B.R.M.C.

In my case, when I first saw "Whatever Happened. . ." on the public access video show late at night awhile back, besides thinking that it was the most completely dead-on song I'd heard all year, I thought "B.R.M.C." (as the credit indicated) was a raw garage band -- along the lines of, say, the Makers or a less flamboyant Rocket From the Crypt. And when I later learned what the initials stood for and saw the Stooges, Joy Division and the Velvet Underground (two of my favorite bands and one that I should get into more) listed among their influences, I got even more excited. So it was a bit of a shock at first when I listened to some of their other songs off their website. (They have about half the CD and a live set from Milwaukee on there. It's great.) I'm not really that much of an aficionado of J&MC and their ilk, but to be honest, even though the songs didn't hook me right away, they didn't take more than a couple of listens to "grow on" me, either, so I bought the CD. Besides the one song, "Love Burns" has this melody, "White Palms" has this interplay between bass and guitar and "Salvation" has this . . . trancelike . . . feeling, and I can't get 'em out of my head. (They pushed matchbox 20 and Creed out of there finally, though, so I'm doubly thankful.)

Anyway, there's a lot of trippy atmospheric stuff fading in and out of most of the songs, and there's even more distortion and dissonance and . . . deconstruction, I guess. (There are also hintings of what may develop into a sound of their own, but that's something else.) If you're into J&MC, My Bloody Valentine, Ride and all of that, then maybe this will sound pretty familiar, yeah. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it's something that will probably bring back old memories rather than bombard you with its presence on the radio or VH1 these days. (I guess that many of the kids who are into what they play on MTV were prenatal or too young to remember when this music first appeared.) And for people like me, who aren't too familiar with the music, maybe it'll get them interested and bring some of these bands back into cultural consciousness again.

Of course, even after all of this, I still go back to "Whatever Happened. . ." I'm actually tempted to call it an anthem, not only because it rocks so hard but also because so many people my age seem to be asking the exact same question. But, then again, that'd just mean that it'd be played every 20 minutes on the radio and maybe even on MTV, and everybody'd just get sick of it. So I won't say that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will necessarily save rock 'n' roll. (No band has ever really done that on their own, and I don't expect this one to be an exception.) I don't even know if they're the start of something new in music, although I definitely hope so. All I can say is that this is a damn good record for this year, and that's saying something.

BRMC is an impressive debut from this L.A.-based band, combining some of the best elements of druggy, droney 60's psychedelia and garage R&B rock; and on occasion, lead guitarist/vocalist Peter Hayes sounds uncannily like Roger (Jim) McGuinn of The Byrds (see "Too Real" or "Salvation"). BRMC sounds like a hybrid of the Jesus and Mary Chain and Spiritualized (there we go with comparisons again!), but they've also managed to carve out their own style such that you won't mistake them for either of the aforementioned. Standout songs are "Love Burns", "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll (punk song)", "Awake", "Rifles" and "Spread Your Love". One of the most refreshing, promising American debuts in years.

The only thing to keep in mind is that about one percent or less of pop and rock music released these days is truly original. Virtually everything is derivative of something or someone.

Anyone who fails to buy this CD will be missing out on one of the best new albums of the year. They do derive heavily from others who came before, but they do it in such an incredibly wonderful, inspiring way, and the band creates its own unique sound. The melodies on this CD are just lovely. From the opening hooks of "Love Burns" until the last note is played, B.R.M.C. spins unforgettable song after song. While we're talking about influences, be sure to check out the George Harrison/"Blue Jay Way"-esque "Too Real", just a fantastic track.

I strongly recommend this album.