I Summon You*

Not much to report. I've been distracted in a variety of ways lately. I could give you a review of a record, I suppose.

Easy Action - "The Friends of Rock & Roll"
This band has instant hardcore roots thanks to the singer John Brannon's first band Negative Approach. NA was one of the original hardcore bands who ranked up there with Minor Threat, except Ian McKaye was never as hardcore as Brannon. But, make no mistake, this is a rock & roll band. Their first record a few years back was good, but it was dense. Probably because they had two guitarists, but Brannon put down the guitar for this one. He plays on one song, "Kool Aide," but otherwise his hands are freed up so that he can be as emphatic as he wants to be onstage. There have been some lineup changes since the last album, too. Brad Hales played bass on "The Friends..." but he's no longer in the band. Tony Romeo formerly of the Trash Brats now plays bass. The former drummer (sorry I can't remember your name) is now in local blues band The Doctor's Prescription, and he's been replaced in Easy Action by Matt Becker. Harold is still playing guitar and Brannon is still singing.
The album starts off right away with a hardcore influenced track called "I'm Waiting," but then they slow it down a bit with "Worse For You." What follows is the title track, which is introduced by Harold's mother and her Korean accent. She called in this one on a cell phone. The song has already started, and then you hear her saying "introducing...the friends of rock & roll!" I just found out that this is how she refers to the rest of the guys in the band. Because they're Harold's friends, and he's in a rock & roll band, she calls them "the friends of rock & roll." The song itself makes me think of the New Bomb Turks, but not in a derivative way. The choruses and the 'yeahs' are sung by the Friends of Rock & Roll Choir. They got forty or so of their friends to come in and sing backup on this one. Mix that with lyrics like "we'd rather slit your throat than write a brand new song" and you've got an instant Easy Action classic. A couple songs later is "Dead of Night," a slow-burning swamp rock track that makes me think of the Cramps just a little bit until the chorus kicks in with all the reverb on the guitar and Brannon's whaling. "Get It" is another hardcore influenced track, but then "There Was A Time" slows it down just a little bit again. I love what comes next, "Get The Fuck Out of My Way." I thought I was imagining things at first, but it starts out EXACTLY like "Street Fighting Man" from the Rolling Stones. The guitar, bass, drums, and even maracas. But, they change it up enough to make it unique and exciting all at the same time. The last song, "What's Going Down" is a little over seven minutes long, and slow! Yes, it's a slow song. But it's so good. All throughout it, there's an organ provided by Bobby Emmett of the Sights. And its church organ, so it sounds like a white boy British blues song like early John Mayall or early Fleetwood Mac or something. This is crazy good. I didn't know they had it in them. I could almost say its the best track on the album. The power of Easy Action is indeed the initial draw, but its Brannon's voice that anchors this band, and his voice is showcased in "What's Going Down." Overall, its a good deal. If you've ever liked anything else John Brannon has done, pick this up.

*listen to Spoon