For Massive Sound Of Noisy Rock, Try Going To Church On Saturday
Spokane will be visited Saturday by three bands that slaughter music in their own delightful way.
Oakland’s Schlong, Sacramento’s Lizards and Chicago’s Jaks will cast off their brand of noisy rock at two shows on Saturday.
All three bands will play an all-ages show, first at Westminster Congregational Church (Fourth and Washington). After that, they’ll mosey over to Ichabod’s North.
Schlong is perhaps one of the greatest sonic butchers around. As exhibited on all of its releases, this combo isn’t shy about dicing up a horde of musical styles in a blender.
Usually the result is brilliant, once your ears grow accustomed to the trio’s menacing style.
Take “Fishbooty” and “The Unessential Schlong” - the band’s two newest albums - for example.
One song might start out like a corny power ballad. By the end of the song, it will have shifted all over the place, from hardcore to ska to bluegrass.
There is nothing conventional about this band’s sound. That, plus Schlong’s beer-saturated humor, makes the group one of the most fun bands to watch live.
The Lizards play straight-ahead punk rock. So what’s the big deal with their sound?
The singer, Dave Lizard. Listening to a Lizard record, you find yourself checking the turntable speed. The music sounds like it’s playing at 33 rpm, but the vocals are pushing the 45 rpm barrier.
If the Chipmunks needed a singer to fill in, Dave Lizard, who often dresses in drag, would be the obvious choice.
The Jaks get downright confrontational in their music, carving out a clamorous blend of rock not too unlike the Jesus Lizard.
Both bands’ sounds overlap - in that the two Chicago bands build on driving riffs. Yet the Jaks are considerably more daring and more dangerous than the Jesus Lizard. Much of this has to do with the Jaks female vocalist. On the band’s “Hollywood Blood Capsules” CD she howls, whines and screams like someone shot her in the knees, in ways that seem entirely unnatural.
Some songs sound like she’s fighting for air. On others, she’s fighting the band. Together, they’re waging war on the listeners.
Saturday’s all-ages show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $3. The Ichabod’s show, also featuring Big Comb, kicks off at 9:30 p.m. The cover is $4.
The return of D.O.A.
Seventeen years is a long time to bark at social injustice. However, as long as there’s a cause worth singing about, D.O.A. will continue to write music.
The Vancouver, B.C., band plays Outback Jack’s with Automatic Seven on Saturday.
D.O.A.’s longevity is unparalleled in North American punk. Surprisingly, nearly two decades together haven’t dulled the band’s luster.
Last fall, the power trio released its latest album, “The Black Spot,” on Essential Noise/Caroline. To many of its diehard fans, D.O.A. hasn’t lost touch.
The youthful Automatic 7, which precedes D.O.A. on stage, will assuredly keep punk’s elder statesmen on their toes.
Automatic 7 guitarist-vocalist John Hulett says, aside from D.O.A.’s haggard looks, the band has been pumping out impressive performances.
“They’re old, you know,” Hulett said from a tour stop in Cincinnati last week. “They were jumping around last night, but they’re old, dude.”
Like its Southern California counterparts, Automatic 7 opts for adrenaline-based pop punk. Its debut, an eponymous CD on BYO Records (known for its Youth Brigade releases) fits nicely next to your Down By Law and Guttermouth records.
Music starts at 9:30 p.m. Advance tickets, $5, are available at Outback Jack’s. It’s $6 at the door.
Bitter-tasting Lollipop
Despite what its moniker might lead one to think, San Francisco’s Lollipop isn’t sweet to the ears. So don’t even think about calling the group’s music ear candy.
Lollipop, which plays Swackhammer’s on Sunday, grabs ‘60s garage rock by its neck, spits punk rock attitude all over it, soups it up with squealing guitar noise and sends it careening out of its cranked-up amplifiers. Yep, it’s good ‘ol rock and roll, full of guts and brazen spirit.
Now, if the band would only release music faster than a snail’s pace, Lollipop might actually gain some notoriety. The foursome has two singles out, one called “Half Dead” on Amphetamine Reptile and another, “Write Me a Poem,” on Sympathy for the Record Industry. Lollipop’s debut full-length will be issued on Amphetamine Reptile this summer.
Lollipop originally hails from Buffalo. But as far as the music scene goes, the group’s members aren’t fond of their hometown.
“Everyone asks me who is from Buffalo, said drummer Dave Hersey in a recent phone interview. “Billy Sheehan (bass player of Mr. Big) is from here. I don’t know what he’s doing now except wearing Spandex. In Buffalo he used to walk around with his tight little Spandex. More power to him, you know.”
So far, Lollipop isn’t winning any new friends in its Bay Area surroundings. But the band’s adjusting.
“Me and Mark (bass player, last name unknown) have gotten into the Berkeley habit of going out buck naked and running around the block on a Thursday,” said Hersey. “When I first came out here, I almost killed about seven people because the pedestrians just kind of walk in front of you. I don’t know if it’s because they have the right to do that or because they just don’t care.”
Cotton Mouth and Retrofit open. Music starts at 9:30 p.m. The cover is $3.
Local band makes CD debut
Buddha Leadbelly, one of the throngs of misfits on the local scene, has finally released its debut CD. Saturday, the band is holding a record release party at Northern Corner, corner of Third and Washington.
The name of the band’s grooveinflected album is “Providence,” and it contains 14 original tracks. Buy one and support the band, if you like. Or go to the show. Or do both.
Earthquake Pill opens. Music starts at 9:30 p.m. The cover is $3.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Nightwatch picks Best bets at area clubs: SATURDAY: Schlong, Jaks, Lizards at Westminster Congregational Church, and also at Ichabod’s North with Big Comb; D.O.A. and Automatic 7 at Outback Jack’s; Buddha Leadbelly and Earthquake Pill at the Northern Corner SUNDAY: Lollipop, Cotton Mouth and Retrofit at Swackhammer’s