Five Style

You may be curious as to the Five Style drought these past few years. Well, between these two releases, the members of Five Style became involved in a number of other musical outlets which occupied the bulk of their time. As drummer John Herndon recorded and toured with his other longtime band, Tortoise, Bill Dolan started Heroic Doses (along with Ryan Rhpsys of Euphone), whose debut was released on Sub Pop in 1998. Meanwhile, LeRoy Bach joined Wilco, playing keyboards and guitar on tour, and Jeremy Jacobsen continued his solo career under the name Lonesome Organist, releasing two albums on Thrill Jockey.

The variety of musical projects that the four members of Five Style juggle serves to strengthen the band's repertoire. On 5ive Style, their 1995 debut, Bill's guitar playing was clearly the focal point of their sound: LeRoy's funky bass lines, John's inventive drumming and Jeremy's subtle keyboard nuances circled around the crisp guitar stylings. Here on Miniature Portraits, we find the band in a more collaborative spirit, where marimba, organ, melodica, clavinet, computer programming tools, and even a bicycle bell figure in to the jubilant mix. Throughout the twelve tracks, Five Style exhibit their tight songwriting skills and solid dynamics along with their penchant for playful exploration and a good limbo party.