or all of its often astonishingly wide variety of influences, indie rock nevertheless has a problem moving much farther beyond the “rock” aspect of its admittedly vague moniker. As rock music is an American-bred art form, it’s extremely rare to see an indie rock band branch out beyond a domestic sound. From time to time one may find a touch of Victorian harpsichord here or the occasional (and maddeningly cliched) sitar there, but more often than not it all comes down to the guitars. Not so for Firewater, a New York City band that fuses said indie rock sound with an astounding blend of globe-spanning flourishes, from blatant klezmer workouts, to sing-song-y Asian-born choruses.

Formed in 1995 by Tod Ashley (a.k.a Tod A, formerly of no wave noise-pirates Cop Shoot Cop) after a short stint in jail, Firewater immediately distinguished themselves from the NYC underground with their unique sound and frenetic live shows. The earlier incarnations of the band featured a revolving cast of players, including members of the Jesus Lizard and Soul Coughing. The buzz created by their debut album, 1996’s Get Off The Cross, We Need The Wood For The Fire was multiplied ten-fold by its follow-up, 1998’s The Ponzi Scheme (both on Jetset). Enough buzz, in fact, to interest major label player Universal, who quickly snagged the band and re-released their aforementioned second album. Like most major label dalliances by underground artists of the time, Firewater was dropped in the blink of an eye, not in the wake of colossal mergers, but because they could not produce a radio friendly sound, something that anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the group could deduce within seconds.

Scorned, Ashley went about reforming the band with yet another set of musicians, and began to hone and refine what was already a fine trademark sound. The result was 2001’s Psychopharmacology, the fulfillment of every promise the band ever hinted at. While the mood was consistently somber (“Fell Off The Face Of The Earth” deals with a friend’s suicide, “7th Avenue Static” with homelessness), it never felt overbearing or forced. Indeed, the album showed Ashley to be a consummate lyricist and arranger, in a league with some of today’s best. The resulting tour introduced thousands more to the band’s stunning body of work, and earned Firewater the hard-won success that they had always deserved.

No plans have yet been announced for its follow-up.

Quick Facts:

Current members: Tod Ashley (bass, vocals), Oren Kaplan (guitar), Paul Wallfisch (keyboards), Tamir Muskat (drums)

Location: New York City

Style: Indie Rock

Labels Appeared On: Jetset, Universal

Major Releases:

Get Off The Cross, We Need The Wood For The Fire (1996, Jetset)
The Ponzi Scheme (1998, Jetset + Universal)
Psychopharmacology (2001, Jetset)

Essential: Psychopharmacology (2001)