Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 3/17 at HOB Anaheim Review

In one of their hit songs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club answers their own question. They ask, “Whatever happened to my rock and roll?”

This is a valid question when discussing today’s underground music. We are surrounded by electronic beats and soft folksy tunes today but when searching for raw rock and roll, listeners are forced to look to the past.

At BRMC’s Tuesday performance at the House of Blues Anaheim, they answered their question with their loud guitar and heavy drums and said, “Rock and Roll is right here.”

This was apparent in the audience. While waiting for the band to start, I was surrounded by mostly men aged 50+. Some were singing along to the Iggy Pop playing in the background, probably reminiscing about when they saw The Stooges when they were my age. Of course BRMC would have an older audience; they have the same no-nonsense raw rock that The Stooges and their contemporaries have.

The band walked out on stage without saying a word, and jumped right into their music. The first thing I noticed was their new drummer, Leah Shapiro. Her heavy drums stood out in the third song of the evening, “Stop” and “Berlin.”

The first half of their set was filled with waves of fast songs to slow songs, then slowed down signifigantly mid-set. This brought the best part of the evening.



Robert sat at the piano under the spotlight and played a most beautiful rendition of the Edgar Allen Poe poem, “Annabelle Lee”. It was haunting, it was gorgeous, just like Poe wrote it. A faithful tribute.

The mood was stopped abruptly by the sharp harmonica intro of “Ain’t No Easy Way”, and continued to step up the pace with “Spread Your Love.”

Peter Hayes brought you back down again with his great acoustic solo of “Sympathetic Noose.”

The title track off their new album “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” was another stand out song.

They played three encore songs, and ended with “Open Invitation”, one of their slower, sad songs. They let us down gently, and walked away just as silent as they entered,

I heard an audience member asked as I was walked away, “Why would they end with that song?”

You can’t expect anything else from a band of rebels.

-Taylor Hamby

Go Beyond Wonderland

Get the lights, beaded bracelets’ and glow sticks ready for a world that takes you Beyond Wonderland.


Attendees can dance and shuffle the night away on March 20 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino . The Beyond Wonderland music festival is hosted by a popular event planner Insomniac.

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend this electric event are Paul Van Dyk, Sander Van Doorm and Bart M More.

The venue holds four themed areas that reminisce back to Alice in Wonderland such as arenas called Madhatters Castle, Queens Domain, Caterpillars Garden and Chess Village.

There is a bar located inside of the arena as well.

Anh Pham, a 19 year old Technology Major at Orange Coast College said she is going for the line-up and the people.

“Pretty much everyone who knows about this event is going,” she said. “I’m stoked.”

On the other hand people like Cindy Nguyen, an 18-year-old business major at OCC, said it doesn’t matter to her who’s going to be there.

“I never really know who the line-up is,” she said. “I go to exchange beaded bracelets, and dance all night.”

Ticket prices started out at around $45 but as the event comes closer, prices have gone to $60-$70.

Marie Youth, an 18-year-old nursing student at OCC, said the cost doesn’t bother her.

“The money is well worth it,” she said. “It does get pricey but these events are amazing. You will have one of the best nights of your life.”

-Angel Rodriguez

Gorillaz recycle genres in "Plastic Beach"

Damon Albarn and his Gorillaz returned with “Plastic Beach” Tuesday with an alluring and intoxicating assimilation of various genres.

“Plastic Beach” is a world where waste products and plastics are turned into new toys. The plan here is to salvage from different musical styles such as hip-hop and Arabic music.

The music is as eclectic as the collaborations, which include rapper, Mos Def, and rock legend, Lou Reed. Gorillaz have been a rotating set of musicians, but Albarn has always been in control, enforcing his vision.

“White Flag” is a prime example of the musical combinations. The Lebanese Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music accompanies low-key British rappers Kano and Bushy creating an exotic blend of dub and Arabian strings.

The electric pop of “Stylo” is hypnotizing with its disco style beat and atmospheric synthesizers. Mos Def’s mellow delivery compliments old-school soul singer, Bobby Womack’s dramatic belting.

“Superfast Jellyfish,” with the help of Gruff Rhys and De La Soul, is the most animated tune on the album. De La Soul is as funky as he was on “Feel Good, Inc.” and Rhys sings lines like, “the sea is radioactive,” in a fun, robotic voice.

“Empire Ants,” which features Little Dragon, might be the best song on the album. Albarn takes the microphone and sings softly over an acoustic guitar and a shimmering piano. When Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano starts singing, the music swirls into a spacey ballad with haunting synthesizers and a soothing rhythm.

But, there are a few things that make “Plastic Beach” an imperfect record.

This is Albarn’s first time as the producer of a Gorillaz album, and without Dan “The Automator” Nakamura or Danger Mouse there to condense the music, the album does seem to stretch a bit. It also lacks the pop brilliance of songs like “Clint Eastwood” and “Dare.”

“Demon Days” was a goliath of a record, with huge commercial and critical success, and expectations for the next album were tremendous.

Still, “Plastic Beach” is an excellent record, and Albarn continues to stretch his musical horizons creating some of the most infectious and original music of the 2000s.

-James Vu

"Transference" is Spoon at their best.

Spoon adds another first-class release to their brilliant discography with “Transference.”

Almost three years after the release of the critically acclaimed “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” Spoon begins the decade with a rougher and grittier release.

“Transference” was self-produced and is reminiscent of their first record, 1996’s “Telephono.” The music on the new album is more raw rock ‘n‘ roll.

The first single, “Got Nuffin,” released six months prior to the album, was the first implication of the album’s rawness.

Spoon remains in top form despite the fact that most of the songs are mostly in their demo form.

The complexity of the music on “Transference” is created through the careful construction of the songs, not the glossing over in the studio.

Britt Daniel, the lead singer, once again demonstrates his skills in writing songs. The roughness in the songs emits a higher emotional resonance.

“Written in Reverse” is one of the more aggressive songs. It begins with the lines, “I’m writing this to you in reverse, someone better call a hearse.”

Daniel snarls and yells about a declining relationship over a pounding piano and an unsteady beat.

The lack of studio buff works best on the piano ballad, “Goodnight Laura,” revealing a more tender and delicate side to the album.

Emotions run high as Daniel croons a loved one to sleep. The intimacy of the performance amplifies its effect, similar to the impact of a child’s lullaby sung before bed time.

Piano chords are pressed methodically against a building rhythm on the second half of track six, “I Saw the Light.”

This is Spoon at their best, rationalizing during a jam session. No notes are wasted and every instrument is utilized efficiently.

All these abilities would go to waste if the songs themselves were not good. Even the more difficult songs are filled with plenty of hooks and grooves here to please rock and pop fans.

Transference is one of those albums that should be listened to a few times before passing judgment. However, it is a testament to one of the best bands of the 2000s and their skills in consistently producing great albums.


-James Vu