A Cat's Evolution: Kill Rock Stars' Panther

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PANTHER'S CHARLIE SALAS-HUMARA never imagined his music would inspire hate mail.

The Portland, Ore., group's first album, "Secret Lawns" (Fryk Beat), was a mostly electronic solo project, but the new "14kt God" (Kill Rock Stars) showcases Panther as an avant-rocking duo — live drummer included.

"I just feel like music should be like art — you should be able to change and do different things. I've never understood why people are like, 'Oh, it's got to sound the same,'" Salas-Humara said.

"People do get bummed. When this record came out, I got some hate email. I was actually kind of stoked by it, that it elicited that kind of reaction. But I'm making music for myself, too. It would just be boring, like writing the same novel twice."

With its angular guitar lines, alternating tight and meandering arrangements, aharmonic melodies and minimalist ethos, "14kt God" is certainly not ripping off any other novel.

The band's influences, Salas-Humara said, come from "a lot of punk, like Black Flag, as well as Cuban music and Ethiopian music." The nursery-rhyme nature of tunes like "14 Kt God" and "Beautiful Condo" is "just based on kind of OCD stuff going on in my head. It's real repetitive stuff that goes on through my head that I just decided to incorporate into this record."

After seven years as a solo project, which Salas-Humara originally began working on while a member of The Planet The, "14kt God" marks the beginning of a new era for the band as it incorporates full-time member Joe Kelly of the band 31 Knots.

"I hate doing solo stuff now," said Salas-Humara. "Doing it for so long, I just can't stand it any more." Casting aside the threat of more hate mail, he added, "I think with this band, I'm just going to keep incorporating new members into it, making it bigger and bigger and bigger."

It's already happening: When Panther plays The Velvet Lounge on Aug. 18, it will feature an additional member, violinist Sarah Walker. Though Walker is just accompanying the band on its East Coast tour, Salas-Humara said the addition of another member adds to the band's live dynamic.

"It makes it a little bit more hectic, in a good way. There's more feeding off of each other — she and I will improvise," explained Salas-Humara, adding that they improvise "not in a traditional jazz sense, but taking the song to just go off or feed off the loops and then kind of come back."

Touring the East Coast behind a calypso- and free-jazz-influenced album — and having fans that care enough to tell you how much they hate it — is a far cry from playing in punk bands and crashing basement shows in Glen Ellyn, Ill., the Chicago suburb where Salas-Humara was raised.

"It's so weird. The suburbs of Chicago have changed so much — they're so built up, so condo-y and strip mall-y," reflected Salas-Humara. "Growing up there, it was kind of cool, though I feel like back in the day, there were all these cool punk bands and stuff. I wonder if there's a scene or community happening now.

"I was this punk kid skateboarder," said Salas-Humara, but the suburban environment wasn't a great incubator for his creative expression.

"It definitely influenced me in the sense that I felt I had to get out," he said. "While I was there, I was in basements playing music, so it influenced me in that way, but Jesus — do I take from that? Absolutely not. I can't imagine anyone would. Maybe if I had been Vampire Weekend or something."

» Five Random Questions for Charlie Salas-Humara

» EXPRESS: What was your favorite family vacation as kid?
» SALAS-HUMARA: My favorite is when we went to New Hampshire one year. It was totally different — I had never been to the east coast and it was a really fun experience hanging out in the woods by myself.

» EXPRESS: What is your favorite breakfast?
» SALAS-HUMARA: My favorite breakfast is probably salmon benedict. I eat oats every single morning, but that's not my favorite breakfast — I soak oats in rice milk. It's easy and cheap.

» EXPRESS: MySpace or Facebook?
» SALAS-HUMARA: Neither. I look at the MySpace mainly for the messaging, but it's so irritating. Facebook — I hate to say: I can't fucking figure it out. I don't have the patience.

» EXPRESS: Name one instrument that you want to learn to play.
» SALAS-HUMARA: I want to learn violin really badly.

» EXPRESS: Do you have a favorite Disney movie?
» SALAS-HUMARA: God. ...; No, I don't. Oh, wait — Isn't "Pretty Woman" a Disney movie? [Touchstone Pictures, a division of Disney—so close enough] That would be my favorite movie because it involves a hooker [laughs].

» Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW; with Digital Leather, Troll Tax and The Shudders, Mon., Aug. 18, 9:30 p.m., $8; 202-462-3213. (U St.-Cardozo)

Written by Express contributor Katherine Silkaitis

» Download four free MP3s from Panther: "Puerto Rican Jukebox" and "Violence, Diamonds" from "14kt God", plus the remixes On the Lam - Copy" and "Puerto Rican Jukebox - Lips and Ribs." PC users: right click on the song title and "save as" to download; Mac folks: click and hold on the song title, then "save as."

Photos by Ingrid Renan (top) and Johnny Jewel