You there, yes, you behind the bikesheds! Stand still, laddie, and listen up 'bout the Bronx. The Bronx is this bitchin' awesome L.A. punk band, right? And they're playing tonight at the Riot Room. I feel bad because I wanted to give 'em more love than a blog post the motherfucking day of the show, but this has been one of those lifetimes. (Know what I mean, Vishnu? High five.) So, in paltry redress, why -- if you're not going to the Sweet Relief benefit, that is -- you should let the Bronx kick your face in with sound this Good Friday night.
"Shitty Future"
With neon lights for brains
Here comes our shitty future
Oh yeah i love those neon lights
Here comes our shitty future!
That tune's from the Bronx's second self-titled album. It shows pretty much how the band works on its fast-and-dirty, in-and-out-like-a-shiv level. It also shows how wild the band's shows are But there's a more melodic side to the Bronx's hardcore, as on a track like "Knifeman," from the band's latest and third self-titled album, out now on White Drugs.
MP3:
I wanna be original, I wanna be surrounded by art
But everything is digital, the formulas are falling apart
What I like about the the Bronx is that it tempers its hardcore fury with a sense of melody -- without going pussy. It'd be like if Queens of the Stone Age and Minor Threat had a hideous, bat-faced bastard boy who was a piano prodigy. At the center of the band's assault is singer Matt Caughthran's cutting torch of a voice, which carries a discernible (often pretty sweet) tune despite being rough enough to send sparks through the speakers. Guitarist Joby Ford keeps his riffs rhythmic and punky while working in welt-raising metal riffs here and there. In short, the Bronx combines maximum energy without sacrificing musical integrity. Sweat and smarts, yo. I don't know why this band isn't bigger.
Feel the noize tonight a the Riot Room. Trash Talk opens.
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