When I first heard that some of the former members of The Waha's had started a new band post their split in 2009, I didn't exactly know what to expect. This musical endeavor continued to elevate my interests when the title Chicks Who Love Guns came to light.
As cutting edge as the name is, the five boys of CWLG are possibly trendier, with essence of the The Horrors in appearance. I know what you're thinking, "Great, another 'bro heavy' boy group of obscure indie twats." Not quite. If the music sucked, maybe.. but these Sydney lads are good enough to pull it off in an unpretentiousness manner. With track titles like 'Smashfuck' and 'Vomit on the Dancefloor', the credibility stands as this band is not all haircut but angsty and valid.
I ventured through the cold to Fitzroy's Royal Derby Hotel this past Thursday for my first CWLG show as they supported Melbourne's hard rockers The Reptiles. Though the following for the Sydney lads isn't quite at cult status yet, it was quite the intimate show.
The music just about cuts you as these five glam dudes get right into it, sound exploding through the room. The tracks are razor sharp and Cass Navarro's vocals are thick with a Casablancas drawl which works well over rocking riffs and funky fucking deadly bass lines. Navarro may be pocket sized, but it doesn't stop him from owning his stage presence, as he wanders around the space beer in hand casually delivering lyrics like, "I threw up on the dance floor". The set quickly changes into some punk influenced tracks with back-up vocals sometimes sounding truly At The Drive-In'esque. I think I described it to a friend as the bastard child of The Strokes and The Stooges.
What I like best are the bass lines that sound like the cuts off of Nirvana's 'Incesticide'. Each CWLG song delivers an element of garage "fuck you", which seems to be disappearing in today's alternative scene -- what with bands opting for smoother, polished radio-friendly sounds. Don't get me wrong, there's a place on the airwaves for CWLG but it's just not Nova, or 2DAY FM and I think I like it better that way.
After three nights in Melbourne, I like to think the boys will return to Sydney with a stronger fan base and we'll hopefully see them back in the icy Melbourne tundra soon. Keep and eyeout and get yourself to a show stat. Don't bring lemon or salt, CWLG will cut you
Help yourself to CWLG Myspace for tour dates and listen to some rocking tracks while you're there!
No comments:
Post a Comment