the Cento

On Feb. 11, Club Carbon will host the indie band Anton Mink. From the flyer — which features a fierce-looking chimpanzee in a suit holding up a pistol — you know the show will be interesting. You could say that Anton Mink is a rock band, but that would be as helpful as describing a building as a square. Their music consists of many different layers and is an eclectic interweaving of rock, soul and indie flair that melds together into something completely unique.

Originating in Louisville, Ky., the band is composed of four members: lead vocalist Chloa, bass guitarist and “ad man” Anton Z, drummer Clinton and guitarist Andy Jack. Anton, after playing in several local punk bands, decided that he wanted to do something distinctive. So, he set about posting ads for musicians on Craigslist, at the nearby universities, and in local zines, such as the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), that were very much beyond the usual parameters of an average ad. The ad Chloa answered was the most unimaginary and simply read, “You wanna be a star? You wanna rock out?” Clinton responded to ads that stated, “Looking for an alien drummer” and “Looking for big bear drummer.” The one to which Andy Jack responded asked that the guitarist be “alien hybrid tolerant.”

Each member has personal influences that help mold him or her. Clint learned to play drums from listening to and watching Queen drummer Roger Taylor, and is influenced by drummers like Erin Tate of Minus the Bear and Bengt Lagerberg of The Cardigans. Chloa goes through phases, but is currently listening to Otis Redding and the soundtrack from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Andy Jack is influenced by The Kinks, Frank Sinatra and Beethoven, while Anton Z’s influences are The Replacements and Frank Zappa. Their quirkiness and multifaceted influences are aspects that help make Anton Mink an individual among other contemporary bands.

As a whole, the band has been compared to Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley and others like No Doubt and Portishead, but their sound is definitely not a knockoff or a cheap imitation. Just by listening to the dialectic rhythm in “Armies” off their first album Anton Mink or the bubbling beat of “Shysty” from their second album Outside the Lines, one can hear the effort and creativity Anton Mink puts into its music. Every song offers something new; the guitars and drums are played in such different and exciting ways that it is marvelous to just sit back and enjoy the sound waves as they spring out in the most surprising forms.

This is one of the great talents of Anton Mink: their superb ability to craft myriads of sounds and blend them together melodiously into a harmony practically necessary for daily existence.

And, of course, there is Chloa’s voice. This is the constant that welds all of the different techniques into one completed series, mastering both the slow and rapid rhythms.

Club Carbon will open its doors at 8:30 p.m. for the concert. Tickets for the event cost $5, and the show will only be open for people 21 and older. However, for underage fans, Anton Mink will perform another concert for all ages at Pops Resale in Lexington on March 24 at 1:00 p.m. CDs will be sold on site, and some can be purchased from WHIR 1230 AM, which is located in Danville. For a preview, their album Outside the Lines is available for free live-streaming at antonmink.com. So, if you are looking for something out-of-the-ordinary in Danville, this concert would be well worth seeing.