Spring Break
Southern rockers hit Middle East
by Daniel Orkin
Staff Writer
Arts | 3/10/09
Posted online at 10:55 PM EST on 3/9/09
/ Last updated at 5:36 AM EST on 3/9/09
The Atlanta-bred Black Lips are the sort of rag-tag Southern punks who like offending Northern sensibilities by voicing their support for global warming. Their lowbrow redneck personas and colossal booze intake lends a free-for-all sloppiness to their live shows, and with the utter drunkenness of the crowd at the Middle East on Saturday, club security was just a little on edge.
Though The Black Lips have found a new home on the front page of Pitchfork, they remain punks at heart. The sold-out show drew from a wide array of scenes, with the Cambridge hipsters perhaps a little underprepared for the onslaughts of volatile punk kids. While none of these participants were quite as drunk as the band themselves, the divide between the subdued observers and the mass of die-hards at the front of the club was clear.
But for all the drunken revelry, The Black Lips pulled off a rollicking good set of scuzzy, hick-fused garage rock. Between breaks of incoherent mumbling, the four members of the band wailed and cannonballed through an hour of danceable ditties, bringing together an entire club's worth of disparate fans.
The band's ability to pummel through their fuzzy tunes even in the face of such daunting drunkenness is a testament to their tightness. The four members alternate vocals and often join together in a tribal group-sing. They holler their catchy refrains for all they're worth, and they always land exactly on point.
The rolling rhythms of bassist Jared Swilley and drummer Joe Bradley pound beneath the high-pitch twangs of the guitars and give the band their definitive rock groove. Swilley seems to fill the role of "the cute one," singing many of the lead parts and employing an appropriately McCartneyesque violin bass. Bradley, beyond his driving rhythms, sings supporting parts on almost every song and even as a drummer guides many of the music's melodies.
The two guitarists, Ian Saint Pé and Cole Alexander, play slightly out of tune, which gives their music a spooky Cramps vibe. Saint Pé's twangy tones add a rockabilly touch, and his grill of glistening golden teeth adds some credibility to the redneck image.
Though The Black Lips have found a new home on the front page of Pitchfork, they remain punks at heart. The sold-out show drew from a wide array of scenes, with the Cambridge hipsters perhaps a little underprepared for the onslaughts of volatile punk kids. While none of these participants were quite as drunk as the band themselves, the divide between the subdued observers and the mass of die-hards at the front of the club was clear.
But for all the drunken revelry, The Black Lips pulled off a rollicking good set of scuzzy, hick-fused garage rock. Between breaks of incoherent mumbling, the four members of the band wailed and cannonballed through an hour of danceable ditties, bringing together an entire club's worth of disparate fans.
The band's ability to pummel through their fuzzy tunes even in the face of such daunting drunkenness is a testament to their tightness. The four members alternate vocals and often join together in a tribal group-sing. They holler their catchy refrains for all they're worth, and they always land exactly on point.
The rolling rhythms of bassist Jared Swilley and drummer Joe Bradley pound beneath the high-pitch twangs of the guitars and give the band their definitive rock groove. Swilley seems to fill the role of "the cute one," singing many of the lead parts and employing an appropriately McCartneyesque violin bass. Bradley, beyond his driving rhythms, sings supporting parts on almost every song and even as a drummer guides many of the music's melodies.
The two guitarists, Ian Saint Pé and Cole Alexander, play slightly out of tune, which gives their music a spooky Cramps vibe. Saint Pé's twangy tones add a rockabilly touch, and his grill of glistening golden teeth adds some credibility to the redneck image.
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posted 3/14/09 @ 9:04 PM EST
Whether "Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo" is a live album is certainly debatable. Please check your facts before writing a review with such a haughty tone. (Continued…)
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