#16.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Formed: 1998
Genre: British Garage Rock - Indie
Members
Robert Levon Been - vocals, bass
Peter Hayes - vocals, guitar
Nick Jago - drums/percussion
Studio Albums:
B.R.M.C. (2000)
Take Them On, On Your Own (2003)
Howl (2005)
Band Bio
BRMC have a sound that's quite hard to place. Many detractors like to place them in the pile of the Jesus and Mary Chain ripoffs. However, they've proven over their now three deep album selection that they've place themselves on a different wavelength than the shoegazing genre. The distorted cries of Hayes' guitar suggest something along the lines of a alternative influence with some shades of Britpop. The dual vocal jive of Been and Hayes works wonders on a lot of their tracks.
The story of BRMC begins in San Fransisco where Hayes and Been met in high school. They immediately started playing together, enlisting exiled Brit drummer Nick Jago. They land a record label in Virgin and release they're first album, a self-titled. This was the most shoegazing-esque album they will release. Even at that, it holds it's own. Listeners are turned on by mellow vibe of "Red Eyes and Tears", and the band make a genuine battle cry for the pissant music of today with the rebel yell of "Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll?". Despite it, critics and haters alike will say they're nothing without JMC. Three years later brings Take Them On, On Your Own. More refined and far-better produced, the album brings the band to new light. The weight of lead single "Stop" starts to set them apart from the others in their genre. The album was a success in the US and overseas. They went on a widespread global tour. The band then had a falling out of with Jago, kicking him out, citing drug and alcohol problems. However, compassionately, they did not replace him before entering the studio, and even said that if he rehabilitated, would welcome him back to the band with open arms. Nearing completion of the next album, Jago would do just that. It was around the time of Jago's exit that the band had a complete changing of the guard. They revamped their electric indie rock sound into a more wholesome bluesy, folkish acoustic drub. Not only did their sound change, but so did their rock and roll attitude. The don't give a fuck attitude was replaced with a more forgiving, helpful, Christian-y state of mind. According to the band's MySpace, this changing of the guard came about in a deeply philisophical conversation about the age old phrase,
"If you bring forth what is within you,
What you will bring forth will save you.
If you do not bring forth what is within you,
What you do not bring forth will destroy you."
Despite the complete change of sound, style, and attitude, the band enjoyed resounding success, putting them now very far away from the Jesus and Mary Chain wannabes they were once called. The album, Howl, was unlike anything the band released before. Along with the new sound, the band all but put away the basslines and drums, though much more the former. Hayes and Been were working the guitars for most of the album, with only a couple songs detailing an actual bassline. The band toured behind the album, proving to some uneasy fans that though they developed a new sound, they didn't abandon their old stuff, playing nearly more heartracing rock than the new folk acoustic style they introduced. A new album is scheduled for 2007. Fans are still speculating whether it'll be another step in the Christian blues, Howl-esque route or if it'll be a return to the sludgey distorted rock. Some fans remain optimistic that it'll be a happy blend of both. Time will tell.
First Song I Heard: "Red Eyes and Tears"; The year is 2003, and Elyse tells me to download this song.
My Take
After heeding Elyse's advice on getting the song, I became hooked. That song led me to download other songs. Downloading those songs got me to buying their album (the only one at the time). I ended up getting B.R.M.C. at Best Buy in September of '03. Jason was righteous and bought me Take Them On, On Your Own for Christmas the same year. In between the long wait between that and their new album, I downloaded all the band's B-sides and demos from their pre-label days and burned them onto a disc which I simply called B-Sides. Late in the summer of '05, Howl drops. It was mine not even a week after it's release.
I always think it's funny how this band has just "taken off". I mean, Elyse introduced the band to me. Then I subsequently introduce it to a bunch of my friends. Then they love it so much they burn the stuff for their friends. It's a laugh, but I like to think that how their popularity grows has something to do with me and Elyse.
The band is great. They have a very dark mood set by the music, only to be light and airy from the vocals. The vocal department is great with Been and Hayes rocking out dual vocals. Admittedly, however, sometimes it's difficult to tell the two apart since they have similar vocals. The best song you can tell though is "Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll". The band, in their earlier days, were a straight up power indie rock band. They played at a quickening pace and played relying on a lot of noise and feedback. They played with a lot of distortion, sometimes too much (see: "Ha Ha High Babe"). Then they went and put everything they attained in their first two albums and completely flipped it over. For most bands, this is career suicide. How can any band forsake a sound they became famous for and still be relevant? Well it happened. The folk-blues influenced stuff on Howl is just as impressive as their distorted rock stuff prior. The instrumentation isn't always there, but when that's lacking, the vocals of Been pick up the slack. They not only successfully changed sounds without giving up their originality, but they completely blew everyone away doing it. I look forward very intently for what these guys bring next.
Favorite Album:
Take Them On, On Your Own
10 Favorite Songs
10 - "At My Door"
Very lonely acoustic mourning.
9 - "The Line"
Creepy and mysterious.
8 - "Love Burns"
Very scorching shoegazing romp.
7 - "Heart + Soul"
Thrilling, absolutely thrilling, all 7 minutes of it.
"I don't think you care to know, but you've taken all my heart and soul..."
6 - "Suddenly"
Somber 3/4 sleepwalk.
5 - "As Sure As the Sun"
Been's best bassline yet.
4 - "Red Eyes and Tears"
Just a great song no matter how you listen to it.
3 - "Ain't No Easy Way"
I never say the words "screaming acoustic guitars" and "wailing harmonica" except when I describe this song.
2 - "Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll"
Listen to this song and think "NOTHING happened to rock and roll".
1 - "In Like the Rose"
This song is better than sex.
Band MySpace