles and "spin the wheel." It sketches a perilous, chaotic world begging for a skip and a chuckle.

Arms of Kismet blends disparate genres ("roots" music, '80s rock, hip-hop) in offbeat and revelatory ways. From the hooky "Outbound Train" to the folky "Life Imitates" to the house-soaked "Cracks," it paints a fast-changing landscape where one never knows what ripping good luck or bitter misfortune waits over the next hill. Brooding and poppy, funny and foreboding, it's toe-tapping, tragicomic rock 'n' roll.

Cutting Room Rug was written and produced by Mark Doyon, mastered by Jon Astley (Tori Amos, George Harrison, Pete Townshend), and released by independent label Wampus Multimedia. Guests include Kowtow Popof ("Life Imitates") Janna Audey ("Coil"), Eamon Loftus ("Auriculara [Listen to Me]"), Scott Goodrick ("Clarendon"), and Paul Golder ("Auriculara [Listen to Me]").

Doyon released CDs as Wampeters during the 1990s, and published a book of fiction, Bonneville Stories, in 2001. He thinks of Cutting Room Rug like a jigsaw puzzle. "Sometimes the puzzle falls off the table," he says. "You can put it back together, or you can do something else with the pieces."

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"Witty, idiosyncratic indie-rock that is to a band like Maroon 5 what a film like Sideways is to one like Miss Congeniality 2.... Zealously off-center, moderately acidic, daringly intellectual and vastly entertaining.... These are songs to not just listen to, but explore, a series of musical masks donned by an artist with keen insight and an outsized sense of playfulness." --Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault

"This disc just sucks you in with its unabashed joy.... Cutting Room Rug is one of those albums that your hipster friends will swear by and which you will inevitably discover by accident about three years from now. Save everyone the lag time and buy the disc now. That decision will make you cooler than you have any right to be. Rating: A." --Groovevolt.com

"Arms of Kismet features the genius of Mark Doyon. This stuff is so good that it almost defies explanation. On the surface, it's great power pop. A little below the surface is a whole other species of musical madness." -- Mike Perazzetti, The Fevered Brain of Radio Mike

"The music of Arms of Kismet is about as enigmatic as its name makes it sound. This is alternative rock, but it's not loud, angry or weird. Instead, it's intelligent, insightful and warm. Oddly enough, it's edgy music that somehow makes you feel good." --Dan MacIntosh, Indie-Music.com

"Led by Mark Doyon, Arms of Kismet find themselves among Virginia's rising stars of postmodern rock. The fearless genre-bending makes a stop on the Dylanesque travel tale, 'Outbound Train,' which Bob would probably not just love but loathsomely curse that he didn't write two or three decades ago. Interesting and fun, go grab this as it's an even better album than their debut of a year ago. (Editor's Pick)" --Smother.net

"Cutting Room Rug is full of mysterious, atmosphere-laden joyrides, where you never know just where the train is taking you. Transitioning into tracks such as 'Cracks,' 'Outbound Train,' and 'Clover' are perfect examples of this, stringing you along in one direction then suddenly veering hard right, jolting you into another path altogether. The highly danceable 'Pinnacle of Same' finds Arms of Kismet in yet another atmosphere, making listeners hip-hop and toe-tap to its groovy drum beat and deep bed of cheerful keyboards." --AntiMUSIC

"Full of quirky, off-center, witty tunes about everything from returning to the childhood neighborhood to just listening. With Arms of Kismet you get those same 'what the hell did he just say?' and 'what the hell does that mean?' feelings you get when listening to Dylan or Lou Reed. This is some pretty heady stuff but it's fun all the same." --J.R. Oliver, Ear Candy

"Mark Doyon is back with a follow-up to his well-received Eponymous CD.... The recording is great once again, solid as a pop rock. A good mix of acoustic and electric sounds. Mark's songwriting style is catchy and witty and he's adventurous enough to add little elements that really differentiate and suit the songs while remaining true to his foundation sound. Lyrics are once again challenging and a bit esoteric, but easy to listen to and discern." --Steve Allat, The Muse's Muse

"Cutting Room Rug is, if anything, even better than Eponymous. 'Postmodern pop for the stout of heart' goes the press release, and to my ears this CD is more eclectic than the first. 'Listen to Me' begins and ends the record and one wonders why we're not hearing this song every day on the radio. What follows ('Outbound Train') is more rockabilly in style, and a song that George Harrison and the Traveling Wilburys would have been proud of (as is 'Clarendon'). 'Clover' starts off as a blues with a name check of 'Rosedale'.... 'Life Imitates' is a Petty-like folk ballad. The clever wordplay continues on 'Cracks' with its ominous 'house' feel." --Zeitgeist

"These songs are fun to hear, but they are also thought-provoking, especially when you read/hear the lyrics. The tracks are deceptively complex in rhythm and musical quality.... Mark Doyon is a talented songwriter, and a gifted musician/producer. You need to hear the tunes that he is laying down here to gain a full appreciation of that fact." --Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com

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reviews

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  • Absolutely Kick-Ass!
    author: JT Bowman

    Another fantastic record from Arms of Kismet. "Cutting Room Rug" is a pop-rock journey -- a sonic, rolling, engaging, melodic trip of a CD -- straight out of the box from Track 1 "Listen to Me," through Track 10 "Pinnacle of Same." One of the best CDs I've heard this year. A blend of hook and perfect lyric -- "Cutting Room Rug" -- just awesome. You'll need a copy of the CD for the car, and your home player.

  • Exotic, haunting, fabulous – highly recommended!
    author: Shelly A. Good-Cook

    Each unique song is tied to the rest by steadfast lyrical prowess and the album as a whole is like a gathering of kindred souls. Definitely alternative but with flavorful undertones from other genres – did I detect a hint of bluegrass? I’m going to enjoy this CD tonight with a glass of Gewertzerminer.

  • Another winner from AoK
    author: Grahame Davies

    Once again Mark Doyon aims high and hits the mark. The depth of Mark's vision and his ability to meld a broad variety of styles and traditions continue to impress. Buy with confidence that you'll be challenged, but in that fun way.

  • Eclectic and innovative!
    author: Laura T Lynch of Kweevak.com

    Cutting Room Rug is an eclectic mix of traditional rock structures with modern techniques amid hints of hip-hop, pop and 80's rock. Mark describes his diverse music as "postmodern pop". He writes clever, visual lyrics that are somewhat serious yet the musical arrangements are often playful, propelled by guitars, hooks and danceable tempos. Mark has a versatile vocal range from nasally to crisp and clear. The CD opens with 'Auriculara' with its stark instrumentation and vocals before the drum and other whimsical sounds pick up the pace. At the next bridge, the guitar joins in to support the hook line and lots of innovative textures, setting the imaginative tone for the following ten tracks. 'Outbound Train' has a snappy rhythm that creates the sensation of movement and abrupt stops very much like a musical subway. The vocals are layered as they coo about travel and meeting someone new. 'Coil' slithers on a slow groove combined with striking guitar work. Doyon's vocals start low just above a whisper and builds up as the song expands. Cutting Room Rug is an innovative mix of moods and styles that is gripping from the first evocative key to the last brooding note!

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