The Melody Chamber (Photo by Renee Stramel)
Richmond-based self-dubbed “post-post-punk” band The Melody Chamber is already ahead of its schedule, having just secured the backing of a U.S. and a European indie label before this month’s release of its self-titled debut album. The core members of the band, Wallace Dietz (previously of The Silent Boys, The Grain Hoppers), and Daniel “Dan-O” Deckelman (previously of Mudd Helmet, Rocket 69), have crafted a polished record with the assistance of additional (or backing) musicians who cycle in.
It’s a strong head start against the tempestuous headwinds faced by new bands in the modern era of popular music. The dominance of major labels, which financed and promoted bands in the past, has eroded as physical CDs and records have turned digital and home studios and streaming services have eliminated barriers to entry. While thriving independent record companies are inundated with unsolicited demos, it takes a lot to cut through the noise.
However, Dietz had an inside track. “I am such a big fan of indie music,” he says. Decades of buying music directly from small labels made him a valued customer. Understanding individual record companies’ highly particular tastes meant he knew who might give The Melody Chamber a chance. “They know I am into their music, so they were willing to listen to mine,” Dietz says.
Reaching out directly to indie labels was a big step. His longtime band The Silent Boys came together at Hampden-Sydney College four decades ago, while he was studying for a future career in counseling. Their DIY ethos, “willfully obscure since 1986,” reflects an outsider’s pride in never trying to take things to the next level. Overcoming that self-limitation and sending out Melody Chamber recordings to targeted independent labels connected them with U.S. label Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records and French label Too Good to Be True Records, both of which will release the band’s album Nov. 7 in limited-edition vinyl and CD formats.
The recording’s professional polish comes courtesy of Deckelman. An engineer at RVA’s Sound of Music Studios, he has over 35 years of recording and mixing experience in addition to his time as a tenured guitarist sharing the stage with bands including the Ramones and Southern Culture on the Skids. He is a near-perfect complement to Dietz — irreverent where Dietz is sincere, and musically literate while Dietz plays by intuition. Dietz provides a rough draft for tracks, and Deckelman expands the melody with fully realized guitar-driven orchestration.
The result is an album that sounds uncannily like one from the many iconic bands of the 1980s. “We are kind of third generation, inspired by the bands that were inspired by The Velvet Underground,” Deckelman says.
The appeal is evident to anyone familiar with those models — a propulsive beat and allusive lyrics delivered with world-weary charm. Their approach to the often varied genre is evident on their first collaboration, “Maryanne,” and snaps into full focus with “1+1.” “The guitars shine and bass and drums power through, all with a candy coating of synth,” Dietz says. “We both felt it. This is our groove and one potential future template.” As their sound and their partnership evolve, Dietz has a backlog of songs that could fill several albums.
The Melody Chamber is not focused on finding a comfort zone. “Being a punk rocker at heart, ... I would want to destroy that,” Deckelman says. Follow a groove deep enough, and it becomes a rut.
The Melody Chamber’s self-titled debut album will be released on Nov. 7, available in limited edition vinyl and CD. For more information, visit facebook.com/themelodychamber.
