| CD REVIEW The Blood Arm |
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Band : The Blood Arm I was first made aware of the existence of this Los Angeles based Indie Rock act, when the band's keyboardist & backing singer Dyan Valdés and boyfriend Eddie Argos (of Art Brut) released the album Fixing The Charts, Part 1 under the monicker Everyone Was In The French Resistance...Now! In that review (posted 25/03/2010), I also slightly touched on TBA's history. Time to improve on that! The band began as a far-fetched idea in the mind of UCLA film student (and TBA lead singer) Nathaniel Fregoso, but it wasn't until he met guitarist Zebastian Carlisle at a karaoke bar in LA's “Koreatown” that the band began its development. After a few early rehearsal sessions the two first invited UCLA graduate Dyan Valdés as their keyboardist (she was classically trained on the piano) and backing singer, then completed the line-up by asking drummer Zachary Amos to join 'em. That was 2003, and in early 2004 the band released its 4 Song Demo, which earned 'em a nomination for the LA Weekly Music Award in the category of “Best New Artist” that same year. Also in 2004 TBA self-released their debut full-length album Bomb Romantics (featuring 13 songs recorded in a garage studio). Early high-profile fans Franz Ferdinand were só strikken by the TBA's infectious music, that they invited 'em to open the first 3 dates of their 2nd US tour. The strength of the band's material went on to earn 'em support slots of tours with the likes of the Killers, Sons And Daughters, Hot Hot Heat, We Are Scientists, Spoon, and Maxïmo Park. With the latter a first tour of the UK was done, and a 7-inch single released through UK label Loog Records, was culled from the album for an early version of the song “Do I Have Your Attention?” (b-side was the previously unreleased “A Brilliant Debut”). The British connection would be continued, as the band signed to UK Indie label City Rockers and Because Music. First result of that was “Say Yes” a new 7-inch single (b-side were live versions of album songs “Opportunity Knock” and “Can I Unwind?”) culled from the debut, which got the band a first chart position, and a spot on the bill of the Reading/ Leeds festivals. Sophomore album Lie Lover Lie, this time properly recorded and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid (We Are Scientists, Foreign Born, Cass McCombs, …) and therefore capturing the band's frenzied energy in the best possible manner, followed in October 2006, getting the band raving reviews from the British media (The Guardian giving the album a 5/5 rating, NME giving it 8/10, and Artrockercalling it “the best debut album of the year”). First single Suspicious Character (with two additional and previously unrecorded new songs) came out that same year. 2007 saw the band release two more singles, first Angela (with the previously unreleased “Pendragon” as second track) and later the re-recorded album version of “Do I Have Your Attention?” (this time a duet with French actress Anaïs). Somewhere along the line the band got together with former The Mighty Lemon Drops member David Newton for the recording/ production of their following album...but it was also during the 2008 UK touring for the album that Eddie Argos got his idea for the Everyone Was In The French Resistance...Now! Album (eventually using Newton to record/ produce their album as well) and possibly things surrounding that idyll were at the basis of a new TBA only coming out now. Or maybe there's been some trouble with their former label, because the new material is now issued through Snowhite/ Pau! Records. Well, the silence surrounding the band was actually already broken on Nov. 15 of last year, when the band released the pre-album EP All My Love Songs (in true TBA tradition, only the title track is off the album, the EP counting 4 bonus tracks including a splattering cover of the '60s hit “Get Ready”). And now the band is there with this new 12-track album which, according to the liner notes in the biography on the band's own website “...builds upon the raw creative energy of the previous albums while exploring new artistic and sonic frontiers.” Aaahh...? As I've never heard TBA before, I can only go on what I hear on this album really. Ans what I hear is a band which combines sensitivities from late '60s and early '70s Rock-Pop music with progressive elements of the era of U2 (partially induced by the guitarist, partially by the pianist), and blends it into a very nice contemporary Indie Rock with a Retro touch and a sonic craziness which has somehow brought Talking Heads to my mind (even if vocally there's no comparison at all). Lyrically on the humouristic side (or at least, that's how I perceive a lot of the songs), there's a quality here which makes the listener take notice of the words as well, something which is enabled by the songs' overall catchy nature and high sing-along factor in the choruses. Again according to the aforementioned own biography, the album's songs “She's A guillotine” and “Introducing Randy Newman” are already favourites at recent live shows. Personally, I like the frenzy of “D-D-D-D-D-Dementia” even more, and while I'll agree on the aforementioned being “stand-out” tracks, I could give you reasons of stand-out-ishness for each of the other songs on the albums as well. Just take “Starved For Affection”, for instance...I mean, the use of horns on that track sure make it stand out, because it's the only song that has those. On the band's own website (www.) thebloodarm.com, you'll find a music player with 2 songs off the new album (plus that cover of “Get Ready”), as well as videos for 4 songs off the previous album. More stuff (off both albums) can be found at the band's facebook page, and at (www.) myspace.com/thebloodarm you can even find a video for the new album's “Relentless Love”. Late September sees the band starting out on a new European/ UK tour, which will see TBA visit Germany and the UK mainly, with additional dates in Italy and a lone one in Austria. Pity, I would've loved to be able to see TBA play on Belgian soil as well, because I really like this band. Just to give you an idea: I started this review yesterday afternoon, and got stuck halfway listening to the album. I had the album playing on a loop for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Even this morning, while continuing the work, I took a conscious break (making macro photos of fossils found during my Summer holidays), just to be able to listen to this album some more. So...do I like? I sure do...but not, as you might think, to the point of giving the album a maximum rating, in spite of adding it to my year-lists! 96/100 Tony. |