So a few weeks ago, some younger friends asked a certain Shady Dame and myself to join them at a performance by a young, unsigned band that they rated rather highly. And given that I feel a certain critical responsibility to lend an ear to the occasional rockers who actually got together in the current century, off we went.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you -- Bound by Substance.
What did they sound like? Well, over at their official website they describe themselves thusly...
Rock ‘n’ roll with a splash of whiskey. That’s the best way to describe the sound of Bound By Substance. Drawing from the heavy blues influences of early 70′s rock bands and blending it with the heavier melodic sounds of early 90′s rock, BBS has forged a unique, refreshing sound. Couple that with the NYC elements of grit and urgency and what you are left with is a rock sound that has a perfect balance of darkness, beauty, sadness and joy.
...and as you can hear from the live clip below...
...that's not a bad summation of what these guys do. In fact, they strike me as a slightly poppier mashup of a contemporary blues/jam band like North Mississippi All-Stars and 90s New York punk/blues outfit Raging Slab.
Which is, needless to say, a good thing.
In any case, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded to the first reader who gleans the relevance of all of this to the theme of tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
11 comments:
Bands the desperately want to be from the South?
@Edward.
Ha ha!
I like this clip a lot. Really good stuff.
I'm gonna say Best/Worst torchbearers. Recent or fairly recent bands doing their best version of some classic band or artist.
Seeing an unsigned band that is clearly ready for prime time makes me wonder about the sucky bands that do get signed --- is the topic "Bands That Make You Scratch Your Head And Go, HUH????"
I should add that said Shady Dame and I saw these guys at the Blender, which is a reconverted old movie theater on 23rd street.
It's the perfect place for old folks to see a band, as they left half the seats intact. You can grab a drink and then go sit in the mezzanine, comfortable and with great sight lines to the stage.
That was pretty good; I really enjoyed the guitar solo.
But yeah, very retro. Not sure how I feel about that.
And steve, it's great to hear about a small venue with SEATS. I last went to a stand-up-all-night show in 1998, because my incredibly flat, aching feet just couldn't take it. That puts me off most of the smaller venues in NYC right there.
Glad to hear I am not the only one whose feet hurt at a concert! I may be pathetic, but I am in good company.
Whiskey soaked bands?
New bands you have high hopes for?
Trey
Trey, it's not even age.
I remember a 5-hour Grateful Dead concert back in 1974 when I had to squat for a good chunk of the second set because my feet were hurting so much.
But also, as I get older, I have no patience for venues that have no respect for their paying customers. And it's amazing/appalling how many concert venues figure all rock/pop music fans are just young, drunken louts and treat them accordingly.
Nope. No way. Not when I'm paying good money.
Cool-sounding band with a lot of talent and smarts. Might benefit from a fashion update, though ... I like it when bands don't look like how they sound. Element of surprise and all that. I think these guys should all dress like Patti Smith on the cover of "Horses." :-)
I think these guys should all dress like Patti Smith on the cover of "Horses." :-)
Amusing idea, but I'm not going there.
:-)
I don't like bands who write their own blurbs. Always sounds too pretentious.
You can always describe yourself ("I'm a man of integrity." No that's someone else's call).
Let someone else describe you; they'll have more distance and perhaps be more accurate.
Good song, I was able to download it on Itunes
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