Arts & Entertainment

Innovative band not for all fans 

By Bridget Brown
The Daily Cougar

If you like original Blink 182 or early Rancid, but not hip-hop, then you probably wonit like The Transplants. Although the illustrious Tim Armstrong of Rancid masterminded the entire project, which features the drumming of Blinkis Travis Barker, The Transplants doesnit sound like either of those bands in their early days. Rather, in an effort to break away from the punk genre, Armstrong decided to start a band with "lyrical content that everyone can relate to."

Estevan Oriol/ Hellcat Records

It would be wrong to call it rap-rock because that would automatically tie it in with Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit, and connecting anything Armstrong does to those bands is just ridiculous. However, The Transplants has all of the basic elements of rap and rock when you break it down. Armstrong uses reggae-infused drum-and-bass loops with a mix of screaming classic punk rock and hip-hop vocals to create a new and definitely, if nothing else, interesting sound.

Tim Armstrong and Rob Aston formed The Transplants in December 1999. 

"I had just moved to Los Angeles and was hanging out with Tim when he played me this beat that he had made on his Pro Tools system in his studio," Rob Aston said in a Hellcat press release. "It was incredible -- like nothing I had ever heard before. He asked if I could write vocals to it and, without hesitation, I said yes."

At first, Armstrong played all of the instruments himself, and the drum sections were made up of samples and loops. Soon the duo realized they needed a drummer to complete the sound, so they enlisted the best man they could find: Barker. The band said it only took Barker five hours to lay down the drum tracks and the self-titled debut album was born.

"We wrote songs that everyone can identify with for the most part. Thereis even a party song on the album," Aston said (referring to the song "Tall Cans in the Air"). "Donit jump to conclusions, though. Itis in no way a happy/fun song. Youire more likely to make an enemy than a friend with this one."

Itis true The Transplants is not for everyone, but if youire a fan of unique and refreshing music then you should at least give it a chance.

Catch The Transplants when it opens for Foo Fighters tonight at Reliant Arena. Yes, thatis right, as if seeing Armstrong and the gang wasnit cool enough, donit miss this great chance to see Foo Fighters live. I can vouch from personal experience that they put on a great show, well worth the $28.50.

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