Rockness Recommends
The Thermals. The Big Sleep. Tight Phantomz. Awesome
February 21, 2007
I've had time to think about this for approximately fifty-one days now, and I think I'm ready to finally say this as absolute fact: The Thermals' The Body, The Blood, The Machine was the best record of 2006. Boom. Phew, it feels good to get that off my concave chest. After a few weeks of silence, I recently spun this album again in my kitchen as I spun around the liquid chocolate in my milk. And I found myself singing along to every song (it was a very large glass of chocolate milk) with a rarely exhibited trait for me: glee.
Who would have thought a catchy pop-punk concept album about the hypocrisy of religion (i.e. evangelical Christianity) could make one tap their feet and bop their head. I mean, one doesn't naturally think of the Old Testament as "rock-out material." But when Hutch Harris begins with a wail out about Noah, you just want to do air-guitar accompaniment to the impending forty-day flood that destroys the earth (that's how the dinosaurs died, don't you know). By the time Harris touches off on the evil sins of the flesh, we are beyond hooked. We're converted. God, I love this band.
Is this Oh My BigSleepness or what? We love everything about The Big Sleep and don't apologize for talking about their ROCK as much as possible. The trio just now how to bring that crazy riffage that we thought was only found on Guitar Hero. And for bringing us all those searing anthems that slay, we will forever refuse to apologize for our adoration of them. (Plus, they know how to use the stage lights better than Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis combined).
Opening is Chicago's Tight Phantomz, the band making hot 'n' sweaty 70's rock cool again (as if it ever wasn't!). Featuring former members (including leader Mike Lust) of the ever-effervescent Lustre King, Tight Phantomz seriously kick out the grimy jams, forming classic rock magic with a BANG out of smoggy, distorted air. This is music led by AXES, not guitars. For fans of "dirty" bands like Rye Coalition and Death From Above 1979 and ZZ Top and Skynard.
The Thermals, The Big Sleep and Tight Phantomz play Subterranean, on Wednesday, February 28th.
Who would have thought a catchy pop-punk concept album about the hypocrisy of religion (i.e. evangelical Christianity) could make one tap their feet and bop their head. I mean, one doesn't naturally think of the Old Testament as "rock-out material." But when Hutch Harris begins with a wail out about Noah, you just want to do air-guitar accompaniment to the impending forty-day flood that destroys the earth (that's how the dinosaurs died, don't you know). By the time Harris touches off on the evil sins of the flesh, we are beyond hooked. We're converted. God, I love this band.
Is this Oh My BigSleepness or what? We love everything about The Big Sleep and don't apologize for talking about their ROCK as much as possible. The trio just now how to bring that crazy riffage that we thought was only found on Guitar Hero. And for bringing us all those searing anthems that slay, we will forever refuse to apologize for our adoration of them. (Plus, they know how to use the stage lights better than Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis combined).
Opening is Chicago's Tight Phantomz, the band making hot 'n' sweaty 70's rock cool again (as if it ever wasn't!). Featuring former members (including leader Mike Lust) of the ever-effervescent Lustre King, Tight Phantomz seriously kick out the grimy jams, forming classic rock magic with a BANG out of smoggy, distorted air. This is music led by AXES, not guitars. For fans of "dirty" bands like Rye Coalition and Death From Above 1979 and ZZ Top and Skynard.
The Thermals, The Big Sleep and Tight Phantomz play Subterranean, on Wednesday, February 28th.
