REVIEW: The Black Halos, The Black Halos (Die Young Stay
Pretty); The Go, Whatcha Doin' (Sub Pop); Beachwood
Sparks, Beachwood Sparks (Sub Pop)
- Joann D. Ball
To those who rock on Sub Pop , we salute you! Sub Pop Records has always had a knack for having its ear to the ground, and it proved that point at an impressive South By Southwest (SXSW) showcase last month. Rock, in its various forms, is definitely not dead-it's thriving on both Sub Pop and its sizzling imprint Die Young Stay Pretty. Need proof? Check out these stellar new debut releases from SXSW pleasers The Black Halos, The Go and Beachwood Sparks.
The Black Halos are definitely among the rock stars on Sub Pop's Die Young Stay Pretty roster. Formed in 1994 as the Black Market Babies, the Vancouver, Canada band rechristened itself three years later and swore allegiance to old school hard rock. Led by the energetic and intensely animated Billy Helpless, the Black Halos perform with reckless abandon on stage and capture that super turbo charge on their self-titled debut. The Black Halos is a latter day rock album of classic proportions, with Helpless shouting out ferocious anthems like "Fucked From the Start," "The Ugly Truth," and the lead track "Shooting Stars" The latter sonic supernova, is propelled by Zepplinesque drums and scorching guitars, and rolls right into the glam, punk and pop (!) infused sing-along "Retro World." The band may sound and look the part of New York's mid-1970s seedy, trash and thrash rock underground. But there's no mistaking the Black Halo's sensibilities on "Tracks" which has the memorable chorus, "tracks were all you left for me after you o.d." The Black Halos gave it their all and then some on this twelve song record, and in the process produced one of the best rock songs recorded in ages. The stellar "No Road of Dreams" is simply irresistible with a big crackin' sound launched by soaring guitars and driven home with killer riffs, power chords, hand clapping, and an all-together-now group chorus finish.
The Go are from Detroit, and that says volumes about their dedication to the kind of no-frills, straightforward rock and roll made famous by hometown forefathers the MC5 and Iggy Pop. The Go is also extremely faithful to the spirit of late 1960s garage rock, so much so that it's easy to forget that Whatcha Doin' was released a few months ago. Guitarist John Krautner, drummer Marc Fellis and lead singer Bobby Harlow are the core of the recently formed Motor City quintet, and they generate some serious garage infected maximum R&B on their debut record. Whatcha Doin' is an amazing lo-fi affair, with The Go effectively using the studio to magically recreate the comforting sound and feel of vinyl. Sonic guitars and a rumbling rhythm section lay the grooves on the record's twelve short-but-sweet tracks. Among the highlights are the boomy record opener "Meet Me At the Movies," the barely two-minute garage pop treat "You Can Get High," the psychedelic-laced "It Might Be Bad," and the hard and ballsy "Get You Off."
Southern California sunshine, the country/folk rock sounds of 1970s and the spirit of Gram Parsons fill Beachwood Sparks. On this brand new self-titled debut, Beachwood Sparks offer a warm, breezy, laid back, and easy going collection of tunes. While the lap-steel guitar twang of the bouncy opener "Desert Skies" is clearly American, the song also suggests that klassic Kinks sound thanks to its musical arrangement and Ray Davies-like vocal. But Beachwood Sparks is most obviously indebted to the Byrds, and freely incorporate that band's classic 12-string guitar sound into its own. Especially Byrdsy are "The Calming Seas" and the "Something I Don't Recognize," and the "Silver Morning After" particularly echoes the beautiful "Born to Follow" which was featured in the film "Easy Rider." "Silver Morning After," preceded by the eerie "Ballad of Never Rider" which sounds like a hidden message played backwards, is clearly a tender ode to the film's fallen motorcycle heroes. "Sister Rose," on the other hand, alternates between the hippie vibe of the Grateful Dead's "Truckin,'" and the full on pop-rock of Revolver era Beatles. Beachwood Sparks generate a one-of-a-kind brand of neo-country/folk rock which emphasizes soft harmonies and sweet melodies and also updates the original genre by adding the occasional pop jangle and some spaced out ramblings. Goin' up the country never sounded so good.
