Metal Lungies

Not as the name suggests, the Harlem Shakes hail from Brooklyn and probably don’t dance as expected. After opening up for bands like Arctic Monkeys (who are they?) and Deerhoof, they are gearing up to release their debut EP “Burning Birthdays”, an appropriately named five-song set powered by carefree, foot-tapping indie basement rock. The vintage texture of this eighteen-minute album goes down smooth with a young, hopeful and melodic voice orchestrated with a fine supporting cast of relaxed overdriven guitars. ‘Missing Our Loved Ones’ hints of Electric Light Orchestra, and comparisons have been made to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs – probably the closest geographical and musical well-known yardstick – but a full-length album will be more telling.

-JP

http://www.harlemshakes.com
http://myspace.com/harlemshakes

Recent and Upcoming:

February 6, 2007 – Burning Birthdays (EP)

The now-defunct punk post-hardcore band known as All My Heroes shined briefly on their first and last album Magnolia Street, nearly two years ago on the fledgling Florida-based label Secondhand Records. Originally recording a four-song demo under the name Citizen Kane, AMH transitioned from demo to album and successfully refined their voice without changing it.

While Hawthorne Heights taught us what it was to be accessible faux-screamo, AMH seems to be a genuine punk band with a little throat-scratching edge to it. They love their guitar riffs as much as their bass lines or their cymbal intros, and while any band could set up the double bassdrums and belt out empty anthems in gutteral tones (I love that word), it takes a little more to coordinate.

Undoubtedly the layering of screaming over singing is a tried and true method, but timing is also important. They save it for the end of verses, for the chorus, for words they want you to remember, and use it often but wisely. While guitar solos following the melodies of songs tend to come out tacky and predicitably unimpressive (see Weezer’s Green Album), AMH knows how to combine both for emphasis, and in a flash of a sixth grade art class epiphany when Ms McKenzie introduced negative space, riffs or vocals in this duo which are purposely left out make even more of a statement.

Overanalysis aside, this album is enjoyable, especially if you too are reminded of Knight Rider in all of its Hasselhoff and talking car glory by the intro to one of the songs. It is certainly a pity that the band broke up due to artistic differences – which probably means the drummer slept with the lead guitarist’s sister – but in all seriousness, this is another band that could have been.

What are the bands’ members doing now? Apparently selling clothes and a hip-hop band. Oh Miami.

-JP

http://www.allmyheroesrock.com/

Recent and Upcoming:

November 16, 2004 – Magnolia Street