When I play music, one of my housemates often asks “who’s this?” She likes a lot of the indie stuff but isn’t all that familiar with the bands. So when I tell her the names of the bands (The Mountain Goats, Neutral Milk Hotel, Arctic Monkeys, Architecture in Helsinki) she often accuses me of making up the names. I anticipate another round of “no, that’s really their name” soon, because I’m likely to be playing a lot of Birdmonster.
Who are these guys? Well, I’ve consistently heard Modest Mouse references, which I guess I can see, but really doesn’t seem that appropriate. They’re much more about the straight-up rock and roll. Sure, it’s got an edge, but they’re a lot more like the 2006-indie version of Fugazi than anything else. Actually, the more I think about it, Birdmonster reminds me of The Constantines, but a lot better. If rock is making a comeback, a big part of it will be thanks to these guys. They were a big deal in the blogosphere in 2005 thanks to a short (three-song) EP that featured one fantastic song:
All The Holes in the Wall.
They do a lot of great stuff here with the soft/loud, fast/slow variations. It’s very tight, without feeling forced. That may not sound like much, but it’s pretty much the difference between good and bad rock songs. They’re not flailing about aimlessly, but they’re also not totally constrained by the limits of the song. There’s a natural pulse to it that makes me really want to see them live (though it would probably make my ears bleed).
“Our main goal is to rock so hard one of us faints”
–David, guitarist for Birdmonster
That sounds about right.
Their album comes out today. If I was more on top of things I would have ordered my copy a while ago. As it is, I’m stuck with ordering today and having to wait a few days to get it. Until then, here’s one track off the disc:
Balcony
Everything said about the first one applies here, too. It’s the type of song that makes you want to get up and dance around until you just collapse, panting for breath. The softer, quieter moments are interspersed to give you a chance to cool off, but it’s only a temporary respite until they send you whirling around again.
You can (and should) order their album from their website, and while you’re at it, check out their page on Myspace.