Let me just start by saying….I absolutely love Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, they are by far the best band I’ve heard in a long, long time. So imagine my excitement when I read in their myspace page that they were about to release an instrumental/ambient album called ‘Effects of 333’ independent of any record label and that it would be available for download free on their site. I was totally beside myself; I couldn’t wait for it to come out. I’m a fan of instrumental albums and I thought it would be their trademark bluesy guitar riffs just without the vocals……boy was I wrong! Complete and utter piece of garbage!! I have never had so much revulsion for any album before…..I’m relatively opened minded, I’ve come to appreciate different kinds of music, but this….this is just too much! This is not an album that will grow on you in time….no this is an album that sounds like it was made by three 10 year old’s on crack!! Were any real instruments used in the making of this album or were the kitchen appliances sufficient??.....Is this the same band that gave us classics like ‘Love Burns’ and ‘Whatever happened to my rock n’ roll’?? ….Now I understand a band needs to experiment with their sound so that it remains fresh and BRMC have done it in the past….their 1st two albums were psychedelic influenced garage rock done in the trademark BRMC style. Their 3rd album ‘Howl’ turned away from this formula with more of a bluesy country tinge to it, which was still extremely entertaining….their 4th and best album to date ‘Baby 81’ was a culmination of all these styles and truly my favorite album of 2008 which I strongly recommend to anyone who’s a fan of good, dynamic rock n’ roll! In conclusion I just pray that 'Effects of 333' is just a one off album and not the new direction the band is headed in.
A perfect accompaniment to any BRMC album is the astounding documentary ‘Dig!’ released in 2005 on the friendship/rivalry between cult indie bands the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. Being completely honest, before I saw this movie I wasn’t a fan of the Dandy’s and I hadn’t even heard of BJM…..I had just heard rave reviews about the movie and decided to check it out. Well I was absolutely stunned…it was riveting, fascinating, appalling and amusing all at the same time!
Dig! Is basically the story of these two neo-psychedelic bands which are believed to be at the helm of a musical revolution which they maintain will take over popular music in the years to come. Both bands lead very dissimilar lives….the hardworking Dandy’s sign to a major label and face the challenges and pressures of a being a mainstream band while BJM, the more talented of the two bands remains underground and experiences a meltdown due the pressures of drugs and their own talent. This movie is a fascinating look on the paths an indie band can take and should be viewed by anyone who has anything to do with music!
P.S:- This movie is made more enjoyable by the amazing soundtrack filled with stellar songs from these two talented bands. People interested in the neo-psychedelic sound should also check out their partners in crime - BRMC, Miranda Lee Richards, the Black Angels and the Warlocks.
