Trenchmouth

A completely uncategorizable quartet from Chicago that combined the talents of Damon Locks (vocals, percussion), Fred Armisen (drums), Chris DeZutter (guitar), and Wayne Montana (bass), Trenchmouth released four LPs during their existence that bounced from genre to genre with the predictability of a bumper pool billiard ball. In roughly six years, the band romped through countless strains of rump-shaking music forms, including no wave, post-punk, funk, and reggae. Provided they moved the body, Trenchmouth let all their influences in with open arms. While earlier work like Construction of New Action was more guitar based, they concentrated on the low end with increasing reliance toward the end of their existence, as on 1996's dub-saturated Broadcasting System. The band broke up after that release, with Locks and Montana continuing with the Eternals; Armisen went on to develop a lengthy resumé as a comedic performance artist. Each of Trenchmouth's albums are rewarding, blending the spirit of punk with expert execution of the diverse styles tackled.