Tri-polar
Tri-polar
© 2005 TRI-POLAR (751937271628)
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A cross between "old school" AC/DC and Aerosmith combined with the more modern sounds of Queens of the Stone Age.
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The highly-anticipated debut album from Tri-Polar is out now! Containing ten original tracks plus a cover of AC/DC's "Walk All Over You," this bombastic disc offers grinding riffs, heavy-hitting beats, and a raging vocal performance by Montoya on every track.
After 10 years of putting the rock into pop/rock outfit Everclear, bassist Craig Montoya parted ways with the group looking for a new beginning. Montoya didn't have to look far to find willing and eager partners for his new project. Fellow rock legend Brian Lehfeldt (Sweaty Nipples, Wehrmacht) had been touring with Everclear for the last few years and the two shared a desire to get back to a more "rock n roll" vibe. So as soon as both departed Everclear they got together at Craig's studio and began working on a few songs that ultimately became the first Tri-Polar record. Along with Portland native Kevin Hahn (The Red Sector), the trio developed a sound described by one critic as "Deja-new", a cross between "old school" AC/DC and Aerosmith combined with the more modern sounds of Queens of the Stone Age.
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PRESS:
(taken from the Portland Tribune)
Montoya is ever clear of the past with new band Tri-Polar
Hunched over a beer in Sabala?s Mt. Tabor lounge, former Everclear bassist Craig Montoya doesn?t seem like a man who once performed nightly for thousands of screaming fans and played at the Woodstock music festival in 1999.
Laid-back, friendly and unpretentious, Montoya seems genuinely happy fronting a fairly obscure rock band that is just about to release its first CD on its own dime.
?Tri-Polar is a democracy,? Montoya says. ?Unlike Everclear, there is no one person who is in charge, or a control freak. We all work together and have input on the music. It?s been a long journey to get to this place.?
Montoya?s journey has been an interesting one, and the road has not always been smooth. Growing up in Spokane, Wash., a town he describes as ?dismal,? he reveled in the musical influences of his father and brother. He picked up the bass by process of elimination: ?I wanted to play the drums, but a drum set was too expensive. It was the ?80s, and everyone and his dog was playing the guitar. I didn?t want to be like everyone else, so I picked up the bass.?
He brought his bass to Portland a week before his 21st birthday and began playing with a band called Soulhammer, living the consummate Portland lifestyle by sharing a house with his bandmates and working a variety of day jobs to support his art. He left Soulhammer after a short time, and in 1992 he answered an ad in The Rocket that would change his life.
?I met Art (Alexakis, Everclear?s frontman) through that ad, and we started recording ?World of Noise? pretty quickly,? he says. ?Tim/Kerr Records released it, and it was picked up by Capitol Records. We got the advance, and I quit my job to go into the studio. When I was able to walk away from the daily grind, that was when I knew I?d made it.?
?Making it,? however, turned out to be a double-edged sword. ?1996 was really a blur,? Montoya says. ?At first, I was excited and happy; I was living out a dream.?
Things quickly turned sour. ?The backlash started pretty quickly. Art was a very controlling person. I felt like I had been given a good opportunity, but the reality was that the situation was very difficult.?
The difficulties continued for the next few years, with Everclear becoming increasingly fractured. Montoya spent most of his time with touring musician and former Sweaty Nipples drummer and vocalist Brian Lehfeldt. The two became close friends and shared their frustrations about what was becoming an increasingly volatile situation.
Despite the fact that much of his time in Everclear was marked by discord, Montoya describes it as ?a learning experience. It was part of my life, but it?s not who I am.? He is trying to break out of the shadow of being ?that Everclear guy,? and follow his passion for music. When he talks about his time in Everclear, he looks down and is circumspect; when asked about Tri-Polar, his face lights up.
?I?m really passionate about Tri-Polar,? he says with a grin. ?I?m not the greatest lyricist on Earth, but I?ve put my heart and soul into this band. The new record reflects all my emotions, but it?s essentially a really fun album.? The playful spirit extends to the story behind the band?s name. ?We had a big list of possible band names, and we went online to see which domains were taken. Tripolarmusic.com was available, and that was that. It was a very modern way to pick a band name.?
While the band?s method for picking its name might be cutting edge, the album is a fantastically old-school homage to its earliest and most important influences: Motörhead, AC/DC, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. ?We?re not trying to be anything we?re not,? says Lehfeldt, who kept in touch with Montoya after he left the Everclear tour and now plays drums in Tri-Polar. ?We?re a really rocking band, with a lot of enthusiasm for what we do. We celebrate hedonism and the spirit of rock and punk. We want to be dirty and dangerous and sexy. We?re totally unapologetic about believing rock ?n? roll should be about having fun and feeling good.?
Tri-Polar?s first record is certainly fun to listen to, and a celebratory vibe runs throughout. The 11 songs are short and sweet, with throbbing bass lines, pounding drums and howling vocals. The CD also features striking guitars courtesy of Scotty Heard, who has since left the band and been replaced by Kevin Hahn. There?s a theme of newfound freedom. When it?s jokingly suggested that the band play off the name of Mariah Carey?s latest album and call its new record ?The Emancipation of Craig,? Montoya just looks thoughtful.
?Maybe,? he says, ?maybe.?
reviews
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Rock the way it should be......
author: Brian Wigton.....ROCKIN'!! This should've been happening in the off times of the last few years with Everclear - may have put a little pressure on the ol' boss man (hehe). This is rock music! Another cd would be cool (I'd definitely buy it) and maybe getting to the midwest for some shows - specifically Columbus, Ohio, would be the sh_t! BUY this cd. It's cool. It's not pretentious. It just kicks ass!
VERY ROCK , VERY LOUD ; VERY RAW
author: AndreaVery good album , If you want a rock'n roll cd you have to buy it . Craig your music is very powerfull , i wait another disc like this!!! And maybe another cd with everclear . Bye !
good, solid album
author: Randyi was really pleased with this album. there's a few songs i'm not crazy about, but overall there's nothing wrong with it. if you're a fan of classic sounding hard rock, this is $10 well spent
nice, what more need be said.
author: danFeel like your hair is thinning? dont feel like you used to , in those teenage years, embarassed about thinning hair? FUCK THAT!!! TRI-POLAR can help. feel 20 years younger when you listen and soak in those hair defying tunes of TRI-POLAR. NOt only will it take you back to those days of rocking and head banging with a full head of hair,you just may... yes just may... sprout a few new hairs.. you never know.... good night all .. And may you all wake up with a full HEAD of hair.. and fist full of dollars
Freaking Awesome
author: AmandaGreat rock music and awesome lyrics. Great CD altogetger. Personally, I could listen to the CD for a long while and never get tired of it.
Just Awsome
author: hiroThis cd is stunningly great and brought me back from house/jazz world to rock'n roll. Yes, you gotta get this, and you will love it. Gonna rock you to bone!!
Stunning
author: hiroBrought me back from House/Jazz world to rock'n roll. Got to get this, and you'll love it. Will rock you to bone.
great stuff !
author: catattooThis Cd rocks, great vocals and instruments. Straight ahead hard rocking fun!
Fantasitc
author: Steven AndersonWhat a CD...its just great I can't stop listening. I wonder if i'm the first person in Scotland to like this band?
A Look Back at the Future of ROCK.
author: CHINASKITri-Polar offers songs that are melodic and powerful at the same time. This album never fails to deliver on it's promise. Good to the last note.
Raw and Unapologetic
author: SchizoTri-Polar's debut CD is rock-n-roll personified. 11 tracks of hard-hitting, passionate, old-school mayhem makes this album worth every penny. Tri-Polar is raw, genuine, powerful, and completely unapologetic. A must-buy for anyone who is afraid that rock has seen better days.
Rock out with your...
author: Lil' CheeseIt doesn't get any better than this!
Tri-Polar delivers stunning debut!
author: CD Baby (Alex)Taking its cue from the monsters of classic rock, here is a band that delivers loud, hard-hitting rock music that would fit in well alongside like-minded acts such as AC/DC, Motorhead, early Aerosmith and, to bring things up to speed, Queens of the Stone Age. From snarling vocals to the pounding of the drums, through the tremor-ing bass lines, or the scorching guitars, this is rock 'n' roll as it was meant to be played – unpretentious, fun, and with a message. And whether that message is anti- boy bands with guitars (Sum 41, etc.) or to just live life to the fullest, every word, backed by every note, rips through you like a freight train and makes you remember why rock ‘n’ roll meant so much to you – and why it still can.
Balls Rock Makes a Triumphant Return!
author: Eager To PleaseEvery song on this album is heavy and filled with amazing Basslines, Vocals and solid drumming. "If this wreck will roll" and "Glide" are definate high points. This album is what any rock fan has been waiting to hear from a new band for years.
rock isnt dead
author: Fuck Buddythis CD is nothing short if amazing, a breath of fresh air in this otherwise stale music climate. you wont find anything emo, or pretentious, or acoustic. nothing but rock the way god intended. tri-polar proves people can make a contribution to music without a production team, and without a gimmick.
This years must have album, 10/10
author: Stewart FoxIts been about a year in the making, and its been worth the wait! Every track on this album is a potential single. Craig, Brian, and Kevin deliver a hard hitting, balls to the wall rock album with fantastic riffs and melodies. Trust me, believe the hype.