Cook st. party

At nine sharp the chili went out and the party started off a bit sluggish with a few kids milling around the kitchen while Captured by Porches set up and the rest sitting in front of a television set with the volume off. Here Comes a Big Black Cloud played the first set. They opened with a couple of new songs which I will just take the time to note as being very very good. Drunk guy double fisting Icehouse in front of me yelled at one point that they were the "best band in the world" and "you guys fucking rock too hard" so there you have it. They're hit song/dance bash Gamma Ray seemed a bit sped up and a little off and this was a malady that would plague them throughout the rest of their set, though the crowd didn't seem to mind and they had all the same rock and roll soul presence they always do.
For the next good portion of this party I was just kind of grazing through the party mingle while what I heard was some old 90's music was going off in the background. Mostly I was just trying to get high(mission accomplished) as due to a horrible infection in my throat last week I am currently on antibiotics and cannot drink. So I'm high. And here I go casually walking past the basement when I realize that the alt rock I'm hearing isn't a recording at all. There's actually a band downstairs that's playing this stuff. NOTE: alt rock is some of my favorite type of jam...SUB NOTE: But that's late 80's early 90's stuff...Before shit like Train and Hootie really spread their wings...which reminds me: Sugar Ray will really sum up exactly what I'm trying to say about the downfall of alt rock. Regardless ya'll, that shit went hard it was that point where kids were hesitantly still calling this stuff punk but Mars music was shelving under the lovely Alternative label and we were all rushing for the shit. The Pixies. The Pogues. They Might be Giants...I believe by this time R.H.C.P was already running alt water for their spa baths and yes friends, Sublime cause just remember good music never spoils it just gets played out. Well the point of all this is to say that Magnus Opus brought it back to the day in a spirit that held this party on a pedestal of the music right. Not to mention that since these kids are from Brooklyn we West Coasters can expect to hear much more of this sort of music in about five years when the trickle hits us(I'm sure that after last night there will be some new bands forming around here...you'll see). They had a strong vocal lead and lyrics that were heartfelt and true to this generation's sentiment: Broken, disillusioned, and dare I say...Beat. Shit they even had a rocking kazoo solo what more do I have to say.
Bankrupt and the Borrowers I hope that in a few years their name will suffice as a review but for now I'm happy to do them the honor. This band carries that same heavy step of alt that I was referring to earlier though I suppose we might have to come up with a new label just to keep it trendy...maybe we'll just start calling it rock again? Eh? Who knows. With elements of noise thrown in and a sometimes out of place but often altogether perfectly set harmonica the sound is reminiscent of jazzy old country blues and that city sweat that comes after a hard day at work and a long walk home. Throughout the set the bassist and the guitarist would switch instruments and switch out on vocal duties, both held spectacular. I'm not sure the crowd was even ready for this sort of low income rock and roll gang bang but here it was and these guys demanded attention. Admittedly they started off a bit strange in my opinion but by the third song I had settled into their strange time signatures, extended intros, and off harmony singing. All of them were very talented musicians but the drummer, Worthless, beat out a solo that jammed the shit out of more than a few innocent bystanders...or perhaps that smell was just a side affect of everybody drinking home brew and eating loads and loads of chili. Well whatever they deserve the credit for every stinky bottom in the place. Check them out: myspace.com/bankruptmusic.
Popitilopitilous I hope I spelled that right. Tonight they played the best set I have seen to date. Black lights and color strobes, costumes and kitsch...oh...and tight jams. I've yet to pick up on the lingo ya'll here in the Northwest use to describe your local bands(and down in Austin we don't have anything like this) so I'll just call it space-wave and rest assured, it's a good sign. I know that most of the bands out there are like fuck contracts, text is for pussies, and all this and that but I really hope we figure out a way to get the mainstream to be our stream once again. I know it has to happen and so it will. But I just can't wait. I see more and more of these great amazing awesome bands popping up all over the country and I wonder if this is what it was like back in the day(say waaay back) when rock was rock and the drugs were cheap(though we still have to work on that cheap drugs bit don't we?), and then I think to myself: Well fuck it kids. This is our good time we're coming into here, don't equate. Don't relate. Just sit back, chill out, max in the shade and get ready, cause the best is yet to come.