.::. THE BLOOD BROTHERS .::.

Jordan Blilie - Vocals Mark Gajadhar - Drums Morgan Henderson - Bass, keyboard Cody Votolato - Guitar Johnny Whitney - Vocals, keyboard “In 2000 it was Soccer Moms,” laments Blood Brother lung burner Jordan Blilie. “Now it’s NASCAR Dads.” No, he’s not talking about a shift in his band’s fanbase, but rather those coveted voting blocs our political machine endeavors each election year to define and conquer. White or brown, broke or paid, schooled or ig’nant, these nebulous groups wield power in uncertain times, and 2004 is as shaky a time as any. While the MPV pushers rally behind pretty horse-faced Kerry and the NASCAR set (Non-Athletic-Sport-Causing-Adult-Retardation) cracks a tallboy for Bush 2.0, we who see no real choice languish in neglect. But take solace, kids. Bad politics makes for good art and The Blood Brothers V2 debut Crimes offers 13 anthems for the disaffected. From the rolling carnival organ and chiseled-beak thump of “Peacock Skeleton with Crooked Feathers” to the tarnished gold rope-chain bass line choking a dusty 808 break on “Teen Heat,” the band finds a new vibrancy in its organic yet forward thinking approach. “With Crimes,” says Johnny, we were so comfortable with each other that we could just jam and a song would come out of it.” “We very much got back to how we wrote songs in basements,” adds Morgan. One of the most potent in the batch is the lead single, “Trash Flavored Trash.” A veritable audio brick lobbed at 5 o’clock news cameras, the song lambastes all that is unfair and unbalanced in TV news. Johnny and Jordan spout in a sugar-high shriek like they’ve gorged themselves on orange-alert Skittles. “And I’ve done the division: trash into trash equals trash flavored trash.” Recorded in the backwoods of Seattle with producer John Goodmanson (Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney), Crimes is sonically arresting and charged with intent. It’s also the perfect fix for a dopesick rock scene jonesing for nostalgia and schmaltz. Whether they’re aping a not-too-distant past in a 3-car garage or earnestly tugging at young girls’ heartstrings, an alarming number of bands these days seem content to run in place - but not The Blood Brothers. “I’m more interested in noise bands trying to do Japanese pop,” declares Morgan. Birthed in 1997, The Blood Brothers came together in response to the heavy-handed rules of Seattle’s young punk community. “There were so many musical no-nos,” Johnny says of the time. “I remember feeling really shut in and restricted.” Though still committed to various other bands the Brothers soon became a vital outlet for each member. “The fact that there was so much more support for The Blood B... historia completa »