Putting rock in Half Nelson

Rock is a pretty general category when it comes to music. From Elvis to Cold Play and everything in between, it seems like anyone can say that they really "rock out." And yet there remains some universal and unchallenged understanding of what, exactly, is rock music.

When asked what kind of music he played, Erik Nelson of the group The Half Nelson simply replied: "We play rock." After being hounded for another, more specific answer, Nelson's brother and lead guitarist Brett Nelson -- who is also a sophomore at Tufts -- couldn't disagree. Rock it is.

The Half Nelsons (a clever pun), a four member group consisting of brothers Erik and Brett Nelson, Harvard sophomore Blake Stone, and Harvard grad Andrew Price, are following in the footsteps of countless groups before them as they aspire to inspire with the timeless and yet constantly evolving "philosophy of rock."

The band draws on classic and not-so-classic influences including Led Zepplin, The Beatles, Pearl Jam, The Strokes and a few more modern contributions. Lead singer Erik Nelson said the band as prescribed to the "philosophy of old school rock while incorporating some of the newer ideas of modern rock."

While the guys are unable to verbally describe their sound, the undertones of the unchanging attitude of rock and roll can be heard on the group's recently released and untitled demo CD. Rebellion, angst, cynicism, and a general dissatisfaction with society's prescribed norms resonate through solid guitar rifts and aching vocals.

A balance between vivid lyrics and an infectious tempo pulse through the demo's featured song, "Inside Out," as Nelson emphatically belts, "Everything I can't forget smolders like a cigarette. I gotta get over it, yeah."

Though the younger Nelson, Brett, describes the group as "not really a party band" and explains that the music probably doesn't induce dancing "in the usual sense," you can't help but let the sound of The Half Nelsons seep into your movements as you involuntarily tap your feet and sway to the pulse of the music.

But while members claim that the Half Nelson's rhythms are not your typical "party" music, this is not your ideal campus coffee house study music, either. With a sound that is specifically un-pop, the Half Nelsons are aiming to stray from venues featuring dance party techno gigs or mellow jazz grooves.

A band that is "ragged" around the edges, the Half Nelsons are seeking an audience that is not offended or shy in the presence of a "loud rock band." And the band does not want to feel like they should censor themselves for a venue.

"Rock shows go over better in certain places, I think," said Brett Nelson. Despite the group's claim to not being a "noise" band, the notion of censorship leaves few campus venues that really cater to the Nelson's sound. Thanks to their permissive nature, frat houses seem to be an acceptable campus scene where audiences generally are not afraid to let go and loud music does not feel particularly intrusive.

But with limited university options catering to the Nelsons' character, the group is directing energy toward off-campus ventures. Although the band hopes to develop a reliable college fan base and has played at Harvard and Tufts, outside in Harvard Square last spring, and at Theta Chi's Battle of the Bands, it has also sent out the demo in hopes of playing the city's clubs.

"We're kinda in it for real at this point," said sophomore Nelson. "This is pretty much the plan for my life anyways." And with encouragement from big names including the former chief executive of Warner Bros. along with the founder of Music Magazine, the elusive dream of succeeding in the music world may not be that far-fetched.

With only half the band members currently enrolled in university (and only one at Tufts University), the musicians are "trying real hard to stop being a half-serious college band," according Nelson.

Despite the band's big hopes, the group continues to forge forward with small steps. Focusing and relying on the band's solid cohesiveness, high energy, a promising demo, and upbeat music, for the moment members just want to enjoy a "good live rock show," according to Nelson.

And as for a more specific description of the Nelsons' music? Well, maybe categorizing the sound remains futile. Price, the drummer, remarked that after every time he listens to the band's demo, "it just sounds like no music I've ever heard."

"Maybe we're just so original that I can't categorize us," he said.