Silversun Pickups came out with a vengeance. I don't know what we ever did to them to deserve it! But right from the start, they were gunning for the jugular with both barrels*.
During the first song, I said "this guy's voice is like a cross between Bjork and Gollum. Let's hope he doesn't sing any songs including the phrase 'my precious.'" Mercifully, he did not. And not only did his voice have a couple more tricks up its sleeve than just that whining shriek, the whine itself really grew on me fast! I have to admit, he impressed me. His gently deranged stage manner was a perfect fit for the band's sound, and his charming yet creepy banter was never overdone. I was also impressed by the way he kept his monstrous ego in check throughout the performance.
Don't tell me he doesn't have a monstrous ego. I can tell. But he didn't let it get in the way! This is key. If he gets famous, he has the potential to be as bad as or worse than Billy Corrigan. I don't need to go into all the reasons why we simply must not let that happen.
In fact, the band's sound was kind of like all the things that I don't like about Smashing Pumpkins (officially a great band, by the way - I don't dispute it) except for some reason, I loved it coming from these guys. Maybe the other guys had an off life, or something, because in retrospect all the ingredients were there.
The band's lineup was a wrinkle on the classic alterna power trio - dude in the back whaling on the drum kit, singer with a guitar front and center, chick bassist to the right - but added to that basic template, they had another guy sitting up front stage left, manning a sparse bank of keyboards and control panels. I guess he was just there to punch things up, fatten the sound, massage the reverb and add in occasional effects. Because...I really didn't hear a lot in the way of "keyboards." They were on full guitar assault mode, and rightly so. Not all of it slashy and dinnidinniDAH either. One of their songs sported a guitar hook that hit you like Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" crossed with the TV theme to "Batman"! Really neat.
Up Next: Pt.2: OKGO
In fact, the band's sound was kind of like all the things that I don't like about Smashing Pumpkins (officially a great band, by the way - I don't dispute it) except for some reason, I loved it coming from these guys. Maybe the other guys had an off life, or something, because in retrospect all the ingredients were there.
The band's lineup was a wrinkle on the classic alterna power trio - dude in the back whaling on the drum kit, singer with a guitar front and center, chick bassist to the right - but added to that basic template, they had another guy sitting up front stage left, manning a sparse bank of keyboards and control panels. I guess he was just there to punch things up, fatten the sound, massage the reverb and add in occasional effects. Because...I really didn't hear a lot in the way of "keyboards." They were on full guitar assault mode, and rightly so. Not all of it slashy and dinnidinniDAH either. One of their songs sported a guitar hook that hit you like Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" crossed with the TV theme to "Batman"! Really neat.
Up Next: Pt.2: OKGO
3 comments:
Do you mean Billy Corgan?
Definitely, that is the whom to which I refer. I'm in real doubt though, as to whether the misspelling was intentional. That was the kind of thing I'd drop in all the time for a lark, in those hearty, heady days!
Should I fix it? Or nah??
This clarification in comments about serves the purpose, I'd say. Thank you for the catch, and the opportunity!
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