Team Rock-It - Hell on Wheels
Fire-Tone Records

By Ben Ohmart (more articles from this author) 2002-03-28

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Artist: Team Rock-It (www.teamrock-it.com)
Title: Hell on Wheels
Label: Fire-Tone Records (www.firetonerecords.com)
Genre: Alt-Rock

The thing that makes you smile most about Team Rock-It is the tummy-wobbly feeling that these guys (and a girl) are making it all up as they go along. Remembering how easy it is to tell the difference between a handmade bookcase that you pick up in a small town art's festival and a pressed wood kit from Ames that you have to assemble yourself, this is what leaks out of Team Rock-It's presence of play. Handmade, hands on music. It happened on their previous The Mirror e.p., and it's happening again with the first full length release, Hell on Wheels.

Granted, at 38 minutes, there isn't That much of an upgrade from an e.p., but considering the quality not quantity of the proceedings, I am still very impressed with the evolution of writing and performances from this tight little band of

Joe Sanzeri - voice, guitar
Amber Tonelli - bass
Matt Friscia - drums

Hell on Wheels is the best name for what they're doing. It marries the spirit of punk to the irascible fuzziness of alternative indie stage presence. Yeah, you get the feeling that you're privy to a secret rehearsal before the show starts, because energy is up, seemingly engendered by audience reaction that gladly doesn't mar the recording quality - 'cause it ain't there.

'We'll keep on doing this until someone notices or until we get sick of each other,' says Sanzeri. Good theology. Considering they must be on their way by now. Hard to believe it can't happen with a set like this plus the previous hot licks behind them. The guitar drives, the bass underlines and the drums get the back rows involved. Nothing could be more loudly pleasant.

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