Eddie Vedder
Seattle-Grunge demi-Gods Pearl Jam are back with a rip-roaring, powerchord frenzy in the form of the Fixer from new album Backspacer. This is a real poppy effort from the Grunge forefathers, displaying upbeat pop-rock 2/4 drum beats, chugging basslines, and a syncopated blues-infused recurring riff. The only real nod to their Grunge routes comes in the form of Vedder’s signature growl, which is still as gravelly and throat-destroying as ever.
The Fixer is by no means their best work, and certainly doesn’t recapture the genius of albums such as Ten, Vs. andVitalogy, but it is a fun and lively little track which will give UK Grunge-revival bands such as Dinosaur Pile-Up and Japanese Voyeurs a run for their money. Here’s hoping that the next single from Backspacer is a bit more reminiscent of earlier works – with rawer production, heavier distortion, whirlwind blues solos, fags, JD and plaid shirts. Rawk on!
Dinosaur Pile-Up & Japanese Voyeurs – Live Review
March 20, 2009
Right Click and choose ‘Open in new tab’ to hear Dinosaur Pile-Up – My Rock ‘n’ Roll while you read:
Dinosaur Pile-Up – My Rock \’n\’ Roll
I wasn’t really into the original grunge scene that burst out of (predominantly) Seattle and elsewhere in the state of Washington in the the mid 80’s, and finding mainstream acceptance in the early to mid 90’s. This is mainly because I was only a toddler when it all kicked off, and as such, very much incapable of supporting the weight of Eddie Vedder’s infamous ‘crucifix’ pose at the Pearl Jam gig at RKCNDY, Seattle in August 1991.
I wasn’t into grunge then, but like most teenagers growing up in the early 00’s I went out, jumped on the grunge bandwagon and bought the seminal albums of the era: Nirvana’s Never Mind, Pearl Jam’s Ten and Soundgarden’s Superunknown. Despite the fact that I had no logical, justifiable reason to get on board with lyrics about drug abuse, depression, homelessness and so on, like many kids in the UK I felt strangely drawn to these disillusioned, disenfranchised, accidental rock-stars. It was Nirvana’s Nevermind that encouraged me to listen to music, to pick up a guitar and, I guess in some indirect and roundabout way, write this blog, and I’m sure a lot of you can identify.
So even though grunge has been predominantly a bit-part in my life since we ’second generation grungies’ hung up our Nirvana hoodies in the early 00’s , only to resurface when the mood takes me to stick on a bit of Vitalogy, No Code, Ten, or even less frequently, Nevermind, it is comforting to see a resurgence of busted guitar fuzz, power-chords, riffs that will melt your eyeballs and lyrics that speak for a disenfranchised youth movement.
At the forefront of this resurgence are bands such as Japanese Voyeurs and Dinosaur Pile-Up, and on Monday the 16th of March a packed-out Hoxton Bar and Grill was whipped into a sweaty, moshing, riff-induced frenzy by these two acts.
Japanese Voyeurs, formerly Tinseltown, began as they meant to continue.. Loudly. Lead singer and guitarist Romily took to the stage swinging her guitar around to produce a cacophony of discordance and feedback before the four-piece ripped into a whirlwind performance.
Distorted powerchords, simple minimalist chord progressions, screeching Superunknown-era Soundgarden-esque abstract guitar solos, and driven rhythm and bass provided the platform over which vocalist Romily enchanted with her angst-ridden vocals. Flitting between almost child-like vulnerability and rock-Goddess, Brodie Armstrong-style screaming with ease, Romily displayed a versatility virtually unparalleled in female vocalists today, and it was hard not to be transfixed.
High points of the set included a gut-busting rendition of You’re So Cool: a sadistic ode to playground crushes and seemingly a metaphor for something more, and the riff-tastic Dumb which displays muscular guitar work a la Queens Of The Stone Age.
Japanese Voyeurs worked the crowd up in preparation for a band I have been hearing a lot about in recent months but, until Monday, had not had the pleasure of seeing: Dinosaur Pile-Up. The Leeds three-piece, fronted by Matt Bigland (formerly of Mother Vulpine), did not disappoint. Like Japanese Voyeurs, Bigland and co rocked out some massive, muscular riffs. Meaty basslines; solid 4/4 beats heavy on the crash; chord progressions and riffs doused in distortion; and the disjointed and vaguely disconcerting vocal melodies of tracks such as My Rock ‘n’ Roll displayed an obvious nod to Nevermind-era Nirvana. Meanwhile there is a striking pop-sensibility in the high-tempo, up-beat, catchy, bass-driven freight train of a track Traynor, reminiscent of Q.O.T.S.A. and The Foo Fighters.
Dinosaur Pile-Up’s flawless blast of Rock ‘n’ Roll induced a mini-moshpit in the packed venue, and left spectators exhausted, dripping with sweat, and minus a few audible frequencies. Perhaps the only downside was the omission of Love is a Boat and We’re Sinking, a favourite among fans.
Throw out your ‘Grunge Is Dead’ T-shirts. It was never funny… and check out:
