There’s something powerful and unequivocal about a good garage band. And, if their debut ‘Workout Holiday’ is anything to go by, White denim are a good garage band – all scratchy guitars and yelping vocals. They’ve drawn a sell-out crowd to an admittedly small venue and ELM is poised, MC5 t-shirt worn and everything, for what should be a balls-out celebration of all that is great and dirty about rock’n'roll.
Initially, it is a false start. The sound engineer has, for reasons best known to himself, elected to forget to include vocals in the mix. You’d think it was a fairly important part of a three-piece’s act, but still. Rectifying it two songs in, it kicks off properly. And boy, do this mob rock and rock properly. It’s sweaty, frenetic and energetic – which a garage band should be – but it’s lifted by the sheer dynamism that the band bring to the stage. ‘Shake Shake Shake’ and ‘All You Really have To Do’ are given sinuous, taut run-throughs while the crowd find themselves swept along by the jerking, insistent noise the band provide.
Kings of Leon spring to mind by way of comparision, but White Denim are less artificial and studied. They are also far more ambitious – the psychedelic squalls which provide definition to ‘Ieiei’ are so far awat form KoL’s comfort zone as to come from another planet. 45 minutes in, it’s over, and it has been perfectly times. White Denim may lack a ‘Last Night’ to do a Strokes, but for sheer rock’n'roll power, they have a wicked arsenal.
Filed under: gigs Tagged: | garage rock, Kings of Leon, the strokes, White denim, workout holiday
Ive been listening to thr magnificently named Eddy Current Suppression Ring lately , more garage-type stuff ; track down the stupendous ” which way to go ” if you can.
I have heard nothing but good things about their live shows. I have an EP from last year which was OK, but not mind-blowing. Downloaded their album yesterday. Yet to play it!
It’s pretty good, very raw. Well worth seeing LO.
Dusty, that is indeed a magnificently titled band!
I do love a proper, old school garage band. Blows away the cobwebs and kicks out the jams, mutahfuckers!
ELM-ers should check out an American band called The Three 4 Tens, who released a great psych album last year. Very punchy and mind-melt-tastic. they’re probably on Myspace etc. A friend got a review copy and gave me it. Well worth tracking down.