REVIEW: Brother Grimm, Tales
- Bob Gajarsky
Out of the area in Florida known for fun and sun comes an unsigned band whose name is historically known for tales of sex and violence: Brother Grimm.
Their self-described influences include The Beatles, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Diamond, Led Zeppelin and others. This eclectic grouping would obviously produce an unusual sound; I'd also throw in Pearl Jam and bands that border on the metal sound, such as Metallica, Rush and Living Colour as comparative sounds.
The song "Mother Tranquility" (which won 1st place in Fort Lauderdale's Video Awards) packs a solid punch with both music and lyrics. "Touch the horde / of selfish greed / trees wither in / anguish / amongst the roar / of a chainsaw" are just some of the lyrics which show a deeper level than in most of today's songs.
"Ichabod" takes a Jean Michel-Jarre sounding keyboards and melds them with Michael Roy's distinctive vocals to make a killer track. Roy's voice, which at times sounds like Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) or James Hetfield (Metallica), has helped catapult the area to rave reviews in the Palm Beach Gardens area.
The band has also generated publicity in that area for sharing its excess studio time with other local bands. According to keyboardist Dan Gindin, the close ties between the bands helps. "There's good support and good gigs," says Gindin. "We're (the area bands) all supportive of each other, but the Palm Beach area isn't known for its music."
That's true; the media types who aren't still gushing over Seattle are camping out in San Diego or Athens, often unwilling to venture into uncharted territories like Palm Beach.
Because the band is still unsigned, distribution of their self-produced 9 song cassette Tales is limited to Palm Beach stores and, for $6, by mail. The band can be reached c/o Brother Grimm, 3878 Catalina Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.
If given a shot, Brother Grimm is the kind of band that could garner a large, loyal dedicated following. Rather than spend the next $10 on the next hyped band from Seattle, spend $6 and get Brother Grimm's Tales. You'll be glad you did.
