First on First - Black Sabbath

Imagine it's 1970, you go to the record store and this creepy album cover with the name Black Sabbath catches your eye. Is that the band? The title? Is this the soundtrack to the movie?  If I touch this, will I be possessed by demons? Maybe. Or maybe you'd heard of them in passing, briefly, but nobody was playing their music on the radio and you didn't have access to any bootlegs of their John Peel session from the previous year or really even knew about it. There was no Internet so it's not like this kind of thing spread that quickly or pervasively. You are scared and intrigued by the cover, and you tend to be a little adventurous when buying music, so you buy it, getting maybe a concerned look from the old man behind the register, run home and drop the needle on the record, and instantly the world is never the same again. And I'm not even talking about the whole album, just the first song - "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath on Black Sabbath.

Rain, thunder, bells and then dread. I could be wrong, but I have yet to hear anything that sounded quite like this before the arrival of Sabbath. Sure, there were some acid influenced, heavy bands and theatrical, progressive acts with dark sounds (Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Arthur Brown, etc) but none of them came close to the level of doom and evil Sabbath captured just in their very first song.Whether it's Iommi's sinister guitar chord invoking demons from hell, the rolling bass and ceremonial drums of Butler and Ward, Ozzy's vacant and haunting/haunted voice or all of this and more, coming together, the chills are instant. Then there's that pace of the verses, so slow and creepy, before the icing on the Satanic cake as Ozzy screams out in very real terror "OH NO!!" Those screams are, in my view, a huge part of his legacy, bringing a sense of outright terror and agony to all his songs, and it's there from the very beginning.

The album as a whole shows a bit more range, and includes what may be my actual favorite Sabbath tune, "N.I.B." which somehow manages to balance groove, blues and doom in a way I still don't fully understand. That the album was basically recorded live in one day is just further fuel for the legendary status of the album and the band. But as far as first songs on first albums go, "Black Sabbath" is iconic in every possible way. It's a mission statement like no other. That mission is, of course, led by Satan and you were either scared shitless by the invitation or you were enticed by the darkness and rewarded for it. Guess which one I am.

Broncho at The Culture Room: My Mind at CBGB's

Broncho!

I've always loved the whole late 70s New York, CBGB vibe. And for me, that whole thing sort of extends to bands and sounds that aren't even part of that era or scene specifically, but it's what I think of when I hear even somewhat scuzzy rock n roll that is also kinda poppy. So I sometimes lump in stuff that's more new wave or whatever into the same grouping. And then again, the thing about the CBGB bands of that era is that there really was no "sound" to it. They were all very different. Talking Heads sound nothing like Blondie who sound nothing like Television or the Ramones. And Lou Reed and Iggy Pop weren't even part of that. Yet, last night, I saw Broncho play at The Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale and those are some of the things and bands I thought about.

It's cool to be bummed.

But before Broncho came out, local band Heavy Drag from Miami opened up and I was pleasantly surprised. They bill themselves as a bummer band and I can see what they mean by that with the heavy droning sound and all. Their sound seemed to me to be fusing Black Sabbath and The Velvet Underground, a combination that seems obvious and which I'm sure many bands have claimed, but Heavy Drag also amps up the psychedelic vibe which may be why  it works really well for them. I would have bought their album last night if it had been available on vinyl (because I'm a hipster) instead of cassette (because I'm not a superhipster). None the less, check them out on Spotify and elsewhere. Well worth it.

Speaking of being a hipster, we went to the show to see Broncho, who were opening for The Growlers. Nothing against The Growlers, but I guess they're just not my thing so we didn't plan on staying and didn't. This is not the first time we've gone just for the opener. And it probably won't be the last. And since we wound up discovering Heavy Drag, it was a bonus. 

Whoa-oh oh-oh, whoa-oh oh-oh.

I'd been listening to them since their second album, Just Enough Hip to Be a Woman, came out last year. but still wasn't sure what to expect, but the bottom line is Broncho was great. I always forget just how small The Culture Room is and how great the sound generally is which was already a plus. Last night, I would say if there was any weakness in Broncho's show it was that they maybe went too loud, sacrificing clarity for the undeniable power and energy that the extra volume gave them. But, honestly, I can't complain because I didn't need to understand a single word Ryan Lindsey was singing beyond the "Whoa-oh oh-oh, whoa-oh oh- oh" in "What," or the stuttering "doo doo doo, etc" of "Class Historian." And while on the album their sound comes across with a heavier dose of glam, new wave and groove, live it was much more raw and, well, "CBGB," which in this case ranges from Ramones and Blondie to Iggy and Transformer era Lou Reed. So much punk going on in their riffs that I hadn't noticed until last night. And yet, still with the heavy textured effects and walls of reverb. It's a pretty fucking great combination that they balance without getting completely muddy. It's rock n roll, baby!

It was clear we were the oldest people at the show, which on the one hand is a sign that we're cool motherfuckers and the other is a sign that, no fuck it, we're just cool motherfuckers. We can only hope the kids at the show noticed and that it somehow inspires them. It's rock n roll, baby!!

Rock n Roll!!

Dead Sara and Royal Thunder: Rock is a Woman

Mlny is power.

The lineage of ladies tearing up some rock n roll, be it heavy or smooth is long and storied. And it's important to note because as much as we can say it shouldn't matter if they are male or female, so long as they're good, the stigma, roadblocks and flat out victimization of women in rock makes those that succeed that much more vital. In a strange. ironic and troubling way it adds to their appeal that there is this history of an industry (and a culture, really) that is as much against them as it is about exploiting them. So to this day, I always feel like there's more pure rock rebellion and badassery going on when I hear a strong woman's vocals at full volume, destroying her own throat if she must, just to get something out. And because of this, I can't stop listening to two bands in particular lately: Dead Sara and Royal Thunder.

Emily Armstrong's vocals are what rock dreams are made of. There's really nothing else I can say about it beyond that. She somehow has a sweetness that is wrapped in a fuck it all rasp or maybe it's the rasp that breaks through the shell of sweetness. Or maybe, oh who the fuck knows? Look, I'm sure this can be analyzed and dissected by people that know more about this stuff than I do, but really, just listen to her and feel the full range of expression that comes through. That damaged yell is the sound of catharsis which is the sound of rock n roll at it's most basic. Whether it's sexual, angry or just simply rebellious for the sake of it, it all begins with that sound. It's Janis Joplin, Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant and whoever the hell else you can think of all wrapped up in this one woman who still makes it hers. 

Then there's Mlny Parsonz of Royal Thunder, adding a witchy quality and subtle sense that you might get your ass kicked. No matter how personal and vulnerable her lyrics get (and they do) she is not someone you feel like you can fuck with. Any pain she exposes is done in the service of taking power from it with her voice, which is another vital element of the rock catharsis. Royal Thunder is heavy metal in a very traditional sense while at the same time encompassing some more modern forms of the genre. Because of that, Mlny in every way, transcends the concept of "girl who rocks" and becomes a perfect vessel for the history of Metal from Sabbath through the 80s (I hear some Ratt in there, in a good way) and beyond, taking grunge, sludge and whatever else with her. They tend to keep it slow and deep and there's no better voice for it as far I'm concerned. The fact that she also plays bass like a boss is just a bonus but not one that should be overlooked. 

Now go play their music, loud as fuck, as intended. 

Erin Armstrong takes flight.