Update (17 AUG 06): Nick Sakes has gone on to join Command Module as vocalist and Dave Erb now plays guitar in The Yoleus.
City Pages (Minneapolis Best Of issue)
In an area filled to the brim with extraordinarily talented musicians, it's no easy task to pick one single band that is "The Best." But Sicbay, having recently celebrated their seventh anniversary, are overdue for some well-deserved attention. Having released three full-length albums, an EP, and six split 7-inches with such notables as Deerhoof and Austria's Valina, the band have earned their place in the winners' circle. Spiking sophisticated compositions with a diamond-hard edge, Sicbay somehow remain quite catchy, consistently causing fans to sing along at their shows. On their latest full-length, Suspicious Icons, Dave Erb's lead guitar pulls you through each song as though he's giving you a tour of the scenery being laid out by singer Nick Sakes and drummer Greg Schaal. Sicbay bring so much focused energy to the stage that they put younger, showier compatriots to shame. Not that there isn't something spectacular about seeing a hiply dressed rock singer running around, throwing equipment, and creating general chaos, but these guys make you wonder how much better some of those bands might sound if they put half as much energy into their music as they do their image.
TimeOut New York
Sicbay
Suspicious Icons
(54º40' or Fight!)
As a member of Dazzling Killmen and Colossamite, Nick Sakes contributed to two of the most progressive - albeit largely unsung - heavy-rock bands of the '90s. In his latest project, Sicbay, the shouter-guitarist has found a way to channel his warped aesthetic into brief, accessible guitar-pop gems.
The band's third full-length, Suspicious Icons, isn't all that different from its previous two. Which is fine, considering the richness of the trio's sound, a mix of expertly coordinated dual-guitar work and tricky but unflashy rhythmic quirks. "Inhuman Resources" is Sicbay in a nutshell: It starts with an oddly pretty intro during which Sakes calmly speak-sings, then quickly gives way to an anthemic chorus in which the vocalist rails against hypocrisy in his signature bellow. "Rolling the Panacea," another dynamic, indelible song, sports a lurching coda that nods to Sakes' thorny musical roots. Guitarist Dave Erb's numerous textural flourishes give the album a satisfying intricacy; he plays the rollicking central riff of the title track straight at first, but later adds a fun, triumphant embellishment. Erb's one lead vocal, "The Rise of Phantom White," is the most straightforward moment on the record, and also the most exquisite pop song I've heard this year - the economical structure and vulnerable singing recall Guided by Voices at its most affecting. All told, Suspicious Icons is a remarkable achievement, whether or not you're aware of Sakes' pedigree. - Time Out NY (Hank Shteamer)
Razorcake Magazine
SICBAY - Suspicious Icons
Third release from this Minneapolis trio. Led by singer Nick Sakes
(ex-Dazzling Killmen, Colossamite), this is raw, emotional rock that burns
like a defective socket being gingerly rammed into your eardrum. The title
track rocks thanks to Greg Schaal's frenzied back beats. "Riposte In Pieces"
sounds like a tune Roger Miller would dig thoroughly. Dave Erb's guitar
collides with Sakes playing to glorious effect on songs like "The Paper
Blanket." Fans of old SST bands like Saccharine Trust will worship Sicbay.
The only complaint Bones may bring up is there's no bass player-but hey-you
can't have it all! Recorded in a studio that used to be Blackberry Way. I bet
Bob Stinson's beer-soaked guitar strings are still in the corner. Nice.
--Sean Koepenick
Skyscraper Magazine
SICBAY - Suspicious Icons
"Sicbay consistently manages to combine somewhat catchy, well-crafted rock riffs with jagged time signatures and various rhythmic twists and turns into a weathered and distorted yet melodic blast of "modern" rock."
--Brian Peterson
Buy Suspicious Icons here: Sicbay store
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