A lot of bands sound so alike, you don't remember the first time you heard them. A year ago I booked Paint it Black at La Salle University and I left it up to Andy to decide who opened up for them. As a fan of Count Me Out, I was really excited about Cloak/Dagger being on the bill, and I didn't give much thought to this band called "Pissed Jeans." He did mention though, that they had recently signed to Sub Pop, so I went to their Web site and downloaded "Closet Marine" - four of the brashest minutes my ears have endured.
When they showed up to unload I was taken aback by how "normal" they looked. Especially the singer, they all looked like they had just gotten off their 9-5's. The other bands wore Minor Threat t-shirts and special edition Nikes. Pissed Jeans wore sweaters and boat shoes. Then they played...
Words like "primal" and "frustrated" come to mind when explaining their noise. They were wonderful. I bought their record and since it has been a staple in my rotation.
Last week they released Hope for Men, their debut lp for Sub Pop. I never realized how much they take from the Black Flag book until this record. The lyrics, like the "concept" of the record, deal with the mundane loneliness and frustration that accompanies modern life.
A million reviews have already been written about this band and record, which (rightfully) use the same adjectives and descriptions. I can't overstate however, how terrific this band is.
You'll feel a lot better with this record.
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1 comment:
um, your list of what rules about pissed jeans is not complete:
they write songs about ice cream (with cookies on it).
gah i want to eat you.
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