Some bands find their beginnings in the desire to “make it big,” to become popular enough to gain fame and fortune, and incidentally, to make satisfying music along the way. Other bands are born of irrepressible artistic expression, the need to release the music inside its creators. Atlanta's 3d5spd (pronounced “three-dee five-speed”) fits into the latter category. Its solid core of Chris Hoke (lead vocals, guitar), Sean Moore (drums, electronic textures), Joie Williams (keyboards, vocals), and Justin Gray (bass) works to maintain a balance of their respective aspirations and influences. Though the group is perplexed by frequent comparisons to prog-rock mainstay Yes, associations with the Flaming Lips, Perry Farrell, U2, King Crimson, and David Bowie aren't unusual. Still, 3d5spd's passionate, intelligent, somewhat adventurous sound is all its own.
Fever in the Ice Age is 3d5spd's fourth CD release and the first on indie label Two Sheds Music (www.2sheds.com). Producer Karl Egsieker, who recorded all the band's previous efforts and whose recent work includes engineering albums by Bruce Springsteen and Papa Roach, mixed Fever in the Ice Age at Southern Tracks (www.southerntracks.com), one of Atlanta's premier recording studios.
The group's Web site (www.3d5spd.com) covers all the bases. The site was designed by Hoke and is written and maintained by Moore, whose duties include updating the concert calendar and answering e-mails as well as revising the home page at least monthly. The band's humor, attitude, and originality are evident on every page. They subtly poke fun at record promotion as they persuade you to order their CDs. Hoke is currently redesigning the site, which should soon feature Flash graphics by Geoey Cook (www.geowebdesign.com) and MP3s of live 3d5spd appearances.
Two Sheds maintains a separate page dedicated to 3d5spd, and you can find additional pages at MP3.com, the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA), and CD Baby. Online album sales are through Two Sheds and CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com), who have received orders from such far-flung places as Italy, Germany, and Israel. “Our Web site reaches people beyond our boundaries,” says Moore.