2.13.2006

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club:

I was cleaning out my Itunes today and discovered that I had all three BRMC albums on my computer. Now this isn't amazing in of itself except for two things:

1. I don't (didn't) like BRMC, and

2. I've never even held a copy any of BRMC's albums in my hands.

Now despite the apparent illegality of this statement I will continue on, with the hopes that anyone in a position to prosecute me will realize that this was entirely accidental, and maybe providence as well.

When BRMC first came out with their Self Titled debut in 2001, I remember there being a lot hype about them. I listened to the album myself and immediately felt like they were aping their obvious influences (Jesus and Mary Chain, Stone Roses) too heavily. To top it off there was an influx of art noise bands coming up at the time that all seemed to be drawing on the late 80's early nineties British scene for underground inspiration. How many times did you read that such and such a band were the next Joy Division or Catherine Wheel?

Consequently I wrote BRMC off and only gave them credit for a bad ass name for a band. 2003 comes along and Take Them On, On Your Own is released. I again give BRMC a listen based off several friends incessant yammering about it. I find that while not as obvious a homage to their predecessors, The boys from S.F. have decided to make the ultimate blunder in immediately Time Stamping your music with a freshness label, by infusing their lyrics with political slants and commentary on the American presidential Administration. Yeesh. Bad move guys.

Despite all this heard a lot of people who's opinions I respect tell me they loved BRMC. This is getting long so I'll cut the chase.

I found the album Howl this morning and actually sat down and gave it a good listen. Wow, is all I can say. What a quantum Leap in sound. This, my friends, is amazing. BRMC has found a sound that works well for them. They've kept the sonic screech and noise that fans love about them but cut it back so as to make a part of the whole instead of the majority. Mississippi Delta Blues can now be heard throughout the collection with dark imagery of bible belt catholic murder spree guilt. The lyric are excellent with just enough vagueness to allow the listener room for interpretation. All in All, I'm hooked. This is the BRMC that I've been personally waiting for.

that being said I think I'll be able to go back and listen to the first two albums as a nice comparison for BRMC's growth. Who knows, I might even enjoy them.

Here's the video for Ain't No Easy Way

2.09.2006

Silversun Pickups: Kissing Families


If you are like me, your informative music years were primarily during the grunge rock/alternative decade that we call the 90s. Sure there was other stuff going on. (gangster rap/britpop) but those two were the ones that everyone talks about. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, NIN, Bush, STP, etc. Are the big names that came out of the states at that time.
One of the other HUGE bands that will always be synonymous with that 90s are the Smashing Pumpkins. The first time I heard Siamese Dream and Gish will always be foremost in my mind as a moment of discovering something I LIKED. The Pixies is another one that sooo many people I know say hit that chord in them. With the over-saturation of the "alternative" music genre through 10 years, other styles developed and the musicial tide swung back towards pop. Many of weaned on anti-pop snobbishness were forced to shore up our disdain and declare music dead for the past 5 years. Growing up in LA, I was particularly disgusted to find that my own city, so well regarded by the rest of the world as being on the cutting edge of, well everything, was producing the most trite crap on its underground scene as to make Blink 182 seem like Elvis Costello. Just pure crap.
Now, I'm well aware that being in my mid twenties I've hit that "My shit is on the way out" moment where the music I grew up with is now becoming flashback music on radio stations. Wow. But I recently picked up on a Band Called the Silversun Pickups that are a nice throwback to my shit. Angsty, but making it a fashion point not to be fashionable. And surprise, surprise, they're from LA. Way to go home team! Silversun Pickups reminds me of that first time we heard Siamese Dream or listened to Surfer Rosa all the way through. Not necessarily that potent, but there is something there. The emotion seems to come through, with just the right amount of aggression and conviction to sell themselves to you without pushing it too far. I like that. Black Francis and Kim Deal are definitely influences here, as well as Billy Corigan.
Distorted Guitars, Background fuzz, a varied vocal style, mixed with a nice blend of aggro and melody make for a potent cocktail here. The six Song EP was released mid 2005 but I've heard precious little about them. Filter put them on their "Bands to Watch" CD sometime recently.

Anyway here's a video for the lead track off the their debut EP "Pickul"
Kissing Familes
They've also got a MySpace Page with a few MP3s.